Macau - Walking tour of the historic district (II)

Continued from previous page

Photo by Bo. W

We go through the history of the city of Macao, passing St. Dominic's Church, Ruins of St. Paul came, everything historical vicissitudes. Small Macau Peninsula, carrying too much of the economic mission. Mount Fortress and the Macao Museum near Ruins of St. Paul, which has 350 years of history. It is located on the slopes, it is the most familiar symbol of Macau.

Photo by Bo. W

Ruins of St. Paul's

The Ruins of St. Paul's refer to the facade of what was originally the Church of Mater Dei built in 1602-1640, destroyed by fire in 1835, and the ruins of St. Paul's College, which stood adjacent to the Church. As a whole, the old Church of Mater Dei, St. Paul's College and Mount Fortress were all Jesuit constructions and formed what can be perceived as the Macau's "acropolis". Close by, the archaeological remains of the old College of St. Paul stand witness to what was the first western-style university in the Far East, with an elaborate academic programmer. Nowadays, the facade of the Ruins of St. Paul's functions symbolically as an altar to the city.

Opening hours: Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (except Tuesday afternoon), no admission after 5:30 p.m. (Tuesdays: closed after 2 p.m. Open as usual on public holidays.)

Bus routes nearby:      3, 4, 6A, 8A, 18A, 19, 26A, 33, N1A

Photo by Bo. W

Section of the Old City Walls

This surviving segment of the city's defense structures, built as early as 1569, is a remnant of an early Portuguese tradition of constructing defensive walls around their port settlements, done also in Africa and India. In Macau, this section bears testimony to the incorporation of local techniques and materials, especially a solid compound named chunambo, an elaborate mixture of clay, soil, sand, rice straw, crushed rocks and oyster shells compacted in successive layers.

Bus routes nearby:      3, 4, 6A, 8A, 18A, 19, 26A, 33, N1A

Photo by Bo. W

Na Tcha Temple

Na Tcha Temple is too small, it stands in the green mountain, attached to Section of the Old City Walls.

Built in 1888, this temple is dedicated to the worship of Na Tcha. This small traditional Chinese temple stands close to the remains of the principal Jesuit enterprise of the region, presenting a dialectic of western and Chinese ideals, as one of the best examples of Macau's multicultural identity and religious freedom.


Address: No. 6 Calçada de S. Paulo (next to Ruins of St. Paul’s)
Opening hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Bus routes nearby:      3, 4, 6A, 8A, 18A, 19, 26A, 33, N1A

Photo by Bo. W

Then we went to look at the top of the hillside city of Macau. Fortress is that we have to go. They are building hundreds of years, and look a little old and crowded. Cannons seem to tell the story of the war in Macao, their history forever memorable.
 

Photo by Bo. W

Mount Fortress

Built in conjunction with the Jesuits from 1617 to 1626, this was the city's principal military defense structure. The fortress was equipped with cannons, military barracks, wells and an arsenal that held sufficient ammunition and supplies to endure a siege lasting up to two years. The fortress covers an area of 10,000 square meters, in the shape of a trapezoid. The four corners of the fortress protrude to form bulwarks.

Photo by Bo. W

Opening hours:
Fortress and garden: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Macau Museum: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., last admission until 5:30 p.m. (closed on Mondays).
Bus routes nearby:      3, 4, 6A, 8A, 18A, 19, 26A, 33, N1A
 

Photo by Bo. W

 Macau Museum

The Macau Museum is located in the Mount Fortress, which was built by the Jesuits in the early 17th century. For a long time, the Fortress was the city's principal military defense structure where public access was restricted. In 1965 this Fortress was converted into the Meteorological Services and later opened to the public. Built on top of the Mount Hill, the Mount Fortress offers a panoramic view of the city. On its west is the Ruins of St. Paul's. On 15th July 2005, the Historic Centre of Macao was officially listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The Mount Fortress and the Ruins of St. Paul's are significant historical monuments of the Centre.


The Macau Museum was opened on 18th April 1998, consisting of two underground levels and a third one above the fortress' top platform where the old Meteorological Services is housed. The architectural character and special configuration of the architecture has been retained and preserved.

Address: 112 Praceta do Museu de Macau (Mount Fortress)
Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admission until 5:30 p.m.). Closed on Mondays.
Admission: MOP15, MOP8 for Children under 11, students and seniors of 60 or above. Free admission for Children under 5 and school visits. Free entry to the public on the 15th of each month.
Tel: (853) 2835 7911
Fax: (853) 2835 8503
Website: http://www.macaumuseum.gov.mo
Bus routes nearby:      3, 4, 6A, 8A, 18A, 19, 26A, 33, N1A

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