Rehabilitated Rua da Felicidade provides Macanese with a nostalgic window to the past

By Rebecca Lo Translation by Hsiaofen Peng, Takako Whilden

Though it’s not officially part of ‘The Historic centre of Macao’ as designated by unEScO, Rua da Felicidade holds a special place in the hearts of the Macanese. indeed, its chinese name literally means ‘Street of new Good Luck’. and, from when the marshland was first drained in 1862 to the bustling shops doing brisk business there today, happiness and luck have always been the street’s strongest traits.

Running parallel to avenida de almeida Ribeiro through Rua dos Mercadores, the streetscape of Rua da Felicidade consists of two-storey shop houses with sloping roofs. The first set of cobblestones were laid in the late 19th century by the Wangs, wealthy father and son merchants from Fujian, and the street began to attract visitors disembarking from the former ferry terminal located at the end of almeida Ribeiro.

During Felicidade’s early years, it was a haven for fortune-seeking merchants. Banks, restaurants, shops and theatres flourished alongside opium dens, casinos and brothels, reflecting the market demands at the time. With a constant flow of seamen on shore leave, the street was a notorious red light district until the early 20th century, when it was cleaned up thanks to the Macau government prohibiting prostitution.

“The spirit of the place in the context of Macau isn’t necessarily positive, but there’s a spirit,” says Dr Lynne DiStefano, visiting lecturer with The university of Hong Kong’s architectural conservation Programme. “it’s connected with a greater force. Something about the street leads one to think about the past in a nostalgic way. it gives people a comfortable link with history.” For first-year students, a field study in Macau is an integral part of their masters programme. Every year since 2000, Rua da Felicidade has been included in the curriculum with different emphasis. “The street gives our students a broader understanding of the different kinds of heritage resources that can be found in Macau,” explains DiStefano.

One of the longest running businesses currently still on Rua da Felicidade is Portuguese restaurant Fat Siu Lau (no 64, +853 2857 3580). Founded in 1903 by Zhongshan native Wong Man Sing in a two-storey wood house on Travessa do Matadouro, the restaurant quickly gained in popularity and soon moved to its current three-storey premises on the Street of new Good Luck. Often found serving the restaurant’s signature Shek Ki Superb Roast Pigeon is Wing Lee – uncle Wing, as most people call him – who has worked at Fat Siu Lau since he was 15. He turns 80 this year. Manager Fred Wong is the fourth generation of Wongs running the restaurant, although his 92-year-old grandfather gives him advice every now and then. “To keep up with the times, we opened a branch on avenida Dr Sun Yat-sen, near the Kun iam statue,” says Wong.

Monita Pang worked across the street at what’s currently Vila universal (no. 73, +853 2857 3247) from 1974 to 1997 as the hotel’s receptionist. She had a great view of what went on outside her front door. “My hotel and Foto Grafo artes [closed in 2004] were originally part of a casino,” says Pang. “at the time, it was very low class. casinos weren’t associated with hotels originally. Stanley Ho changed all that.”

Photographer Vong Dong Ming established Foto Grafo artes in 1965 in response to the rise of portrait studios at the time. Vong was an avid racing fan and his photos of the Macau Grand Prix have graced numerous publications and advertisements. “Everyone remembers Master Vong,” says former professional photographer Victor Lo, who currently runs a private kitchen restaurant out of his shop near Vong’s home. “i have coffee with the Vongs almost every morning and talk about the good old days,” he says.

When developers took over a number of buildings in the centre part of Felicidade, Foto Grafo artes was bought out. “i see what happens when people don’t have real ownership [of their properties],” says DiStefano. “People see themselves there as short term rather than long. it has an effect on the kinds of activities on the street. it’s a concern to me.”

On Felicidade, the spirit of enterprise has always been one of its defining features. One example is the cold war still raging between established choi Heong Yuen Bakery (no 1, +853 2833 1166) and relative upstart Pastelaria Koi Kei (no 70-72, +853 2893 8102). Both bakeries sell the same products – savoury hand-grilled pork jerky and piping hot handmade egg rolls – but while choi Heong Yuen has been in the neighbourhood since 1935, Koi Kei first set up shop in 1997. Both brands are very successful and boast multiple branches across all corners of Macau; it’s the two main branches on Rua da Felicidade, though, that see the stiffest competition. “i think one of the reasons why this street has so many small businesses is that it’s close to a major street,” says Pang. “The traffic from almeida Ribeiro fostered this spirit of entrepreneurship.”

While entrepreneurs first catered to seamen, the latest incarnation of Rua da Felicidade is as a souvenir haven. Tourists make it the last stop on their jam-packed itinerary, picking up authentic Macanese treats before boarding their ferry or plane. Yet the previous layers of the street are there, just below the surface. “it’s something that is what once was,” says DiStefano. “it gets attention because of its aesthetics and it’s a wonderful backdrop. But what still makes it an interesting street is that it isn’t just a backdrop. There are activities still being carried out. The architecture isn’t the most important part. it’s about what’s happening in the shops today. What’s wonderful is that the old businesses can still survive. They are responding to real market needs.”

Prior to Macau’s handover, the government decided to renovate Rua da Felicidade by repainting all of the shop fronts light grey with red shuttered windows and roofs. “The street was becoming quite dilapidated,” recalls Pang. “Of course, when the government provided money to have the street fixed up, it had its own agenda. There was no real plan for developing the businesses here.”

From an architectural perspective, Rua da Felicidade’s facelift is highly unusual. “The white and red is a creative approach to rehabilitation,” says DiStefano. “a purist would have reservations since everything is very consistently done. it didn’t look like that originally. it’s very pretty, but it isn’t based on historic fact. i don’t know of any other rehabilitation project quite like it.”