The Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) warehouses remain as some the city's most precious architectural gems. Though not open to public, tourists, especially Hollanders, walk along the sidewalk to catch a glimpse of the past. The nearby shipyard was completed around 1619 to repair small vessels and signal incoming ships, whereas the godowns were constructed between 1663 and 1669. In 1809, the city governor announced the closing of the shipyard because of unhygienic working conditions. Since then, these rickety yet beautiful structures stand as silent testimony to the nation's colonial history.