The Macau Historical Districts Developments Promotion Association is hosting a three-month long light show called “2025 Luminescent Night at Travessa do Armazém Velho” (“Alley of the Old Warehouse”).
The show started in the old neighbourhood on Saturday. It will take place every day from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The event is a part of the “Light up Macao” festival organised by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
Cheang Ka Hang, president of the association told reporters on Saturday that the event has been held in conjunction with the “Light up Macao” festival for several years. Cheang pointed out that, based on past Christmas holiday periods, Laahn Gwai Lau can expect 200,000 to 300,000 visitors during the three-month event, potentially boosting the takings of the area’s businesses by about 20 to 30 percent. If the event continues to succeed in attracting visitors, Cheang said his association will apply to MGTO to extend the duration of the light installations.
Yesterday, the Post interviewed several tourists and employees to find out what they think of the nightly spectacle.
Vincent from Hong Kong was visiting Macau for the fifth time, but this was his first visit to Laahn Gwai Lau. He found the neighbourhood’s atmosphere to be a blend of old and new, displaying a “distinctive historic charm”. He said that the ambiance improves when the lights are on at night, though he was not sure if he would pay another visit to the area just because of the luminous spectacle.
Lu Jue from Beijing was visiting Macau and the light show for the first time. He said he liked the event’s atmosphere and environment, describing the overall experience as “comfortable”, adding that he was planning to return at the same time next year. He also said that his initial impression of Macau was favourable, though he had not yet formed a firm opinion about the city.
Bakery worker “Xiao Xi” said he believed that the organisers’ expectation of using the event to increase foot traffic in the district by 20 to 30 percent was unlikely to be achieved. He pointed out that the lighting decorations only seemed to attract some tourists for their popular “da kat” (photo ops, also known as “check-in”) activity but did not directly translate into increased in-store customer traffic. The real driver of foot traffic was the popular “shopping voucher” campaign and other tangible incentives launched concurrently, he said.
Coffee shop owner “Ming” criticised the organisers for a lack of pre-event communication with the area’s business owners. He also said that the temporary installations, loud music, and large-scale setups disrupted normal shop operations. He also slammed the poor design quality of the event, with complaints about inappropriate colour schemes and cheap-looking materials failing to align with Macau’s desired image as a first-tier city, even drawing negative comments from tourists, he said.
Pedestrians walk past shops on Rua dos Ervanários (“Road of the Herbalists”) in the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Macau’s “Laahn Gwai Lau” neighbourhood yesterday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
