A study released yesterday suggests that the defunct shipyards near Coloane Village be revived with a ship-building museum showcasing boat-building tools and machinery as exhibits as well as having on-site workshops in order to preserve the area, culture and industry that once flourished in Macau.
The government’s Consultative Council for the Renewal of Old Quarters in Macau (CCRBAM) held a meeting presided over by Secretary for Transport and Public Works Lau Si Io Wednesday where it was proposed that the city’s boat-building industry be resurrected in the form of a cultural tourism product in Lai Chi Vun, an area of about 50,000 square metres near the Coloane immigration pier.
“Lai Chi Vun in Coloane is one of the largest, remaining and complete shipyards for building wooden vessels in the Pearl River Delta region,” a statement from the council quoted by The Macau Post Daily said, explaining that reviving the boat-building industry as a cultural and tourism product would help maintain the unique culture and preserve the industrial heritage as well as revamp the environment for residents there.
The council also said that it already met and presented the proposal to owners of the now unused shipyards, who “did not show great opposition” to the idea, Urban Planning Department of the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) chief Lao Iong told reporters.
Lao said that the government had so far acquired a “valuable” shipyard’s temporary land occupation permit and hoped to start preservation work there as soon as possible.
There are a total of 16 temporary land occupation permits that have been issued to residents in Lai Chi Vun.(macaunews)
