Shaping like a ship with three masts full of wind, Macau Maritime Museum "anchors" in front of A-Ma Temple, the place where the first batch of Portuguese was believed to land. First founded in 1987, and opened to public on June 24th of 1990, this Maritime Museum was reputed as the oldest museum in Macau.

Mainly focusing on the various maritime activities of China, Macau and Portugal, the museum is divided into four sections according to the different theoretical themes which include Chinese and Portuguese maritime history, traditional fishing and vessels of South of China, etc.

The basement mainly displays the traditions and the way of life of the South China fishermen. Visitors can see many types of ships, instruments and ways of fishing, different varieties of fish and shellfish living in these waters. Besides, six short films are shown here, making visitor further understand the social customs and festivals of the fisherman.

At the garret between the basement and the first floor, there display models of twelve Portuguese traditional vessels. On board the model ship, there is a small screen in the vessel through which the information of the vessel is shown.

The first floor is exclusively dedicated to the maritime history of China and Portugal between 15th and 17th century. The great trips of Zhenghe, a famous navigator of the Ming dynasty who recognized India and Arabia from the sea and reached the eastern coast of Africa, as well as the routes of the Portuguese discoveries of the 15th and 16th centuries are all presented, together with the models of the ships that they once used.

The second floor focuses on the navigation discoveries, technologies and instruments, including those used by the Portuguese such as cross-staff, dial and astrolabe and those invented by the Chinese such as compass, balanced ship's wheel and side bulkheads.

Also, near the teahouse outside the museum, a navigation simulator is provided, through which visitors can experience the marvelous trip in deep sea.