Gov’t retrieves plot of former Kwong Hing Tai fireworks factory

The government has retrieved and taken possession of a land parcel located at Pier 11 in Inner Harbour.

The plot, located along the waterside adjacent to Rua das Lorchas, formerly belonged to the Kwong Hing Tai fireworks factory.

According to information from the Land and Public Works Bureau (DSSCU), the land has an area of 199 square meters and had been granted a temporary occupation license under the public water domain, which has since expired.

Under the law on the Management of Maritime Areas and related Chief Executive orders, the area along the Inner Harbour coast is designated as state-owned land, and the plot now falls under that designation as well.

The operation to retrieve and take possession of the plot followed an eviction procedure initiated by the DSSCU, which called on the previous concessionaires to voluntarily return the parcel, but they did not comply.

The authorities noted that the plot will be revitalized and utilized by the relevant departments.

As the Times previously reported, following the government’s intention to retrieve the land, several voices in society have called for careful consideration of its future planning and development, emphasizing the importance of preserving historically significant sites.

Commonly known as “Pier 11,” Kwong Hing Tai was once Macau’s largest fireworks factory, representing an era when Macau was known for its gunpowder production industry.

Records indicate that from the mid-19th century to the 1970s, the firecracker industry was one of Macau’s three traditional industries, alongside incense and matches.
The company was said to have been created in the 1920s by Chan Lan Fong, known as the “Firecracker King,” who produced fireworks for export to North America, India, and Southeast Asia.

Earlier reports also noted that the temporary occupation license had expired 44 years ago, before the government decided to recover the land.