Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Constructed from 1602 to 1640 by Jesuit priests who travelled to the Far East to spread Catholicism, the Ruins of St. Paul’s is arguably Macau’s most famous landmark. Though most tourists only see the ruins of what was once “The Vatican of The East”, it serves as a reminder and icon of Macau’s vibrant multicultural society, and its rich history as a strategic military location and prosperous trading port.

The church’s design is one of a kind, featuring a mix of the East and West, a reflection of Macau’s multicultural society. At the top of the façade is a dove – a symbol of the Holy Spirit. European and Asian influences are reflected in the ruins through biblical images, Chinese characters, six Chinese lions, a Portuguese ship and bronze statues. Beneath the dove is a statue of Jesus, and around it are stone carvings of the implements of the crucifixion.

The Ruins of St. Paul’s is situated on a knoll beside the taller Mount Fortress, and offers superb views of the wide plaza below, though this view comes at the cost of walking up several flights of stone stairs, but nonetheless a beautiful must-see sight when in Macau.

The Ruins of St. Paul’s, though overcrowded with thousands of tourists flooding in from countries all around the world, serves as a reminder of Macau’s rich history of religion and military, and is a great introduction to Macau’s multicultural society for tourists.

Exclusive: Interview with Margaret, the owner of the Cafe.

First impression: the tarts came out fresh from the oven and piping hot. We were hit with the rich aroma the instant Margaret placed the tarts on the table.

The egg tarts also looked very nice. The shell was golden brown and the custard was dotted with the infamous specks of black fro the burnt caramel. When bitten into, the puff pastry shell was hard enough to hold its shape and allowed the tart to stay in one piece when held. It was also crispy and flaky at the same time. The hint of salt in the pastry balances the sweetness of the custard interior.

Moreover, the burnt caramel layer on top of the custard added a layer of complexity to the tart. The bitter tones of the burnt top helped mellow up the intense richness of the smooth custard. The custard itself was also very nice. Made only of cream, eggs, sugar and milk, it was silky smooth and extremely flavorful. The tarts at Margaret’s aren’t traditional, in the sense that they don’t use custard powder, preferring to make the custard from scratch themselves. When eaten together, all the components of the tart complement each other perfectly. One of the best egg tarts in town. However, the staff of the cafe are always in a cranky mood, including Margaret herself. Even though I would be cranky too if I had to serve hundreds of rude mainland tourists a day. Beware.

Built between 1622 and 1638, Guia Fortress is built on the highest point of the peninsula, offering panoramic views of the city. However, this fortress is much more than a lookout for the modern tourist, as it was once maritime and military centre of Macau for the Portuguese army, holding a critical position as the fortress, together with Mount Fortress, was invaluable in fending off the Dutch Invasion of 1622.

On top of the fortress stands Guia Lighthouse, dating back from 1865, was the first modern lighthouse in China and is the exact position where Macau takes its coordinates; As well as Guia Chapel, which was established by Clarist nuns and displays elaborate frescoes of religious and mythological themes with both Chinese and Portuguese elements.

Below the fortress lies 3 sets of simple military tunnels built in the 1930s which have been used by the Portuguese army to form an important defensive network and store cannon emplacements against possible foreign invasion.

As we left the Guia Fortress, we walked by some creatively manicured greenery as well as modern pillboxes built by the Portuguese army, which transformed the area around the Guia Fortress into what is now a beautiful public park with historical relics for the residents to enjoy. We took the Guia Cable Car back down which allowed us to enjoy more panoramic views of Macau as we left the fortress.

The Guia Fortress gives an opportunity for tourists and locals alike to escape from bustling Macau and to revisit Macau’s rich history as a strategic Portuguese military centre, or just to enjoy some fresh air.

Located on top of Mount Fortress built by the Catholic Jesuits in the 17th century, this museum and its location displays the vibrant and colourful past of Macau as a humble fishing port to a strategic military defence location, and now a melting pot of Chinese and Portuguese culture, attracting millions of tourists every year with free admission.

On the first floor, the museum displays artefacts of two early civilisations, of China’s and Portugal’s respectively, as well as the commercial activities, cultures and religions of these two vastly different regions.

On the second floor, the museum displays how the two cultures merged together as Macao became a colony of Portugal after 1557 in terms of daily life , the culture (i.e. the language, local festivals and religious ceremonies), and the architecture.

On the third floor, there is also a temporary exhibition with artefacts loaned to the museum by foreign museums. When we visited, the theme of the exhibition was the Silk Road, which displayed cultural relics such as statues and sculptures from the Western Xia dynasty.

As the museum is built on Mount Fortress, the outdoor spaces of the museum offer spectacular views over the Macau peninsula and the buildings surrounding the hill.

In conclusion, through displaying relics and artefacts which tell all sorts of different stories about Macau’s vibrant past as a maritime and military centre, it is a great location for tourists and locals alike to learn more about Macau’s long history.

Macau Tower is located in Macau, a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Macau was a Portuguese colony until 1999. Construction on the tower started in 1998, after a visit by Macau businessman Dr. Stanley Ho Hung-Sun to the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand. He was so impressed with the Sky Tower, he decided he’d like to build one like it in Macau!

At 338m, Macau Tower looms above the narrow isthmus of land southeast of Avenida da República. You can stay put on the observation decks on the 58th and 61st floors, or challenge yourself to some gravity-defying sport: the tower hosts a climbing wall, a bungee platform (said to be the highest commercial bungee jump in the world), a sky walk around the rim of the tower and more.

We had a terrific lunch buffet at the 360° Cafe Revolving Restaurant on the 60/F for MOP 308 where we enjoyed authentic Portuguese dishes such as roasted suckling pig and Pastéis de Bacalhau (Salt Cod Fritters) , not to mention the bird’s eye view of the Macau Peninsula and Taipa, as well as neighbouring Zhuhai. After a wonderful buffet, we had a walk around the indoor and outdoor observation decks and watched several people bungee jump.

Overall speaking, a great way to officially start our adventure in Macau!