Origin of Guildhall of Kung Sin Hang (Shipbuilding Trade)

The shipbuilding industry of Macao was in its heyday from the end of Ming dynasty to the reign of Emperor Tongzhi of Qing dynasty. By then, the seafront of Patane and San Kio districts was populated by shipyards and many people were engaged in the industry. In 1854, the 4th year of reign of Emperor Xianfeng of Qing dynasty, the shipbuilding workers founded the Guildhall of Kung Sin Hang (shipbuilding trade).

By the time of the early Republican period of China, business languished in Macao and many shipyards were closed down. The workers became unemployed and their guildhall was rundown and went bankrupt. After then, the guildhall was acquired by Vong Cheung Io, an overseas Chinese of America, who was sympathetic towards the miseries of the workers and gifted it back to the Kung Sin Hang. The workers raised funds to restore the guildhall and constructed the Shipbuilding Workers’ Children School adjacent to it to offer education to children of shipbuilding workers and those of other professions who had to discontinue school due to poverty. During early 1970s, the school was merged into the Shipbuilding Workers’ Children School of Macao and ended its decades of education mission.