A guided tour for the local media of Iec Long Firecracker Factory was held yesterday afternoon on the property near the carpark of Taipa’s Chun Su Meineighbourhood.
A handout statement distributed by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) during the tour noted that the bureau will partially open the site to the public this year, adding that initially the site will consist of a walkway around the area.
The statement stressed that the bureau aims to revitalise the area and turn it into a park with leisure activities and with the local firework industry as the park’s theme.
According to the statement, a square outside a new main entrance to Iec Long – next to Chun Su Mei – will be set up, and restoration of the three buildings located on the square will be prioritised. The three buildings will be used for hosting exhibitions and workshops as well as for setting up a gift shop, café and tourism information centre, the statement said.
Regarding construction projects in Iec Long, the statement said that the bureau is discussing setting up a mini family outdoor camp to provide activities for children. There will be other facilities such as tree houses and climbing nets and ropes.
For Iec Long’s long-term planning, the statement said that the bureau has entrusted a consultancy to conduct an examination of the site’s environment to put forward a protection proposal. Furthermore, the proposal will be used as reference for the site’s restoration, revitalisation or new function plans in the future.
The Iec Long property covers more than 20,000 square metres of land, according to the statement. It was handed over to the bureau on December 9, 2020 to manage it. The statement noted that the site has been left vacant for many years which is the reason for its “complicated” situation, adding that the bureau carried out a series of preliminary works shortly after taking over Iec long such as building inspection, removing rubbish, cutting the grass and treating wastewater.
The statement pointed out that the site’s clean-up and land levelling has been primarily completed, adding that the bureau is working on revitalisation procurement.
Choi Kin Long, head of the IC Cultural Heritage Department, told reporters on the sidelines of the tour that the construction project’s first phase would start in June or July, hoping to complete the project and open the site to the public by the end of this year. Choi said that the budget could not be disclosed.
Choi pointed out that the bureau has entrusted a consultancy to examine the site’s environment such as its ecology, water resources, soil, trees, and plants. Choi added that the bureau would plan and restore the site according to the consultancy’s examination report, phase by phase.
Choi told reporters that there are two old trees on the site. Choi noted that they are a 100-year-old Ficus rumphii (Mock Bodh tree) and a 260-year-old Cinnamomum camphora (camphor tree). Choi pointed out that the camphor tree is older than the establishment of Iec Long.
Choi stressed that due to safety reasons, the walkway area will cover about 500 metres, which is a fifth of the whole site. When a reporter asked about ensuring the public’s safety on the walkway and preventing them from walking into dangerous areas, Choi replied that the bureau would set up steel barriers and barbed wire around the walkway.
Choi said that about 2,000 square metres of the site’s land which was once used as offices, employee residences and warehouses have not been repossessed by the government yet.
According to the Taipa Village website, Iec Long Firecracker Factory, located in Rua de Fernão Mendes Pinto, was established in 1926 and closed for good in 1984. The website says that Iec Long is the best-preserved industrial heritage site in Macau.
Iec Long (益隆) means “beneficial prosperity”. In Portuguese, it was known as “Fábrica de PanchõesIec Long”.
Photos: Ula Cheang
