Sightseeing in Macau
Sightseeing in MacauMacau Information | Macau Hotels | Macau Entertainment | Sightseeing in Macau
Public Holidays in Macau | Macau Festivals & Events
| It is rather difficult to
find in the whole world a place so tiny although with such a rich past,
culture and patrimony as Macau. Macau is indeed one of those cities which we may have difficulties to point out on the map, but once we walk through its narrow streets and charming squares we start realising what makes its unique way of life. Different beliefs, smells, costumes and habits parade in front of our eyes: a reality which is here for centuries embodied by the two major communities (Chinese and Portuguese) that found a sage and tolerant way to live together. St. Paul's Church St. Paul's Church is probably the most famous landmark of Macau, even though all that remains of the greatest of Macau's churches is its magnificent stone facade and grand staircase. The church was built in 1602 adjoining the Jesuit College of St. Paul's, the first Western college in the Far East where missionaries such as Matteo Ricci and Adam Schall studied Chinese before serving at the Ming Court in Beijing as astronomers and mathematicians. The church, made of taipa and wood, was brilliantly decorated and furnished, according to early travelers. The facade of carved stone was built in 1620-27 by Japanese Christian exiles and local craftsmen under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola. After the expulsion of the Jesuits, the college was used as an army barracks and in 1835 a fire started in the kitchens and destroyed the college and the body of the church. The surviving facade rised in 4 colonnaded tiers, and is covered with carvings and statues which eloquently illustrate the early days of the Church in Asia. There are statues of the Virgin and saints, symbols of the Garden of Eden and the Crucifixion, angels and the devil, a Chinese dragon and a Japanese chrysanthemum, a Portuguese sailing ship and pious warnings inscribed in Chinese. After restoration work, lasting from 1990 to 1995, the back side of the Ruins of St. Paul's was turned into a museum. The ruins are regarded as the symbol of Macau and now offer visitors a new site where they can view the remains of the former Church of the Mother of God, visit a Crypt where the relics of the Martyrs of Japan and Vietnam rest, and a museum of Sacred Art where there are exhibits of paintings, sculptures and liturgical objects from churches and monasteries in the City. St. Dominic's Church Standing on the site of a chapel and convent built by the Dominicans in the 1590's St. Dominic's dates from the early 17th century. It has an imposing facade of cream-coloured stone with white stucco mouldings and green-shutted windows. Inside, white pillars support a flat ceiling and apron balconies trim the walls. The great baroque alter contains a cream and white statue of the Virgin and Child and a painting of Christ. The church has a fine collection of exquisitely-carved ivory and wood saints. St. Dominic's has a violently dramatic past. In 1644 a military officer who supported the Spanish against the Portuguese was murdered at the alter during Mass. In 1707 the Dominicans sided with the Pope against Macau's bishop in the Rites Controversy. When local soldiers tried to enforce an excommunication order on them, the friars locked themselves in the church for three days and pelted the soldiers with stones. In 1834 the monastic orders were suppressed and for a time the church was used by the government as barracks, stable and public works office. St. Dominic's church was renovated in 1997 and opened to the public with a museum, on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor. The museum shows paintings, sculptures and liturgical ornaments that illustrate the history of the Roman Catholic church in Asia. Chinese Temples Visitors are welcome in any temple in Macau. Photography is usually allowed but it is best to ask permission. It should also be remembered that, informal though it seems, the temple is a house of devotion where courtesy and respect should be shown. A coin in the box for "oil" money to keep the lamps burning is appreciated. Visitors are also warned that on festival days temples are usually packed with worshippers burning joss and making offerings - very colourful but crowded and confusing.  A-Ma
TempleMacau's name is derived from A-Ma-Gau or Place of A-Ma and this temple dedicated to the seafarers' goddess dates from the early 16th century. According to legend, A-Ma, a poor girl looking for passage to Canton, was refused by the wealthy junk owners but a lowly fisherman took her on board. A storm blew up and wrecked all but the boat carrying the girl. On arrival in Macau she vanished, to reappear as a goddess, on the spot where the fishermen built her temple. It consists of prayer halls, pavilions and courtyards built into the boulder-strewn hill and connected by winding paths through moon gates and tiny gardens. At the entrance is a large rock on which is engraved a traditional sailing junk. On other boulders are carved red characters invoking the gods or repeating a prayer. Three of the four pavilions are dedicated to A-Ma and contain some fine statues of the goddess together with a model of a junk with cannons, brass vessels and chapels to Buddhist and Taoist gods. The top shrine honours Kun Iam. This temple is distinguished by beautiful tiled roofs and spectacular views from the upper gardens. The festival of A-Ma takes place on the 