Museu Marítimo de Macau / Maritime Museum

Until 1991 the Museu Marítimo de Macau was housed in an early 20th century colonial-style building near the Ma Kok Miu Temple. It now occupies a magnificent new building opposite the temple.

The Museum now displays on three floors a comprehensive collection of material on Macau's maritime history, as well as numerous ship models and items of fishing equipment. There are also displays illustrating the development of nautical and meteorological instruments, including a splendid 1897 barometer. A number of dioramas portray important events in the seafaring history of Macau.

In front of the Maritime Museum is the Inner Harbour (Porto Interior), through which runs the frontier between Macau and the People's Republic of China. In this are a restored Chinese dragon boat, a sampan, a flower boat and a fishing smack used by "boat people" fleeing from Vietnam. The dragon boat runs cruises round Macau several times a week (information from Maritime Museum).

The big event here is the dragon boat races in May, when the 20 oarsmen in each boat are spurred on by a drummer sitting in the stern.