USJ Organises Local Visit of Local Creative Industries
USJ Organises Local Visit of Local Creative Industries
20
Oct
20/10/2025
A group of twenty students visited sites including the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion and Pavilion of Rare Animals, the Lai Chi Vun Shipyard Market, and Anima – Society for the Protection of Animals (Macau) in Coloane and Taipa, focusing on the current state of local cultural and creative industries.
On the 11th of October 2025, the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) organised a local visit themed “Exploring Macao’s Creative Industries”. Sponsored by the Macao Foundation, the tour involved a group of twenty participants who visited several cultural and creative sites in the Coloane-Taipa area, which provided valuable insights into the development of Macao’s creative industries.
The activity took place in the afternoon. Led by staff from the Office for Student and Alumni Affairs (OSAA), the group first visited the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion and Pavilion of Rare Animals, located in Seac Pai Van Park in Coloane. They also explored the Macao Giant Panda Information Centre and the Macao Giant Panda Gift Shop within the park. The gift shop primarily sells panda-themed souvenirs, such as plush toys, figurines, bags, clothing, and stationery. Not only did it promote the awareness of giant panda conservation, but also showcased a business model that combines cultural creativity with tourism retail. The gift shop’s operation serves as a classic example of IP-derived product development in the cultural and creative industries—using appealing animal imagery to attract tourist spending and transform cultural symbols into economically valuable products.
Next, the group proceeded to the Lai Chi Vun Shipyard Market, a revitalized space transformed from an old shipyard. The area now integrates handicrafts, creative market stalls, art exhibitions, and food and beverage outlets, demonstrating Macao’s achievements in creatively repurposing industrial heritage. The tour concluded with a visit to Anima – Society for the Protection of Animals (Macau), where participants learned about the organization’s efforts to promote animal welfare. Anima has previously collaborated with local creative initiatives, illustrating how the cultural and creative industries can align with social causes to support animal conservation.
This study tour allowed students to witness firsthand the diversity of Macao’s cultural and creative industries. From government-supported tourism merchandise development and adaptive reuse of historical architecture to nonprofit organizations incorporating creative practices, the activity reflected Macao’s active exploration of development pathways that harmonize cultural resources with economic benefits. By engaging directly with industry sites, students gained a clearer understanding of the entire process of creative product development—from conceptualization to market promotion—laying a practical foundation for their potential future careers in related fields.
