Heritage Guide

The Church of Sto. Domingo is one of the most beautiful churches in Macau.

You will never miss this yellow and green Church right in the middle of Leal
Senado plaza of Macau. It is along a junction of a street and an alleyway
bearing the same name. 1

Sto. Domingo is a baroque Filipino style church built by the Spanish Dominican
friars in the mid 16th century.

Walkway on the right of the church which leads to the sacristy and the Sacred
Museum on the upper floors.

They
also built next to the church a monastery which does not exist anymore.

The painting of Chinnery at the right shows the plaza in front of the church.
This plaza used to be the marketplace.

The Dominicans eventually managed to set up churches in China.

Originally built in wood Sto. Domingo was finally rebuilt in stone in the
year 1828. The basic layout is influenced by both Portuguese and Spanish styles.
The architecture is Jesuit mannerist.

The Dominicans are well known for their love of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is not surprising therefore to have an image of the Madonna and Child in
the reredo or altar piece.

Above is the seal of Sto. Domingo painted on the ceiling. You can find this
seal all over the place. Even some of the church vessels and instruments carry
this seal.

On the facade of Sto. Domingo is the emblem of the Domincan Order.

There is a bier dating from 1683. There are also some beautiful statutes
of St. Caetano, St. Francis and St. Dominic. They have carved ivory heads.

The 31.5m x 8m nave has two 3m wide side aisles. The flooring are ceramic
mosaic tiles with floral decorations. The wooden roof are beautifully carved
with ventilation lattices.

There is a wooden balconey running along the upper sections of the side walls.
The choir loft is above the main doors and from there you can overlook the
plaza in front of the church.

The sacristy on the right side of Sto. Domingo church is the only surviving
part of the old monastery.

Inside the sacristy is the stairs that lead to the Sto. Domingo Museum on
the 2nd and 3rd floors.

Here you can find various objects of worship. The right picture shows a life
size replica of the Scourging Pillar.

Behind is a life size statue of the Suffering Christ.

About St. Dominic

Founder of the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order;
born at Calaroga, in Old Castile, c. 1170; died 6 August, 1221.

His parents, Felix Guzman and Joanna of Aza, undoubtedly belonged to the
nobility of Spain, though probably neither was connected with the reigning
house of Castile, as some of the saint’s biographers assert. Of Felix Guzman,
personally, little is known, except that he was in every sense the worthy
head of a family of saints. To nobility of blood Joanna of Aza added a nobility
of soul which so enshrined her in the popular veneration that in 1828 she
was solemnly beatified by Leo XII.

The example of such parents was not without its effect upon their children.
Not only Saint Dominic but also his brothers, Antonio and Manes, were distinguished
for their extraordinary sanctity.

Antonio, the eldest, became a secular priest and, having distributed
his patrimony to the poor, entered a hospital where he spent his life minis
ministering to the sick.

Manes, following in the footsteps of Dominic, became a Friar Preacher, and
was beatified by Gregory XVI.

Macau Chinese Temples

Around the islands are more then 40 Macau Chinese Temples which are classified as suburban temples rather than distinctive in style. This system of temples is hardly seen in the Mainland China, and neither in Hong Kong nor Taiwan.

Macau Chinese Temples in Western Paintings and Photography

Besides the records of Matteu Ricci, a number of western painters also came to China and included the A-Ma Temple into their works. The A-Ma Temple was also photographed by French photographers and become one of three earliest photographic scenes of China after the invention of photography.

Among the western painters who come to China were Auguste Borget (1808-1877), William Princep (1794-1874), George Chinnery (1744-1852), Edward Hildebrandt (1818-1869) and etc. .

In the summer of 1844, five years after the invention of photography, Frenchman Jules Itier (1802-1877) came to Macau as one of the entourage of the delegation of Mr. Lagrene. Itier participated in the negotiation of the Treaty of Huang Pu Between China and France. One of his photos was the door of A-Ma Temple. When the film of silver version was developed at that time, its reverse side was put on the front.

A-Ma Temple became one of the earliest scenes that were photographed in China after the invention of photography.

Temple Gods and Worship

The nearly forty temples in Macao are typically mixed in terms of worship. To some extend, these temples belong to suburban temples. For example, the ancient temple of Buddha called “Chan Yuan”, have images other than the Buddha.

