That building was then a meeting place for the Portuguese and the Chinese officials, and where the Ming dynasty government would announce regulations to Macau.

A number of institutions were affiliated to the building, including a museum of Luís Vaz de Camões, a post office, a court and a prison, yet all had moved elsewhere.

[1] After the handover of Macau to China in 1999 it became the headquarters of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau.

It became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau in 2005.

The building has retained all its original master walls and primary layout, including the courtyard garden in the back.