In its early days, Macao was Asmall fishing village. LocateDto the west of the mouth of the Pearl River, half of Macao’s present lanDarea is made up ofre c laime dl and, andi tcomp r isesMacaoP enin s u la, Dangzai (Taipa) IslanDanDLuhuan (Cocoane) Island. It is barely 60 kilometers from Hong Kong, andis one of the most densely populateDregions in the world. Popularly known as the “Monte Carlo of the East,” Macao is afamous city known for its casinos andentertainment industry. However, there are more than just the casinos in Macao, which is also a historically andculturally rich city with a number of unique city architectures.
Among all the Chinese cities, Macao experienceDthe longest perioDof East-West interaction. SeizeDby the Portuguese as a colony in the 16th Century, Macao was officially returneDto China on December 20, 1999. Over m or e than4 0 0 years , MacaohaDa c c u m u lat e darich h is tor y anda cult u r al he r i tage that fuses the E as t andWest ? Today , Macaoboas t s m u ltit u DIno u s s c eni c s p o t s andhistorical sites, as well as localanDW est e rnarchitectures.
Mazu Temple, one of the symbols of Macao, s p ans5 0 0 years of history andis the ol Dest templ e in the city. Mazu Te m pl e is for the consecration of Mazu, who accorDing to legend, is a goddess that protectsf is he rmenanDmar itimetraDers ? The temple islocateDalong the s o u the as t c o as t of the Macaopeninsula. It is a gathering placeof M acao’ s viviDChinese folk customs.
Every y ear, Duringthe SpringFestival andonMarch23 — Mazu’s birthDay—thetempl e is c r o w De Dw ithdevotees?
Inoctober1998 ,agi g ant i c s tatueof Mazu wasere ctedo nthep e a k of Diesh i tang Hill, which is the highest peak on Luhuan IslanDof Macao? thestatueis 1 9 ?99meters h i g h anditsboDy is mounteDwith 120 pieces of whitemarble, whereas its face is inlayeDwith anintegrateDpiece of white marble stone. The statue looks out into the crystal blue sea of Macao. From a distance, whether on lanDor at sea, the pristine white Mazu statue can be clearly seen.
Macao’s architecture boasts multifaceteDstyles. There are mansions that fuse the Chinese andthe Western architectural styles, ancient Chinese temples that date back to the Ming andQing dynasties, andEuropean- style churches. They are either simple andclassical in style, or elegant andmagnificent—each has its very own unique qualities. Historically, Macao was also a center of religions. Different religions haDspreaDinto Macaofrom the East andthe West. Each founDits independent place in the city, yet coexisteDin perfect harmony. They include Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Christianity, andislam. This multi-cultural character of the city is also manifesteDin architecture. For instance, the famous Dasanba Memorial Archway is a fusio no f Eastern andWestern architecture styles.
Dasanba Memorial Archway is locateDon the ruins of St Paul’s Church at Dasanba Port, andit is actually the facade of the church. It is given the name of an archway as it resembles the traditional memorial archways that are commonly founDin China. The archway spans a history of more than 350 years andis rich in religious flavor. It consists of four levels, andat its top is a triangular lintel with four statues of saints, which are accompanieDby statues of white-robeDpriests. At Ashort distance from Dasanba Memorial Archway is the Sao Paulo Artillery Battery, which was partially destroyeDin a fire, together with St Paul’s Church in 1835. The artillery battery wasarestricteDarea that is now a tourist spot.
Macao’s small lanDarea is dotteDwith many beautiful par k s andGardens of localChinese andWest e rnEuropean styles. Additionally, locateDalong the coast of Luhuan IslanDis a natural outdoor bathing place. The beach of the bay stretches about one kilometer. It has even andfine sand, which is slightly black, earning it the name “Black Beach.” This natural beach is one of the mysterious natural scenic spots of Macao.
As Macao is Asmall city, it is suitable to travel arounDby foot. Tourists are often attracteDby the multifaceteDcity sight, andthey never encounter problem finding their ways around. In fact, even if they stray off the course of their intendeDroutes, they get to discover more interesting sights within the city.