In the Lotus Temple, beside the images of Buddha such as Kun lam, God of Earth and Waits, there also are images of Taoism such as Tin Hau and Kwan Tai; the images of folk gods such as God of Land, Lord of Door, Personages and Eminent Horses, Empress of Kam Fa (Golden Flowers) and Lord of Dou Mu; even the images of ancient times of China such as Emperor of Shen Nong, Cang Jie and Zu Song.

Usually the Macau Chinese Temples get the gods of Buddhism, gods of Taoism and the folk gods all together.

Taking the temple of Kun lam for another example, besides the Buddha of Three Generations, Kun lam, God of Earth, Buddha of Maitreya, Eighteen Arhats, Weito and King of Hell, it is also dedicated to Empress and Kwan tai. On its back mountain, there is an image of folk god called “Immortal of Bones” which is hard to find in any books.

The worshippers’ behaviours in the Macau Chinese Temples are also peculiar. Most people offer incenses and recite Buddhist sutras. Others offer sacrifices and fire paper candles.

There is some suburban temple music collected in the Chinese Ancient Music Office. They were performed for the occasion when the ancient emperors offered sacrifices to Heaven, Earth or ancestors. In fact, during ancient times there were various sacrificial activities circulated among the people in honour of Heaven, Earth, Gods, Ghosts or even men.

Later, along with the development of the history, the emergence of religions and the differences among various conventions, the sacrificial activities in honour of Heaven, Earth, Gods, Ghost or ancestors took on multiple looks.

The sacrificial activity in honour of men has gradually changed to be part of social activity, by offering sacrifices to eminent figures of Chinese nations instead of ancestors of a clan or a family, though this social activity has developed continuously until today.

The so-called suburban culture refers to all the cultures associated with sacrificial activities. It is a spiritual belief.

The places where people offer sacrifices, process religious services, worship and commemorate are material conditions of suburban cultures, namely the relative Buddhist temples, Taoist abbeys, ancestral temples, former residences, precipices, grottos, sacrificial houses, mausoleums and tombs. (Buddhist Temples of China, Tian Jin People’s Publishing House, 1994 edition by Wu Yingcai and Guo Junjie)

The nearly forty existent temples o Macao have formed a system accumulated over a long period since the middle age of the Ming Dynasty. The number of the temples has never been reduced and the cultural relics from the Ming Dynasty are well kept in the temples.

The system of suburban Macau Chinese Temples originated mainly from Lingnan and central plains, and was influenced a great deal by central plains.

It is said in the Annals of Zhongyi Village of Foshang: “The people of Yue respect ghosts.” This custom has a deep influence in Macao.

The gods worshipped in the Macau temples have two origins: one refers to the gods from central plains such as the Buddhist gods, Taoist gods and gods of ancient times; the other refers to the folk gods from Lingnan.

The worship of Kam Fa (Golden Flowers) which can be seen everywhere in Macao came from Lingnan. The worship of Empress of Golden Flowers originated from Guangzhou. It is said that the Empress, regarded as protective god of children, can protect the normal childbirth, but also bless their peaceful growth.

In the late Qing Dynasty, the temple of Golden Flower had a large number of worshippers and more than eighty images of Empress of Golden Flower were worshipped in the temple. The phenomenon aroused the interest of the folklorist and historian Gu Jiagang and other persons, and then they made a special visit to the temple to study more about it.

At the present there are more than ten temple where Empress of golden flowers are worshipped, including temple of Lin Fung, Temple of Tai Soi, Temple of Yi Ling, Temple of immortal Lu Zu, Temple of Lin Kai, Ancient Temple of Kun Lam, Ancestral Temple of Fok Tak in Horta e Mitra, Temple of Golden Flowers of Coloane (also called Temple of Three Divinities) and etc. Among these temples, the temple of Lin Kai and the Temple of Tai Soi are the largest scale.

There are 15 images of Kam Fa (Empress of Golden Flowers) respectively worshipped in the Temple of Lin Kai and the Temple of Tai Soi. These images are in different poses: some take babies in their arms, some wave fans and some feed babies at the breast, showing their secular aspects. Though the temple is not as large as the Temple of Golden Flowers of Henan Village of Guangzhou in scale, it keeps the folk customs.

