Historic Places in Macau

Here is this post, as promised! I have written about some of the historic places I got to visit while in Macau. From old church ruins to turquoise Portuguese buildings, this post will cover everything historic that I got to see and take pictures of.

This building is the Church of Saint Dominic. It is in Senado Square where I stayed during my time in Macau. This church was built in 1587 by three Spanish Dominican Priests. The first Portuguese newspaper to be printed in China was printed here in 1822. Later in 1997, the church was renovated and a museum called The Treasure of Sacred Art was added.

This is a side shot (and sadly the only picture I got) of the Holy House of Mercy, also located in Senado Square. It was first built in 1569 and was originally used as a medical clinic. Later on, it became used for other social welfare services such as an orphanage, a home for widows whose husbands were sailors that had been lost at sea, a rehabilitation center for the blind, a home for the elderly, and pre-school that was taught in both Chinese and Portuguese. Alongside all of these services, the Holy House donates money to underprivileged families and individuals. It now also functions as a museum for Macau’s Catholic History.

These pictures are of the Ruins of Saint Paul’s; a 17th-century Catholic church and college. It is one of Macau’s best known landmarks and is one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World. It was built by the Jesuits and was one of the largest Catholic churches in Asia at the time of it’s construction. It was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon in 1835.

These are pictures taken at the Mount Fortress, aka Fortaleza do Monte or Monte Forte, but officially known as Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora do Monte São Paulo (meaning Fortress of Our Lady of the Mount of Saint Paul). They choose really long names. This fortress stands right beside the Ruins of Saint Paul and was also built in the 17th century. It was originally built to protect Jesuit property, but was later taken over by the Portuguese to use for the defense of Macau. It has served as both a home for the first governors of Macau as well as a weather observatory. In 1965, the fortress was opened up to the public.

These are the beautifully stunning Taipa Houses. There are four that serve as museums for Macau’s history, and one where private events can be held. One is a home that you can go in, one is a gift shop, one holds paintings, and the other was not allowed to be entered while I was there. These houses were built in 1921 and were originally used to house senior civil servants. Later on in the 20th century, the government decided to restore the houses, and eventually opened them up to the public in 1999 as the Taipa Houses-Museum.

This is a picture of the Our Lady of Carmel Church (or Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo) and the cross that stands outside. It is a parish church that was built in 1885. It is a namesake of the much larger parish, Our Lady of Carmel Parish (or Nossa Senhora de Fátima), which is the biggest parish on the Macau Peninsula. I don’t know if there’s a specific story behind the cross, but I thought that it was really pretty.

And that does it for all of the beautiful, historical places that I got to visit while in Macau! The Taipa Houses and Ruins of Saint Paul are definitely my favorites. I love the bright turquoise colors of the houses, and the ruins look gorgeous to me. There is way more historical stuff to see in Macau than just what I saw. I really enjoyed seeing everything and learning more about it’s history, and maybe one day I’ll get to go back and see even more!

Thank you for reading! I’ll see you next time ~