23rd day of the 3rd moon (April or May). Firecrackers, to scare away evil spirits, are exploded in the entrance courtyard to greet tour groups and lions dances are performed here on weekends. Kun Iam Tong This Buddhist temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy was founded in the 13th century and the present buildings date from 1627. It is one of the biggest and wealthiest of Macau's temples with a huge entrance gate and roofs clustered with porcelain figures. Separated by open courtyards are richly decorated halls dedicated to the Precious Buddhas, the Buddha of Longevity and Kun Iam, who is dressed in embroiled silk with a fringed crown (which is changed every year). She is attended by 18 Buddhas on either side of the altar. In adjoining rooms are funeral chapels and scrolls honouring Kun Iam in pictures and calligraphy. Behind the temple are terraced gardens. In one is the stone table on which was signed the first Sino-American treaty on July 3, 1844, by the Viceroy of Canton Ki Ying and the United States Minister Caleb Cushing. Nearby is the marble statue of a monk in an ornate pavilion, and four ancient banyan trees with branches intertwined which is known as the Lovers Tree and a symbol of marital fidelity. In other parts of the garden are fountains shaped like miniature Chinese landscapes, groves of bamboo and small shrines to departed priests. The festival of Kun Iam is celebrated on the 19th day of second, sixth, ninth and 11th moons. Lin Fung Miu Built in 1592 and most regularly restored, this Temple of the Lotus has a fine facade of intricate clay bas-relief carved in the 19th century depicting historical and mythological figures. Stone lions guard the entrance. Inside is a hall with a statue of Tin Hau on the altar, flanked by the guardian generals. Beyond is a courtyard decorated with a frieze of writhing dragons, a lotus filled pond and fine iron brazier. The main hall is dedicated to Kun Iam, whose statue occupies an elaborate altar. Aside altar has a shrine to Kwan Tai. The temple's ceiling is a particularly good example of the black beams and exposed white tiles construction. Lin Fung Miu is historically famous as the place where for centuries Chinese Mandarins from Guangdong Province would stay when they came to Macau. The most renowned visitor was Commissioner Lin Zexu, who spent most of September 3rd 1839 in Macau. He is honoured with a six-foot granite statue and a new museum in the temple courtyard. Pou Tai Un Pou Tai Un on Taipa Island is one of the best-endowed and most picturesque temples in Macau. It was founded in the 19th century by Buddhist monks and the original prayers hall contains images of the three Precious Buddhas. Since then, both the monastery and temples have been extended and enriched by devotees. There are new pavilions with soaring yellow-tile roofs and an elegant status of Kun Iam on a marble-columned terrace. The monks live in adjoining building. When not busy with prayers, they tend a large vegetable garden and operate a vegetarian restaurant where some of the produce is prepared. Whether vegetarian or not, visitors will enjoy this casual verandah cafe, where the freshness of the ingredients is matched by the imaginative preparation and wide range of dishes. Macau's gardens In the West a garden is an attempt by man to tame nature; in the East it is an idealised wilderness. In Macau the two worlds meet in gardens, which satisfy the senses and refresh the spirit, providing all members of the community with relaxation, recreation and relief from the crowded, busy city. Historically Macau was too small for the great formal gardens which the Portuguese settlers had left behind, so they recalled their European heritage with geometric flower beds, ornate fountains, busts of famous men and miniature menageries. Geographically Macau was ideal for the creation of Chinese gardens, which are designed to encapsulate all of the elements of nature in a small space. Huge, weatherworn rocks represent mountains and cliffs; groves of pine, plum, bamboo and willow are forests for all seasons; lotus ponds are lakes and the mysterious immensity of the Oriental countryside is suggested by a labyrinth of paths which twist and turn to give the visitor sudden glimpses of different parts of the garden. The Chinese have built gardens for more than 2,000 years and attach great importance to them. A Chinese phrase says they "nourish the heart" and one emperor needed them to "regulate the emotions and relax the mind". Most gardens have small open-sided pavilion which were traditionally used for moon viewing, poetry writing and wine drinking. In modern Macau the gardens answer their ancient purpose and much more. They are truly the property of the people, open from dawn to dusk and tended by gardeners employed by the city's Municipal Council. In the early morning men and women visit them to perform tai chi chuan exercises. Later housewives drop by after market to gossip with friends and men bring their caged songbirds to suspend from the trees for a breath of home. Throughout the day the gardens attract residents of all ages. School children do their homework here, young lovers seek out secluded benches, family parties take pictures of each other and group of men crowd around innumerable games of Chinese chess. At various times of the year special events take place in the gardens, such as the International Music Festival at the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden. |
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