Why is it that real estate always get in the way of heritage? Why is it that whenever Macao is mentioned in the South China Morning Post — leaving aside Casinos' amazing growth figures — amateurs always rhyme with liars and we happen to look like fools?
Demolition near Ruins of St Paul's questioned
Fox Yi Hu, Mar 13, 2010 in SCMP
A demolition project near the Ruins of St Paul's may lead to archaeological finds relating to Macau's most famous landmark, once the base for Catholic missionary work in Asia. But some critics see the project as a veiled redevelopment plan that may spoil the surroundings of the UN-recognised world heritage site.
The Macau government has marked the location of four residential buildings to the northeast of the remaining facade of the 17th century church as an archaeological site.
Experts of world heritage protection advised the government to carry out more comprehensive archaeological work when possible to understand the original structure of the College of St Paul's, the government said.
Therefore, the government decided to demolish four vacant buildings of civil servants' quarters and invite mainland archaeological experts to come to Macau for excavation.
Work to tear down two of the four buildings in Belchior Carneiro Street began last week and is expected to last two months before excavation begins. The government has yet to decide when to start demolishing the other two buildings.
It said the former Portuguese administration disturbed the completeness of the Ruins of St Paul's area by constructing the four three-storey buildings in the 1960s.
The church was built in 1602 next to the Jesuit College of St Paul's, where Mount Fortress and the Museum of Macau now stand. The site of the four buildings to be demolished formed part of the college. A fire in 1835 destroyed both the church and the college, leaving only the facade.
The United Nations named the ruins a world heritage site in 2005.
Macau historian Chan Su-weng said it was unlikely the excavation would uncover anything valuable.
It was a college rather than a grave site," Chan said.
Nothing valuable was found when people laid the foundation for the four buildings some 50 years ago.
He said the four buildings had historic and architectural value and should be preserved and revitalised into a museum or cultural centre.
They are the only remaining complete series of civil servants' quarters in Macau, he said.
The government said the site might be turned into a car park, depending on the dig's results. Chan said that would create pollution and noise in the world heritage area.
Last month a government task force responsible for improving the area around the ruins invited local experts and community leaders to give their views on the demolition. Several experts, including Chan, advised against rushing into the project.
Legislator Au Kam-san said the government had yet to give clear reasons for tearing down the buildings.
Why is the government suddenly interested in having an archaeological project?" he asked.
If it's for building a car park, the site seems too small to offer a meaningful number of parking spaces.
Political commentator Professor Larry So Man-yum of the Macau Polytechnic Institute said the excavation was just a means to exploit a precious plot of land.
It's very smart for the government to do that in the name of archaeological work, So said.
The site could eventually be used to build a car park or a residential tower with underground parking spaces.
But he said a car park was needed as large numbers of tourist buses often caused traffic chaos in the area.
A demolition project near the Ruins of St Paul's may lead to archaeological finds relating to Macau's most famous landmark, once the base for Catholic missionary work in Asia.
But some critics see the project as a veiled redevelopment plan that may spoil the surroundings of the UN-recognised world heritage site.
The Macau government has marked the location of four residential buildings to the northeast of the remaining facade of the 17th century church as an archaeological site.
"Experts of world heritage protection advised the government to carry out more comprehensive archaeological work when possible to understand the original structure of the College of St Paul's," the government said.
"Therefore, the government decided to demolish four vacant buildings of civil servants' quarters and invite mainland archaeological experts to come to Macau for excavation."
Work to tear down two of the four buildings in Belchior Carneiro Street began last week and is expected to last two months before excavation begins. The government has yet to decide when to start demolishing the other two buildings.
It said the former Portuguese administration "disturbed the completeness" of the Ruins of St Paul's area by constructing the four three-storey buildings in the 1960s.
The church was built in 1602 next to the Jesuit College of St Paul's, where Mount Fortress and the Museum of Macau now stand. The site of the four buildings to be demolished formed part of the college. A fire in 1835 destroyed both the church and the college, leaving only the facade.
The United Nations named the ruins a world heritage site in 2005.
Macau historian Chan Su-weng said it was unlikely the excavation would uncover anything valuable.
"It was a college rather than a grave site," Chan said. "Nothing valuable was found when people laid the foundation for the four buildings some 50 years ago."
He said the four buildings had historic and architectural value and should be preserved and revitalised into a museum or cultural centre.
"They are the only remaining complete series of civil servants' quarters in Macau," he said.
The government said the site might be turned into a car park, depending on the dig's results. Chan said that would create pollution and noise in the world heritage area.
Last month a government task force responsible for improving the area around the ruins invited local experts and community leaders to give their views on the demolition. Several experts, including Chan, advised against rushing into the project.
Legislator Au Kam-san said the government had yet to give clear reasons for tearing down the buildings.
"Why is the government suddenly interested in having an archaeological project?" he asked. "If it's for building a car park, the site seems too small to offer a meaningful number of parking spaces."
Political commentator Professor Larry So Man-yum of the Macau Polytechnic Institute said the excavation was just a means to exploit a precious plot of land.
"It's very smart for the government to do that in the name of archaeological work," So said. "The site could eventually be used to build a car park or a residential tower with underground parking spaces."
But he said a car park was needed as large numbers of tourist buses often caused traffic chaos in the area.
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