The People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China Tour 4:
Macau (Special Territory)

The Chinese National Anthem

Latin Transliteration

Qilai! Buyuan zuo nuli de renmen,
Ba women de xuerou zhucheng women xin de changcheng.
Zhonghua Minzu dao liao zui weixian de shihou,
Meigeren beipo zhe fachu zuihou de housheng.
Qilai! Qilai! Qilai!
Women wanzhong yixin,
Mao zhe diren de paohuo, Mao zhe diren de paohuo,
Qianjin! Qianjin! Qianjin! Jin!

English:

Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!
With our flesh and blood,
let us build our new Great Wall!
The Chinese nation faces its greatest danger.
From each one the urgent call for action comes forth.

Arise! Arise! Arise!
Millions with but one heart,
Braving the enemy's fire.
March on!
Braving the enemy's fire.
March on! March on! March on!

Macau

China

Macau Island

Subway map showing all three areas

You bet your life?

Macau is just another one of those trade stations started by the Portuguese in their attempt to dominate the spice trade, which they eventually did along with Goa and Malacca (Malaysia). Eventually, they did this, and this island boasts some of the earliest churches and monuments to the likes of Vasco Da Gama. I was frankly amazed to learn that the Portuguese did not actually expand to the further areas of the peninsula for almost 200 years.

Today Goa is known primarily for gambling. You can lose your shirt (whichis not a bad idea in sweltering 99% humidity) in many of the almost ridiculously ornate hotel-casions. The latest gimmick is to buy land on the (relatively) cheap Colane section and then shuttle the marks out to your casino to live almost with reference to the outside world.

Outside the casino zone, one can an historical trail and see all of the old churches, named after their favorite saints, see the Moorish barracks, and even see an old Mandarin's House, in about one day's hard walk. My virtual tour here about follows that route.

Of course, most tourists to Macau don't even leave their hotels which provide every convenience you can think of so that you can continue to gamble. Not only were the parlors full even at 1400 in the afternoon, they were even building more casinos on the not-so-special adjoining peninsula. I visited Macau in August of 2012, which, in a sweaty location, is a really sweaty month.

This is the bridge into Macau.

This is Kum Lun Temple.

This is La Guide Hill. This is the bucket ride.

Here is the city from the hill.

Here is La Guia Hill.

This is a lighthouse on the hill.

Here is A-ma (Ahhhh) Temple Temple. This was built in the
16th century. Macau is named after this god’s temple

This is the Moorish Barracks built in 1874.
At one time Moslem soldiers bunked there.

This is me with the Moorish Barracks. Harem.

This is Lalau Square the original source of water for Macau.

This is the Mandanrin’s House built in 1869. It was closed.

This is the 16th century St. Lawrence Church. It’s one of the oldest on the island.

This is (Mighty?) St. Joe’s church. Many important missionaries
graduated here. This is baroque style similary to some others.

This is at the St. Augustine’s Square. This is Dom Pedro theatre built in 1873.
It was closed again. Important visistors (notme!) now are greeted here.

This is St. Augustine’s church. It’s one of the first on
the island though this building is actually much newer.

This is Sir Roert Ho Tung Library. It was originally a private home, but it’s not any more.
An important HKbusinessman, Robert's mother was not a Ho, but his daughter was.

Here is the Leal Senado square. The “Leal” (Loyal)
Senate was so-named by the Portuguese ruler.

Here is the square with all of the buildings. If it hadn’t been slightly raining, this would have been filled.

This is the Sam Kau Vui Kun Temple. It was once an rather important local temple for
worshipping the god of commerce. That’s why it's by the central business district.

This is the Senate building. It was called the Leal Senado because the Senate was so
loyal compared to some other colonies. Note The wavy cobblestones on the
pathways. The current Building is from 1874 (matching others here).

This is another view of the square. This is, in effect,
the center of the old town though not today.

This is the House of Misericordia. It was a charity opened in 1569.
It has a museum which, of course, was closed too (no mercy for me).

Here’s the next plaza. This is the plaza of the “Se.” Even I know
enough Portuguese to know that this means the “Cathedral.”

This was built in 1622 (and apparently not) rebuilt. Traditionally, the
governor of Macau lay their swords down their by the Virgin’s image.

This is the Cathedral Square. I’m surprised that this was so far
from the Senate and a bit off of the beaten track.

This is me at the Cathedral. Holy Macau!

This is Lau Kau masion. It was built in about 1889. Here are some artifactss.

This is the outside of the mansion. It’s in blue grey and in
the Chinese manchu style of the day.

This is St. Dominic’s Church, sure enough, built by the Dominicans in 1587.
It’s the very first church in China. It has an annual pilgrimmage.

This is st. Dominic’s Square. It’s usually one of the busiest shopping
streets. Everyone stops to get the free samples causing collisions.

This is the ruins of St. Paul. In the fire of 1835, it burned. Today they
are excavating the remains of the church and finding the bodies.

Wait, it’s falling down again!

This is the Na Cha (not nacho) temple built near the ruins of St. Paul.
It is another way of dealing with the souls of the victims of the quake.

This is St. Paul’s square.

Unlike Nanjiang, relatively little of the city walls remain. Here is a section.

From St. Paul’s, this is a view of the modern downdown. The
giant hotel-casino is the Lisboa, till recently the biggest.

This is another view of the city only taken from the fort at the top.

This is the top of the fort built between 1617 and 1626 to defend
Macau from the Dutch. Later it was a governor’s residence.

Holy Holster. This fort has a lot of guns. Size is not all that matters it appears.

This the Casa Garden. It was built in 1870 as a retreat.
Businessmen would come out here to relax.

This is the Camoes garden.

This is the St. Anthony’s Church built between 1558 and 1560. It was reconstructed. It is another church with its own procession.

This is the Protestant Cemetary. Originally, it was used for East
India Company dead. It was (as you can see) closed also.

This is the Tap Seac Square. It was only a couple blocks away from my house.

Here is Vasco Da Gama Square. He does look like a rather funky guy.

This is the San Francisco Garden. The little monument is to the victims of 1908-1909??

Now this is down in Colane (the south island). This is the Tin Hau Temple. .

This is the Tam Kung Temple.

This is the St. Frances Xavier temple on the same spot. It’s miniscule.

This is the A-ma statue on Colanne at the top of a very high
hill. It’s the symbol of Macau, like the statue in Rio.

Now this is back on the north part of the island This is the Lin
Fung temple. The northern fort is very near to that. .

Talk about money. This is the Venice, the most opulent casino. Note
the fake (faux) villa and tower built in front of the Casino hotel.

This is me at the Casino, soon to crap out of about $20 USA. It’s time to leave.

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