Coloane is an island in Macau that is presently united with the island of Taipa by an area of reclaimed land known as Cotai. It is located at the southern part of Macau. Administratively, the boundaries of the traditional civil parish of São Francisco Xavier are coterminous with that of Coloane.
Etymology
Coloane was known in Cantonese as Gau Ou Saan and Yim Jou Waan. The Portuguese name "Coloane" is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of Gwo Lou Waan.
Geography
Coloane has an area of, is long and is from the Macau Peninsula. The narrowest part of Coloane is. The highest points in Macau are eastern and central Coloane, with the highest point being the Coloane Alto. In the past, Coloane was separated from Taipa by the Seac Pai Bay, which was crossed by a causeway, the Estrada do Istmo, connecting Coloane to Taipa. However land reclamation has physically connected the two islands and a new area for development called Cotai has been built between Taipa and Coloane, which is home to the Cotai Strip and several other casinos under development. The northern shore of the parish is deep, and is the site of the Macau Deepwater Port. The eastern Hac Sa Beach and the southern Cheoc Van Bay are popular swimming beaches.
History
From the Song dynasty onwards and until the Portuguese arrival in 1864, Coloane was a sea salt farm for China. After their arrival, the Portuguese made Macau an important trading port, but Coloane remained largely deserted, and was used as a base by pirates until 1910. The island became more populated after the Estrada do Istmo causeway connecting Coloane with Taipa was completed in 1969.
Coloane Village
Coloane Village, located on the southwestern coast of Coloane, is the island's main settlement. The village centers on Eduardo Marques Square, which is a rectangle paved in cobblestones that are black, white and yellow, laid out in a wavy pattern reminiscent of the sea. The square faces a seaside promenade that traces the channel dividing Macau from the hills of China proper. At the eastern end of the square stands the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, built in 1928. A Tam Kung Temple is located at the southern end of Avenida de Cinco de Outubro. ;Temples
Sam Seng Temple, also called Kam Fa Temple, located at 2 Rua dos Navegantes in Coloane Village. Dedicated to Kam Fa, Kun Iam and Va Kuong, it was built in 1865.
Tam Kung Temple in Coloane Village. Dedicated to Lord Tam, a Taoist god of seafarers, it was built in 1862.
;Churches
Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, of the Freguesia de São Francisco Xavier. The chapel, built in 1928, is located on the southwestern coast of the island and stands near a monument commemorating a victory over pirates in 1910. The chapel used to contain some of the most sacred Christian relics in Asia, including the remains of 26 foreign and Japanese Catholic priests who were crucified in Nagasaki in 1597, as well as those of some of the Japanese Christians who were killed during the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. They are now located in the Museum of Sacred Art, opened in 1996 next to the Ruins of St. Paul's. Another relic was a bone from the arm of St. Francis Xavier, who died in 1552 on Shangchuan Island, from Macau. This relic has been transferred to St. Joseph's Church.
Lai Chi Vun Village
Estrada de Lai Chi Vun begins at the intersection Estrada de Seac Pai Van and Estrada do Campo in the north and ends at Largo do Cais in the south. The towering banyan tree at the northern end of the marks the northern entrance to , whose name is associated with its abundance in lychee trees in the past and its bowl-shaped bay. The shipyards that once lay beyond the village are nowadays left in disuse. The single-storey business premises of Veng Lok Shipyard and of Association of Shipbuilders of Macao-Taipa-Coloane are located inside the small courtyard to the right of the road atop the hill. All the way down the road to the western side is the one-storey office building of the Customs office of Coloane in Portuguese architectural style. Coloane Pier, which was once the only entry and exit point of Coloane is located along the waterfront facing Largo do Cais the southern end of the road. Lai Chi Vun Village The Lai Chi Vun shipyards are being evaluated to determine whether they meet the MSAR's legal definition of cultural relics. The site is potentially significant because Macau's shipbuilding industry began at the shipyards and because of the formation of a historical village near the area. For more information visit the on Lai Chi Vun Village. To voice your opinion simply submit your opinion via cultural heritage's
Macao Public Library operates the Coloane Library, which occupies space in the former Coloane Public Elementary School, a Portuguese-style building. In 1983 the building was renovated so it could serve as a library.