The worshipped of the God of water Tam Kung in the Temple of Tam Kung of Coloane and the Temple of San Seng (Three Divinities) of Ka Ho came from the folk worship of the Mountain of Nine Dragons of Huizhou of Guangdong; the Dragon Mother of Yuecheng worshipped in the Temple of Nu Wa of the Ruins of church of Sao Paul, originated from the main Goddess-Dragon Mother of Yuecheng of the Temple of Dragon Mother located I Deqing of Guangdong, which has a wide influence in the region of Delta of Pearl River.

The images worshipped in some Macau temples come from Lingnan, which shows deep influences of Lingnan culture in Macao. Macao lies to Lingnan and most residents of Macao have origins of Guangdong, so it is convenient for Lingnan to spread its beliefs since it has got the advantages of favourable climatic, geographical and human conditions.

The culture of central plains is deeply planted in Macao. Through the Macau temples are heavily influenced by the folk customs of Lingnan, they originated from central plains. The cultural system of central plains is deeply rooted and firmly planted. It has a distant origin and long development. Its great and profound influences can be seen in the Macau Chinese Temples.

The main strain of the system of folk worship of Macao mainly inherits from central plains. As we know, all the images that own a large number of worshippers of Macao such as Kun lam, Tin Hau, Kwan Tai, Pak Tai, Buddha, Lord of Earth, Tai Soi and Lu Zu, originated from central plains. At the same time, the gods of ancient times of central plains such as Nu Wa, Yan Di, Ju Song, Cong Jie, Yi Ling, Mother of Earth and the folk immortals such as Lord in charge of wealth, Hua Guang, Ancestral Master Lu Ban and others, have also exerted great influences on the beliefs of the Chinese of Macao.

Today, worshippers will gather in the temples on every anniversary of Buddha, Kun lam or relative gods. Traditional cultural worship in Macao has deep-roots.

The city of Macao was set up in the Ming Dynasty and more than half of the Macau Chinese Temples were built during the Qing Dynasty. The inflow of the beliefs of central plains and of Lingnan, their settlement and prosperity were associated more or less with the policies of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. For example, the government of the Ming and Qing Dynasties deliberately popularized and advocated images by administrative means and conferred titles to the images, which were favourable to the moralities among the people.

(Excertps from: Macau Temples by Chan, Lei and Chendra published by IACM SAR 2002)

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Macau Chinese Temples

• Temple Art
• Temple Architecture
• Temple Sculpture
• Temple Calligraphy
• Temple Literature
• Temple Theatre
• Coloane Temples
• Kaho Temples
• A-ma Temple
• Bamboo Temple
• Fok Tak Temple
• Hong Chan Kuan
• Kun Iam Temple
• Kun Iam – Taipa
• Kwan Tai Temple
• Kwan Tai Temple
• Lin Fung Temple
• Lotus Temple
• Na Cha Temple
• Pak Tai Temple
• Sam Kai Vui Kun
• Sam Po Temple
• Sin Fung Temple
• Tai Vong Temple
• Tam Kung Temple
• Taoist Temples
• T of City of God
• Temple of Divinity
• Temple of Tin Hau
• Tin Hau – Coloane
• Tin Hau – Taipa

Macau Temples

Carmel Church Macau

Located in the island of Taipa, the Mt. Carmel Church Macau was built in 1885.

This simple baroque church stands on a hill overlooking what use to be the
sea , the colonial mansions, and over the other side of the hill, the bustling
Taipa Village and the Yek Long Firecracker Factory.

Here is
a good 360 degree view of the Carmel Church Macau from the plaza.

From the Carmel Church Macau follow the winding path or the stairs down Avenida
da Praia (or what used to be the shoreline). This is a refreshing tree-lined
pedestrian area recalling early 20th century living and architecture.

Five colonial and mediterranean style residences are fully restored to their
former lost glory.

One houses the Macanese House Museum which displays period furnishings of
Chinese and European styles and mementoes of Macanese life at the time.

To reach the Carmel Church Macau and Taipa Village take one of the buses that
stops in front of the Hotel Lisboa near the bridge on the mainland.

