Interview by Yuki Lei
When revitalising Macau’s old quarters, the government and the city’s six integrated resort (IR) operators should always ensure that their way of giving full play to the historical value and cultural connotation of each of their designated areas is in line with the ongoing programme’s “authenticity”, urban planner Manuel Iok Pui Ferreira (胡玉沛), managing director of Macau Explorer Cultural Travel, said last week.
With the aim of developing more diversified cultural landmark attractions playing a key role in boosting the economic development of Macau’s old districts, the government and the city’s six IR operators have been jointly carrying out a revitalisation programme for six historic districts in the peninsula, Taipa and Coloane. IR operators SJM, Galaxy, Wynn, MGM, Melco and Sands are taking part in the government-initiated programme, respectively, in the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro area, Coloane’s Lai Chi Vun Shipyards, the pedestrianisation of Rua da Felicidade (“Street of Bliss”), the Barra (Inner Harbour entrance) area, Pier 23 and Pier 25 in the Inner Harbour district, and the Mount Fortress area, as well as Taipa’s erstwhile Iec Long Firecracker Factory.
Ferreira pointed out that due to the fact that the six areas are rather dilapidated which is increasing the difficulties of revitalising them, only under the leadership of professional and mature urban planners can the areas’ cultural and tourism value be brought into full play, in order to be able to drive each area’s development. A key point of revitalising the old quarters is to promote sustainable tourism based on the main concept of “innovation”, he underlined.
Taking the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards area as an example, Ferreira said that organising events there merely based on world-famous animation brands would not be able to highlight the vicissitudes of Macau’s 500-year history as an entrepôt between West and East, as the brands had nothing to do with the historical significance of the area. “Speaking of the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards area, the memories that come to mind should be Macau’s role in the Maritime Silk Road, including shipbuilding, shipping trade and confrontations with pirates, among other historical stories,” Ferreira said, adding that the IR operator tasked with revitalising Lai Chi Vun could obviously make full use of these stories when carrying out various special events and launching relevant experiential workshops , but it chose to launch a project that was completely different to these stories.
Setting up Mickey Mouse, Harry Potter and Hello Kitty installations in the revitalisation areas would be nothing more than fleeting snapshot completely failing to show the local culture, Ferreira said, adding: “The way of using commercial brand mascots to enter the local community seems a bit inconsistent”.
Instead, Ferreira urged IR operators to combine their events with cultural heritage features such as statues and wood carvings in their respective revitalisation areas, adding that before planning to revitalise their areas, IR operators could consider conducting in-depth discussions with performing arts groups and history researchers in the areas such as Rua de Cinco de Outubro and Rua das Estalagens which are full of human warmth, so that they can jointly revitalise and set up a “new culture” in the areas. In addition, he said, the government should also set the rules of the “game” and standardise the standards for the six areas’ “revitalisation”.
Many local enterprises and associations intended to develop Macau by holding featured carnivals and building amusement parks, but they have been unable to do so for many years as their respective project applications were not approved by the government, according to Ferreira, who underlined that “it is very difficult to rent an event space in Macau”. He asked the government: “Why can’t Macau give enterprises a trial run?”
The government has no idea nor a clear direction towards the revitalisation of the six old areas, while the IR operators are purely fulfilling their corporate social responsibility, Ferreira said. He also said the government needed to formulate a comprehensive plan for its revitalisation programme among different public entities for boosting the six old districts’ economic development in the long run.
Ferreira made the remarks during an interview with The Macau Post Daily last Thursday in Largo do Pagode do Bazar.
Urban planner Manuel Iok Pui Ferreira, managing director of Macau Explorer Cultural Travel, speaks to The Macau Post Daily in Largo do Pagode do Bazar last Thursday.
– Photo: Yuki Lei
