Taipa Houses-Museum

Five houses in mint green stand in a row along the old Taipa waterfront, built in 1921 for senior civil servants and their families, and they survive as museums: one furnished as a Macanese family home of the period, others holding exhibitions on Taipa's history, on Portuguese regions and on the island's development. The avenue in front was the seafront before land reclamation put the Cotai casinos between it and the water.

Background

In Portuguese the complex is called Casas-Museu da Taipa. Of its five houses, four hold objects and displays on life in Macau during the colonial era, and the fifth serves as an event venue. The interiors were restored to recreate the homes of well-off Portuguese families in Macau from the first half of the 20th century. Restoration of the last house was completed in 1999, and the museum opened on 5 December 1999. The water the houses once faced has become a small wetland. Every autumn the Lusofonia Festival is held in the open space outside the museums.

Source: Wikipedia, "Taipa Houses-Museum"

Highlights

• The five green villas - the 1921 houses in a row along the old waterfront.
• The Macanese house - one villa furnished as a family home of the period.
• The exhibition rooms - displays on Taipa's history and Portuguese regions.
• The old waterfront - an avenue that faced the sea before reclamation.

When to go

October to December is dry and cool. The houses close one day a week. An hour or two covers all five.

Before you go

They close one day a week and individual houses close for changeovers. The view now faces reclaimed land and casinos rather than water. Interpretation is thin in places.

Nearby

Rua do Cunha is nearby in Taipa village, and Cotai is south.

Key facts