Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam Wai Man announced during a meeting that the revitalisation of the city’s Chi Lam Vai walled heritage village must balance conservation and development.
The Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) said in a statement that the “Specialised Working Group for the Renewal and Revitalisation of Pátio do Espinho” held a meeting yesterday to discuss the preliminary conceptual scheme for urban spatial research and community planning concerning the Chi Lam Vai revitalisation project.
The working group has been established under the “Leadership Group for the Promotion of Urban Renewal”, which is chaired by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai.
According to the statement, through the optimisation and improvement of Chi Lam Vai’s environmental space and streetscape, the plan aims to make better use of its cultural and tourism resources, improve the living environment in the neighbourhood, drive community economy development, and achieve a positive interaction between cultural heritage conservation and urban renewal.
The progress of the plan and the follow-up arrangements were presented by the Lands and Urban Construction Bureau, the statement said.
Tam, who heads the group and chaired the meeting at the bureau, said that concerning the renewal and revitalisation of Chi Lam Vai, it was necessary to strike a balance between conservation and development, and to fully listen to the views of community associations and residents.
The statement added that the aim is to ensure that the revitalisation plan meets the actual needs of the village and the expectations of the public, improves the living environment in the area, and adds more cultural and tourism attractions and vitality to Macau. Tam also instructed the working group to review the condition of environmental facilities in the village and make improvements.
Chi Lam Vai (also known as Chi Lam Chuen – 茨林圍), known in Portuguese as Pátio do Espinho (“Courtyard of the Thorn”), is a 400-year-old walled village. It is situated just a street away from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Na Tcha Temple – one of Macau’s two temples dedicated to the tutelary deity known in Mandarin as Nezha – and close to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St Paul’s.
The area around Na Tcha Temple and the St Paul’s Ruins is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Historic Centre of Macao.
According to Chi Lam Vai Concern Group Convenor Ip Tat, the village consists of 120 houses with fewer than 100 residents. Currently, Chi Lam Vai’s main tourist attraction is a Na Tcha-themed café and souvenir shop.
Na Tcha is a Daoist tutelary deity particularly popular in Macau.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam Wai Man (centre) chairs the meeting with members of the “Specialised Working Group for the Renewal and Revitalisation of Pátio do Espinho” yesterday. – Photo: Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU)
This photo taken on July 8 last year shows a café and souvenir shop dedicated to Daoist tutelary deity Na Tcha in Chi Lam Village behind the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St Paul’s and one of Macau’s two Na Tcha temples. – Photo: Armindo Neves
