Group hopes to open ‘brothel museum’ in Rua da Felicidade

An association for the employees of local restaurants and bakeries has joined forces with the Oral History Association of Macau, seeking to revamp its current site in an alley close to Rua da Felicidade. The promoters want to turn the site into a cultural and creative complex in order to popularize the former history of the street.
Their initial blueprint was revealed at a press briefing over the weekend. The complex would feature a “brothel museum,” since Rua da Felicidade was formerly Macau’s local prostitution hub. A café and a cultural and creative store would also be built inside the two-storey building, specifically located at an alley off the street called Beco da Felicidade, commonly known as “Alley of Bliss” among the Chinese community.
Laura Lee, the president of the history association announced at a press briefing that the entire revitalization scheme would need financial support from the government, as it is expected to cost at least MOP1 million. The first phase of the complex, the café, is expected to be available to the public this September, with the remaining facilities to follow in phases.
“We have divided our plan into three parts. First is the construction of a brothel museum, a coffee shop and a cultural creative shop. [Our current location] is going to be turned into a coffee shop and we want to organize some art performances here. The room next to here is going to be built as a brothel museum,” said Lee.
Since the beginning of 1950, the abovementioned Chinese style 3,000 square foot building was reserved for the labor union’s conferences and leisure activities, as well as accommodation. It underwent a facelift by the Cultural Affairs Bureau in 2012 in an effort to preserve the historical streetscape.
Both associations hope to enhance the city’s cultural image with more diversified facilities in that area. Staff reporter