Bus nos. 11, 15, 22, 28A, 30, 33, 34, and 35 all go to Taipa Village.

Macau Walking Tours

Macau is such a small place that most Macau tours can be done on foot. Macau lends itself to touring on foot. It is small yet infinitely
varied, with every temptation to detour from a set itinerary, which can
however be easily resumed. Here we show you some suggested walking tours.

Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro Walking Tour

This 60 minute walk will lead you around Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro which local Chinese
call San Ma Lo (New Street), from Amizade Street, the financial area of the city, walking up the street towards the Post Office, Leal Senado Square and the old Leal Senado Building (now called IACM just for a good mouthful). Continue forward to see old chinese shop houses, then the new developments along the inner harbour, turning back along the old chinese shop fronts of Happiness streets, sampling cookies and meat jerkies along the way.

Penha Peninsula Walking Tour

This is the Macau walking tour Where Portugal meets China. There is a lot to see on the peninsula that lies between the Praia Grande and the Inner Harbour.

Go uphill to St. Augustine Square. See various baroque Catholic churches along the way, St Augustine’s Church, St. Lawrence Church, the St. Joseph Seminary Church and the Bishop’s Palace and Penha Chapel.

Noteworthy buidings along way include the Sir Robert Ho Tung, Dom Pedro V Theatre, Government Headquarter, Macau Tower (from a distance), fort ruins.

There is the old fort turned to a boutique hotel Pousada de São Tiago, the Barra Point, the famous A-Ma Temple, another big square, and finally the inner harbour. The tour could end up with a good meal at one of the good restaurants near the Ama Temple.

Guia Hill and San Lazaro Walk

Guia Hill and San Lazaro Walk begins on the highest point in Macau, Guia Hill on which stand the Guia Fort and Lighthouse.

Visit the simple, baroque chapel of Our Lady of Guia. Ride one of the worlds shortest Cable Car rides. There’s a little aviary, zoological and botanical Flora Garden.

Check out the memorial to Sun Yat Sen.

Visit the quirky Chinese Suzhou gardens of Lou Lim Ieoc. Another architectural interest are the row of colonial houses along Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida.

Breath the artistic air in the San Lazaro district. Finally get back to Largo Senado through the Rua do Campo, where the walled city first burst into the rest of Macau peninsula (see history).

St Paul and Camoes Garden Walking Tour

Walk from Leal Senado Square up to the St. Paul Ruins. Visit the Museum of Sacred Art.

Go up the Fortress Hill to visit the Museum of Macau. Check out the cannons on the fortress and get a 360 view of Macau.

Follow along the Rua de S. António and shop for antiques, paintings and other artworks sold along this street.

Make a short visit in St Antony’s Church, relax inside the Camões Square, check out the first Protestant church of Asia.

Think of the last things inside the Old Protestant Cemetery. Say a prayer for the artist George Chinnery whose grave grace one corner of the area. Hint: look for Voldemorts relatives among the graves.

Outer Harbour Walking Tour

The Outer Harbour walking tour will take from around 60 minutes to half a day if you want to linger in the museums. There are parks and restaurants in the area to take a breather.

There are several modern casinos in the area, including Sands Casino and the Babylon Casino. Even if you don’t gamble, the architecture and design are worth a look. Besides the Sands have very good restaurants.

East of Sands or Grand Lapa is the Cultural Centre. Next to it is the Museum of Art and the Handover Gifts Museum of Macau. Follow the Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen along the waterfront, to the Kun Iam Statue and the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre.

Visit the Grand Prix Museum. Check out the real Formula 3 cars, grandprix motorbikes, videos, memorabilia and interactive race simulators. Enter the Wine Museum for a free glass of wine and exhibits of Portuguese wines, antique wine-making equipment and history of vine growing.

Across the Centre is the The Lotus Square or Golden Lotus Square

Taipa Walking Tour

Coloane Island Walking Tour

Travel Packages

Back to Macau Walking Tours and other tours:

• San Malo Walking Tour
• Penha Peninsula Walking Tour
• Guia Hill and San Lazaro Walk
• St Paul and Camoes Garden Walking Tour
• Outer Harbour Walking Tour
• Taipa Walking Tour
• Coloane Island Walking Tour

Macau Heritage Travel Guide

Macau’s Heritage is founded on the “Historic Centre of Macao“, the product of over 400 years of cultural exchange between the West and China. Mainly architectural and predominantly European, the heritage sites provides a link to the West while being complety asian.

