Historic Centre of Macao, China

The Portuguese arrived to the small fishing village of Macao in 1557, having been the first Europeans to land in China a number of years earlier, in 1513. 

As the city became more established and sea trade grew, the early wooden churches were replaced by stronger stone constructions and, with the rapid expansion of Catholicism in Macao in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, the number of these religious buildings grew.

In the early 1600s, the Portuguese built a series of forts to defend their settlement against other Western powers. Later that century, Macao was divided into two parts by a wall, with the Chinese community in the north and the Portuguese in the south. 

Following a quiet period between the late 17^th and 18^th centuries when, for a number of reasons, further development was limited, the renewed power of the Catholic Church in the late 18^th century led to the rebuilding and renovation of the city’s major churches.

Macao had, by this time, become an important base for merchants involved in trade and, as a result, high quality buildings such as luxury villas, warehouses and other commercial buildings had been constructed.

Whilst many public buildings, such as hotels and theatres, were being constructed in a European colonial style, traditional Chinese architecture was also continuing to develop within the city in the form of numerous temples and towers. 

Since this period, the city has expanded as more land has been urbanised and the population has increased. Identified as a special region under the jurisdiction of Portugal in 1976, the People's Republic of China eventually resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao in 1999.

The World Heritage site of the Historic Centre of Macao is comprised of twenty-two residential, religious and public buildings, both Portuguese and Chinese, and eight squares. The property includes a network of streets and squares, with the city’s old urban centre at the core. 

In Barra Square, the A-Ma Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Seafarers, is the oldest building in Macao. Nearby, the neo-classical Moorish Barracks with its wide verandas was built to house police forces recruited from Goa but today houses the Maritime and Water Bureau.

Established by Spanish Augustinian priests in 1591, St. Augustine’s Square is home to St. Augustine’s church and St. Laurence’s church. Nearby are St. Joseph’s Seminary and Church, the Sir Ho Tung Library and the Dom Pedro V theatre, the first Western-style theatre in China.

Located in Senado Square, the city’s main square, is the two-storied neoclassical Leal Senado building, which today houses an extensive collection of ancient books, and the Holy House of Mercy, a charitable institution whose facilities included a hospital and an orphanage. 

The Cathedral, located in the square of the same name, was the main church of the Macao diocese. Nearby, the Lou Kau Mansion, home to a famous merchant, is a two-storey grey-brick structure which is characterised by a combination of Chinese and Western architectural styles.

The Company of Jesus Square is home to both the Ruins of St. Paul’s, a church and a college largely destroyed by fire, and the traditional Na Tcha Temple. Close by are the Section of the Old City Walls and Mount Fortress, built to defend the city against attacks from the sea.

Camões Square is home to both the Protestant Cemetery, the final resting place for many Protestants and other expatriates in what was a mainly Catholic city, and St. Anthony’s Church. Next to the square, the Casa Garden was built as a residence for a wealthy Portuguese merchant.

Lastly, the granite Guia Fortress was built on top of Guia Hill, the peninsula’s highest peak. The fortress includes the Guia Lighthouse, China’s first modern lighthouse, and the Guia Chapel, whose frescoes demonstrate the co-existence of Western and Chinese cultures and arts.

Although the Portuguese were the first to settle in Macao, they were later followed by other nationalities who all brought with them their own cultural and religious influences, resulting in a unique multicultural identity which is visible in the city to this day.