East meets West

The former Portuguese colony is a compact delight of cobblestoned streets, Macanese cuisine, churches and modern casinos pastel coloured buildings. exotic flavours of a colonial Portuguese milieu which I sensed earlier in Goa, come back to me the moment I walk into the centuries old centre of Macau. It is a former Portuguese colony neighbouring Hong Kong and geographically positioned like a fruit bat, hanging onto the Chinese mainland. The character of the entire historic settlement, clustered with piazzas and cobblestoned streets, baroque churches, stone fortresses neo classical edifices, bustling cafes and inviting shops doesn’t take much time to proclaim its European heritage.

After establishing themselves in Goa, the Portuguese landed here in the early 16th century and soon turned the impoverish area into an important trading port, linking Europe with China, Japan and India. During their stay of almost 400 years, they bejewelled the village-like land with architectural marvels and developed it like a mini Lisbon.

In 1999 the colonial regime ended and Macau became the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. However, the Chinese administration so far has been quite protective of the tiny peninsula’s European heritage, despite the Portuguese population being only a small fraction of the regions total number of 580,000. Portuguese is still the official language, alongside Chinese, while street names and sign posts are in two languages. “You can freely communicate here at all levels in any of the two lingos, plus English,” says my omniscient guide Aloniro Noruega, an Indian of GoaPortuguese origin who moved to Macau three decades ago.

The landmark site from the glorious past is the World Heritage listed Senado Square, which is said to be the civic hub of the Portuguese colonial empire. Its striking features are the wave- patterned, stone mosaic streets created specially by experts from Portugal, and the gorgeous

I feel like trundling along the paths of the European settlement and immediately get absorbed by its buzz, which tells me this is where Macau’s heart has been pounding for centuries. Beautified with trees, fountains and benches for people to sit and relax on, the spacious piazza, now packed with nice cafes and boutique shops, nested in lovely old buildings, strikes me as a perfect venue for socialising and holding public events.

At one end of the square is the former Loyal Senate, and opposite it is the 16th century built Holy House of Mercy, the oldest charity institution in China region. It’s well known that the Portuguese introduced Christianity into the region, which is why the domain is powdered with so many beautiful churches.

Founded in 1587 by three Spanish Dominica priests, St Dominic Church attracts attention because of its magnificent yellow Baroque exterior, while the serene atmosphere inside gives instant peace. This church is famous for its alter, decorated wooden ceiling, and the treasury of statues, and other sacred art displayed inside a museum occupying the old belfry. A local tells me that it was from here the first Portuguese newspaper in Chinese soil was published.

This church also houses a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, a title for the Virgin Mary, due to her reputed apparitions to three shepherd children at Fatima in Portugal

“Every year on the thirteenth day of May a procession streams out of this church marking the traditional Catholic feast of Our Lady of Fatima,” informs Aloniro.

“Senado Square then turns into a sea of people and candle lights, celebrating a Portuguese heritage”.

Macau’s most familiar landmark is the ruins of St Pauls. Nested at the top of an imposing staircase, not far from St Dominic Church, the facade of what was originally the Church of Mater Dei, built by Jesuits in early 17th century and later destroyed by fire in 1835, is the only part that remains.

However, the intricate carvings on the facade are daunting enough to remind modern day onlookers of the architectural ingenuity of the Portuguese builders.

Pictures from bottom left clockwise:

Senado Square at midnight

Buildings showing the European character of Macau

Old city centre

A statue from the past

Portuguese cannon at Mont Fortress

One option for exploring the city

Ruin’s of St Pauls

Signage in Portuguese