Ruins
of St Paul Catholic Church

The Ruins of St. Paul’s refer to the remains of the old Church of Mater
Dei and St. Paul’s College. Following what is thought to be the architectural
design of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola and under the direction of Father
Valignano. Essential Heritage Macau travel site.

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A-Ma
Chinese Temple

Located at Barra.

An essential part of any Heritage Macau Travel is the A Ma Temple. Even though there are no exact records, it is believed that the construction
of A-Ma Temple began in the 15th century.

This is the oldest of the three principal old temples of Macao. It already existed before the city of Macao came into being. Many says that the name “Macao” was derived from the Chinese “A-Ma-Gau” meaning “Bay
of A-Ma”, referring to A-Ma Temple.

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Leal Senado Building

Located at the Senado Square

The center of Macau tour: The Leal Senado Building (Loyal Senate Building).
Erected in 1784, it faces the Leal Senado Square (Largo do Leal Senado).
The architecture style in the Leal Senado building is neo-classical. Central
Macau Tour.

Macau Senado Square

Senado Square has always been the city
centre. In the past, this was where the governors inspected military troops
and the police force when they took up their posts. Top attraction in Macau

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St Dominic Church

Located at St. Dominic’s Square

Spanish Dominican priests constructed the original St. Dominic’s
Church in 1587. The church is also known as the “Church
of Our Lady of the Rosary” because it was originally dedicated to Our Lady of
the Rosary. Central
Macau Tour.

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St Joseph Seminary and Church

St. Joseph’s Seminary was established by the jesuits in 1728. The Seminary
made a significant contribution to training Priests to work in missions
throughout Asia, particularly in China. Essential Heritage Macau travel site for those interested in Christianity and history.

Mount Fortress

The construction of Mount Fortress was initiated by the Jesuits in 1617
and completed in 1626. Mount Fortress was once a principal military facility
and was one of the city’s strongest defence points. The top platform
of Mount Fortress has a landscaped garden offering a commanding view of
the cityscape. Central
Macau Tour.

Guia Fortress

The fortress was equipped with sentry posts, ammunition depots and watchtowers.
Inside the fortress lie Guia Chapel and Guia Lighthouse. The chapel is
dedicated to Our Lady of the Snow. Guia Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse
on the coast of China. South West
Heritage Macau travel tour.

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Moorish Barracks

Located close to the Inner Harbour, the Moorish Barracks were originally
named “Quartel dos Mouros” in Portuguese. In 1871, an Italian architect named Cassuto designed the Moorish-style building to accommodate
the Indian policemen.

St Lawrence Church

Rua de São Lourenço

Built in around 1569, St. Lawrence’s Church was one of the three
oldest churches in Macao. Given its location near the southern coastline
of Macau, families of Portuguese sailors used to stand on the church steps
to pray and wait for their return, giving rise to its Chinese name: Feng
Shun Tang (“Church of Smooth-sailing Wind”).

Holy House of Mercy

In 1569, the first Bishop of Macao, Dom Belchior Carneiro, founded the
Holy House of Mercy. Since its earliest days, the Holy House of Mercy has
devoted its work to the local community, providing charitable assistance
in the spirit of Christian fraternity. Central
Macau Tour.

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Mandarin’s House

Rua de São Lourenço

The Mandarin’s House was built in around 1881. This is the former
residence owned by eminent modern Chinese thinker Zheng Guanying and his
father Zheng Wenrui. Zheng Guanying himself was a member of the literati
who published several books that are still considered classics today.

San Augustine Square

On the other side of San Ma Lou, a street on the left of the Leal Senado Building goes up steeply towards the St Augustine Square. This square is cobbled in black and white in the Portuguese style and surrounded by the seminary, library, theater, church and houses.

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Dom Pedro V Theatre

Hilltop Macau tour will bring you to Dom Pedro V Theatre dated 1860. In 1873, the main façade
of the building was renovated adopting a more neo-classical touch, including
pilasters and a pediment on the main façade. The theatre was left
unused for almost twenty years because of termite problems but resumed
operations after extensive restoration work carried out in 1993.

