Composed of the exhibition hall, library, and open teahouse, etc, Macau Maritime Museum was built up in 1986 upon the proposal of Su Lizhi, head of the the PAD of Macau and opened to public the next year. Before a new exhibition hall has been set up in the expansion, the original museum only serves as office of the museum administration.
The new hall, which was completed in 1990, designed in the shape of the figure of a ship, looks like a sailing barquentine berthed in front of the Barra Temple.
The exhibition hall of Macau Maritime Museum comprises of one aquarium and three component halls respectively on maritime folk customs, maritime history, and maritime technology. The underground Maritime Folk Custom Hall aims at introducing the living conditions of people in South China and fishermen in Macao; the exhibited include various Chinese-style sailing boats and fish-catching stools, etc; here tourists can also find scenes of the real life of fish-men and their families as well as the beautiful legend of Barra Temple. There is an attic between the underground floor and the first floor; here exhibits more than ten models of traditional Portugal ships together with illustrations of lantern slides and introductions. The Maritime History hall on the first floor exhibits relevant historical events between China and Portugal from the 15th to 17th Century; there are various lighthouses and navigation devices. The aquarium in the museum consists of four chests of aquatic animals and plants. Tourists can appreciate different breeds of fish and shells here. |
