18. RUINS OF ST PAUL’S
The Ruins f St Paul’s refer to the façade
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 “
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 programme. Nowadays, the façade of the Ruins of St
Paul’s function symbolically as an altar to the city.
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
dialectic of western and Chinese Ideals, as one of the best examples of Macau’s
multicultural identity and religious freedom.
This surviving segment of the city’s
defence 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.
Built in conjunction with the Jesuits from
1617 to 1626, this was the city principal military defence 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 2 years.
The fortress covers an area of 8000 square metres, in the shape of a traoezoid.
The 4 corners of the fortress protrude to form bulwarks.
First built of bamboo and wood before 1560,
this is one of oldest churches in Macau, also marking the site where Jesuit set
up their earliest headquarters in the city. The church was reconstructed in
stone several times, while the present appearance and scale of the church dates
back to 1930. Previously, members of the Portuguese community would hold
wedding ceremonies there, so giving rise to the Chinese name of Fa Vong Tong
(Church of Flowers).
This house was built in 1770 and was
originally the residence of a wealthy Portuguese merchant, Manuel Pereira. At a
later period it was rented out to the East India Company. Nowadays the property
is the headquarters of the Oriental Foundation.
This site provides an insight into Macau’s
diverse community profile. Located close to the Casa Garden, the Protestant
Cemetery provides a comprehensive record of the earliest Protestant community
of Macau. Together with the site, the chapel was built in 1821, which is now
referred to as “the Morrison Chapel” in honour of Robert Morrison (1782-1834).
George Chinnery (1774- 1852), an important British China Trade artist is also
buried at the site, alongside various other prominent figures of the time,
including several officials from the East India Company and Protestants from
the United States and Britain.
The fortress was built between 1622 and
1638. Inside the fortress stands Guia Chapel, originally established by Clarist
nuns, who resided at the site before establishing the Convent of St Clare. The
chapel’s elaborate frescoes depict representations of both western and Chinese
themes, displaying motifs of religious and mythological inspiration that are a
perfect example of Macau’s multicultural dimension. Guia Lighthouse, built in
1864, which also stands within the perimeter, is the first modern lighthouse on
the Chinese coast. Guia Fortress, along with the chapel and lighthouse are
symbols of Macau’s maritime, military and missionary past.
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