Country Macau Area 7.6 km² | Time zone Macau Standard (UTC+8) Province Guangdong Province | |
Points of interest Hac Sa Reservoir Barbecue, Hac Sa Park, A‑Ma Cultural Village, Chapel of St Francis X, Tam Kong Temple | ||
Coloane, officially Freguesia de São Francisco Xavier, is one of the two main islands of the Macau. The island is located directly south of Macau's other main island, Taipa (氹仔), and east of Hengqin Island of Zhuhai in Guangdong province, China.
Contents
- Map of Coloane Macau
- New year 2010 coloane island macau
- GeographyEdit
- HistoryEdit
- Coloane VillageEdit
- Lai Chi Vun VillageEdit
- Tourist attractionsEdit
- GovernmentEdit
- InfrastructureEdit
- TransportEdit
- References
Map of Coloane, Macau
Coloane was known in Cantonese as Gau Ou Saan (九澳山 Kau O Shan, lit. "Nine-inlet Mountain" or transcribed in Portuguese as Ká-Hó) and Yim Zou Waan (鹽灶灣, lit. "Salt-stove Bay"). The Portuguese name "Coloane" is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of Gwo Lou Waan (過路環, lit. "Passing-road Ring").
New year 2010 coloane island macau
GeographyEdit
Coloane has an area of 8.07 km2 (3 sq mi), is 4 km (2 mi) long and is 5.6 km (3 mi) from the Macau Peninsula. The narrowest part of Coloane is 300 metres (980 ft). The highest points in Macau are eastern and central Coloane, with the highest point being the 170.6 metres (560 ft) Coloane Alto (Chinese: 疊石塘山, Portuguese: Alto de Coloane).
In the past, Coloane was separated from Taipa by the Seac Pai Bay, which was crossed by a 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) causeway, the Estrada do Istmo, connecting Coloane to Taipa. However land reclamation has physically connected the two islands and a new town 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 island is 4.5 metres (15 ft) deep, and is the site of the Macau Deepwater Port.
The eastern Hac Sa Beach (Chinese: 黑沙海灘, Portuguese: Baía de Hác Sá) and the southern Cheoc Van Bay (Chinese: 竹灣, Portuguese: Baía de Cheoc Van) are popular swimming beaches.
HistoryEdit
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 was completed in 1969.
Coloane VillageEdit
Coloane Village (Portuguese: Vila de Coloane; Chinese: 路環村), 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 (十月初五馬路).
Lai Chi Vun VillageEdit
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 Lai Chi Vun Village (荔枝碗村), whose name is assoicated with its abundance in lychee tress 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.
Tourist attractionsEdit
GovernmentEdit
InfrastructureEdit
TransportEdit
Coloane is served by buses and taxis.