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Sir Robert Ho Tung Library

Santo Agostinho Square

Constructed before 1894, this building originally belonged to D. Carolina
Cunha. It was later bought by Sir Robert Ho Tung in 1918 to be his villa. Interesting Heritage Macau site in view of the Governor Ho.

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St Augustine Church

Located at Santo Agostinho Square

A group of Spanish Augustinian priests constructed a seminary from wood
and taipa in 1586. The seminary was moved to Santo Agostinho Square in
1591 and St. Augustine’s Church was erected at that time.

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Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple

Located at Rua Sul do Mercado de São Domingos

The temple was originally a guild house of the Sam Kai (Three Streets)
Association, covering Rua dos Mercadores, Rua dos Ervanários and
Rua das Estalagens. Established between 1723 and 1795, it is the earliest
local guild in Macao. Central
Macau Tour.

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Cathedral

Located at Cathedral Square

Another hill top Macau tour will reveal the cathedral or S of the Macau
Catholic Church. Established around 1622 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary,
the Cathedral was always visited by every new Governor who came to place
his sceptre, the symbol of authority, next to the statue of the Virgin
Mary. Central Macau Tour.

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Lou Kau Mansion

Located at No. 7, Travessa da Sé

This Macau travel heritage house was built in around 1889 and was one of the residences of the
wealthy Lou Lim Iok family. Constructed in grey brick, this two-storey
building is a typical Chinese house divided into a main hall with side
wings. Central
Macau trip.

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Na Tcha Temple

Na Tcha Temple built in 1888 stands adjacent to the Ruins of St.Paul’s,
close to the remaining Section of the Old City walls. The small Na Tcha
Temple looks humble, but retains its distinctive dignity. Compared with
the adjacent structures, Na Tcha Temple resembles a miniature architectural
scale model. Central
Macau Tour.

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Old City Walls

From the map of Macao of 1632, it is possible to observe that the city
was already well protected in the north, east and south, with strategic
military constructions. The Section of the old City Walls was part of these
defence structures. Central
Macau Tour

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St Anthony Church

Located at Santo António Square

St. Anthony’s Church was first built with bamboo in around 1560
and is one of the three oldest churches in Macao. For the Catholics, St.
Anthony is considered the patron saint of marriages and formerly members
of the Portuguese community would carry out their wedding ceremonies there,
giving rise to the Chinese name of “Fa Vong Tong” (Church of
Flowers). Northern
Macau Tour.

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Casa Garden

Located at Camões Park

First built in 1770, the Casa Garden was originally the villa of the wealthy
merchant Manuel Pereira. At a later period it was rented out to the Macao
Branch of the English East India Company as a residence for commercial
directors, taipans and high-ranking British officers stationed in China.
Northern Macau Tour.

Protestant Church and Cemetery

The Old Macau Protestant Cemetery is situated directly to the east of the Praca
Luis de Camoues and can be reached by walking north and downhill from the Ruins
of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

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Macau heritage sites contains the oldest and compact gathering of European architecture in the whole of China. Often called the “Gateway between East and West” Macau was settled by Portuguese navigators in the mid-16th century. The “Historic Centre of Macao” coincides with the heart of the western settlement area, also known as the “Christian City” in history.

For almost three centuries, until the colonisation of Hong Kong in 1842, Macao’s strategic location at the mouth of the Pearl River meant that it retained a unique position in the South China Sea, serving as the hub in a complex network of maritime trade that brought tremendous wealth and a constant flow of people into the enclave.

People of different nationalities came, bringing their own cultural traditions and professions, permeating the life of the city as can been seen in both intangible and tangible influences.

This is evident in the introduction of foreign building typologies such as western-style fortresses and architecture. Macao also inherited various cultural experiences and regional influences, further developing these in conjunction with the local Chinese culture and blending them to produce the rich texture seen in the city’s exceptional heritage.

Exposure to diverse cultures in this lasting encounter between the eastern and western worlds has therefore benefited Macao in assimilating a rich array of cultural heritage. (source: Macau Patrimonio Mundial)