Macau’s Avenues of the past

MACAU – It is rather strange to find a place so tiny with such rich cultural and historical past. Macau is indeed one of those cities, which many may have difficulty locating on the map, but once you have walked through its narrow streets and charming squares, one will start to realize what makes up the unique way of life that its residents have been enjoying. It is a parade of different beliefs, smells, costumes and habits, embodied by Chinese and Portuguese who found a way to live together harmoniously for over centuries now.

The first foreign enclave in China, Macau has long been a crossroads for culture and trade. The Portuguese began settling here in the 1500s. Its economic prosperity continued for more than 200 years but by the mid-1800s, it proved no match for the up-and-coming Hong Kong. Economic decline led a Portuguese governor to legalize gaming, a decision that changed the city’s image and fortunes.

Macau was home to the father of modern China, Sun Yat Sen, who practiced medicine here for two years before moving on to plan the 1911 Chinese revolution.

After nearly 450 years of colonial rule, Macau returned to China on Dec. 20, 1999. For the next 50 years, the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) will have a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign affairs and defense.

The latest development here is its bid to have 12 historical sites added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Among them are the Guia Fortress, Leal Senado, A-Ma Temple, Monte Fort and The Ruins of St. Paul Church. These well-preserved sites are vestiges of the remarkable Chinese and colonial architecture and culture that sets Macau apart.

Situated on the highest point of the city, Guia Fort was built in the 17th century and its original cannon platform today provides great panoramic views of Macau and nearby islands. Rising above the old battlements is the lighthouse, built in 1865, the oldest western style lighthouse on the China Coast. Also in the fort is a chapel, built in 1637, with a ceiling painted with Chinese and Western angel figures.

In the center of the town is Leal Senado, which houses the Institute for Civic and Municipal Affairs, a token of the governing body’s loyalty to Portugal during the Spanish rule in the 1600s. Built in 1784, it features classical Portuguese architecture and art gallery, black woodpaneled library and an open courtyard lined with blue and ceramic tiles.

Adjacent to Leal Senado is the Senado Square paved with a wave-patterned stone mosaic created especially by experts from Portugal, which extends from Senado Square to St. Paul’s. The square, which has been a civic hub for centuries, is now pedestrianized. An elegant fountain, trees, benches, cafés and shops can also be found here. And as if I never left Manila, everywhere I go, in every store or restaurant, there is always a Filipino. But most of them can be seen hanging out at the fountain area of Senado Square. Wong Kar-Wai’s acclaimed movie "2046" was also partly shot here.

At the far end of the square stands St. Dominic’s Church, a marvelous example of baroque architecture built by the Dominican friars in the 17th century. It used to house the original image of the Our Lady of Piat which now rests in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. Further down the square are the Ruins of St. Paul’s Church, probably the most popular tourist attraction here.

Lying in the heart of the old city, the great carved stone facade of St. Paul’s boasts of a grand staircase leading to the remains of the first Church. Designed by an Italian Jesuit, with the assistance of Japanese Christian stonemasons who had fled persecution in Japan, the church was built in the early 17th century. In 1835, a fire destroyed all but the facade. The Museum of Sacred Art was installed in the original crypt of the church and contains silver altar pieces, gilded statues and paintings by 17th century Japanese artists showing the Crucified Martyrs of Nagasaki and the Archangel Michael as a samurai.

Built by the Jesuits as their headquarters, the Monte Fort provided an effective defense against attack by the Dutch in 1624, but was later taken over as the governor’s residence. Today, it houses the Museum of Macau, which occupies the foundations and platform with exhibits that illustrate the life of Macau and its people, emphasizing the bicultural character of the city with its different faiths and festivals, social customs, architecture, sports, art and cuisine.

The most famous and picturesque temple in Macau is the A-Ma Temple, from which the City’s name originated. The "A-Ma-Gau" or Place of A-Ma was built in the early 16th century and is dedicated to the seafarers’ goddess. 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 onboard. A storm blew up and wrecked all but the boat carrying the girl. On arrival in Macau, she vanished, then reappeared as a goddess on the spot where the fishermen built her temple.

The temple consists of prayer halls, pavilions and courtyards built into the boulder-strewn hill and connected by winding paths through moongates and tiny gardens. At the entrance is a large rock on which is engraved a traditional sailing junk.

The towering and graceful statue of Kun Iam has become one of Macau’s popular landmarks, along with the Macau Tower. It stands on a podium under which is an Ecumenical Centre of eastern religions where one can rest and meditate. Along the shore is Avenue Dr. Sun Yat Sen, with trees, plants and benches for people to stop and enjoy the view of the neighboring Taipa Island. After the sunset, have a taste of Macau’s cosmopolitan life with its many bars and restaurants lined along the waterfront.

Macau is such as living museum that it hardly needs to build them, but it does and the results are like nothing you’ve seen before. For instance, the Maritime Museum is like a ship moored at the entrance of the Inner Harbour, the Museum of Macau has been built inside the foundations of the Monte Fort and the Taipa Houses Museum, the restored houses on Taipa with neo-classical architecture, combining Chinese and European styles. Of course some museums were purposely built like the Grand Prix and Wine Museums that are part of the Tourism Activities Centre complex. Once you enter them, you’ll find yourself transported to the world of Formula 3 racing or the vineyards of Portugal.

Once a small fishing village and port for trade with neighboring Chinese islands, Coloane village located opposite the Mainland, is a sleepy, tropical China coasted village.

At the center of Coloane Village stands a chapel dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, built in 1928 to enshrine a relic bone of the saint. It has a fine baroque facade painted cream and white. The relic has since been moved but the chapel still attracts pilgrims, especially from Japan. It looks out on a European-style square paved with stone mosaics and a memorial to a pirate raid. On either side are ancient banyan trees and arcades that shelter sidewalk cafés and a strip of traditional, open-fronted stores.

The historic heritage of Macau is a testimony of the first lasting encounter between the West and China. Its remarkable collection of heritage buildings forms the most notable example of Macau’s multi-cultural identity, presenting the oldest and richest European architectural legacy still standing intact on this Chinese territory.