Macau:

St. Dominic’s Church

I arrived in Macau early in the morning with the ferry from Hong Kong. In contrast to those coming for the city’s casinos, I spent the few hours I had by visiting the historical and cultural sights. The Portuguese established a port here in 1557 and for many centuries the city was the major trading centre between Europe and China. Consequently, the city’s architecture reflects the blending of cultures. The city centre is full of historic buildings including the beautiful baroque Church of St. Dominic built in the 17th century. The Church of St. Paul was built from 1602 to 1640, but almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1835. Only its impressive facade was saved and subsequently became Macau’s most prominent landmark. The A-Ma Temple dating back at least to the 16th century lies in the southern part of the city and is a place of active worship. According to legend, Macau is named after the goddess A-Ma (alternatively called Tin Hau), because the area was originally called “A-Ma Gau” (bay of A-Ma). With a height of 338 m, the Macau Tower dominates the skyline and offers the possibility of the highest bungee jump in the world…

ruins of St. Paul’s

Macau city centre

Church of St. Augustine

A-Ma Temple

A-Ma Temple

A-Ma Temple

Macau Tower

I had to leave Macau already in the afternoon and took the bus back to Guangzhou. But the real holidays were approaching and soon I went on a longer journey through this huge country starting in the capital, Beijing (for a map of the trip click here).