Lai Chi Vun Shipyards

About this place

Lai Chi Vun Shipyards are a heritage area on the Coloane coast of Macau, once used for building and repairing wooden vessels. Their old steel frames now stand restored, with model boats and displays on the craft, making this one of Macau's finest cultural additions, far from the crowds of the casinos. The shipyards were built in the first half of the 20th century according to the culture bureau, while other sources say work began in the 1950s. Shipyards moved here after land was reclaimed at the Inner Harbour, and work stopped in the 1990s as fishing declined. The area became a listed cultural heritage site in 2018, the revival began in 2021 and plots have since opened to the public. You walk under brown steel roofs on tall columns, open to the sea and greenery. Large wooden boats with sails stand here, along with models, tools, panels and an interactive space shaped like a slipway. Between the frames are artificial grass, coloured chairs and tents, while still water stretches ahead to distant hills, and the place grows calm at sunset. It is about 800 m in a straight line from Seac Pai Van Park, best reached by taxi or a bus to Coloane. According to the culture bureau, plots 12 to 15 are open all day, the exhibition in plot 11 from 10:00 to 18:00, and a market runs on set days. Stay within the limits of the old structures, watch the ground near the water and bring a hat.