The proposal to create a Maritime Museum in Macau was launched in 1986 by Commander António Martins Soares who, at that time, was the Macau Harbour Master. The Maritime Museum Library houses approximately 2,500 works, not including periodical publications. Some topics, such as Maritime Technology, Maritime Ethnology, Portuguese and Chinese Maritime History, the History of the Discoveries, the History of Macau, Naval Construction, Design, Aquarium Studies and Malacology, as well as various other studies, are especially well represented. The Museum’s Archive of Photographs displays a reasonable quantity of photographs documenting, ships, personalities and events which have made history over the past years in Macau. From negatives dating from 1920 to the testimonies taken of more recent occasions, the investigator may discover here an important source of information about many diverse themes and in particular, the maritime field. Access to these archives is subject to authorization by the Management of the Museum. In the archives, plans and drawings of old Portuguese vessels, such as ships of war, merchant ships and fishing vessels among others, can be found. The exhibition on the top floor mainly covers the areas of technology and maritime transport, dredging and navigation. In this area, the methods of explanation were considered quite carefully in order to add to the attractiveness of the exhibition. Due to its importance as an aid to navigation, it has been considered necessary to highlight the model of the Guia Lighthouse. This was the first lighthouse to be erected on the South China coast, and today it is still extremely useful in guiding ships on their access to Macau. Of no lesser importance is the exhibition of various nautical instruments dating from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Among these, Octants, Telescopes, Straight Edges, Mariner’s Compasses, and various Sextants are displayed. The display dealing with tides, winds and water depth is equipped with an electronic board which allows people to visualize the use of a water gauge. There is also a model of the Macau navigation channel, with its system of buoys and beacons. A visualization of its appearance at night is permitted with the activation of small lights depicting various navigational signals. Above this floor a celestial dome-shaped ceiling was constructed representing the northern hemisphere. Astronomic navigation was, and still is, an important aid for seafarers. Through a manual system, the visitor can find various constellations, including his or her own astrological sigh.
Reprinted from:51766.com