Festival time near the steps leading to the Ruins of St Paul’s.

Famous Senado Square with its waves of tiles.

POSTED: 19 APRIL 2011

Destination: Macau

Mike Smith takes some steps back in time

The 66 steps leading to Macau’s iconic Ruins of St Paul’s are awash with colour, the brightness of the clothing and waves of sun-shielding umbrellas matched by the pastels and yellows of the spruced up centuries-old colonial buildings.

Our day in this fascinating Asian enclave is no busier than most, as visitors and locals take the steady climb for a closer view of the famous facade of a cathedral which dates back to the early 1600s and was destroyed by fire about 200 years later.

Decorating the stone wall, an impressive survivor of a devastating 1835 fire, are intricate figures carved by exiled Japanese Christians and local craftsmen.

The sacred wall of what was once the largest Catholic Church in Asia functions symbolically as the altar to the city, its magnetism evident by the day’s sea of camera-toting tourists.

Nearby, sharing the same acropolis-like hill, are the archaeological remains of the old St Paul’s College, the first western-style university in the Far East. Behind the St Paul’s facade are the original pillars and shrine of the church, while, overlooking the ruins, is the Mount Fortress, built by the Jesuits in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Inside what was the church’s original crypt is the Museum of Sacred Art and an intriguing display of silver altar pieces, gilded statues and artwork by 17th-century Japanese artists.

It’s appropriate that the tourist map in our hands has splashes of pink, purple, yellow and indigo, as this is a colorful spot to begin a walking tour of an area protected with UNESCO World Heritage listing.

On special occasions, Portuguese dancers in traditional costume have twirled around to put their best foot forward in a performance at the top of the stairs.

Macau’s importance as a gateway into China for western civilization is evident throughout this part of the peninsula. For hundreds of years, this narrow slice of land has nurtured cultural exchange, shaping what is uniquely Macau.

The historic centre of Macau is living testimony to an assimilation and continued co-existence of eastern and western cultures.

An impressive 25 sites make up UNESCO-recognized historic Macau, among them the brightly painted churches of St Joseph’s, St Lawrence’s, St Augustine’s, as well as St Dominic’s, St Anthony’s, the 1622-built Macau Cathedral, and, of course, the Ruins of St Paul’s.

Each is linked by a maze of narrow streets and squares, the black-and-white waves of the cobblestones in Senado Square being a much photographed feature of historic Macau.

The 1874-built Moorish Barracks, Leal Senado (Loyal Senate), Mount Fortress, Guia Fortress, chapel and lighthouse (1622-1638) and Dom Pedro V Theatre (built in 1860 as the first western-style theatre in China) are other treasured sites of western origins. A surviving section of the old city walls is also protected by UNESCO.

The lengthy list of protected sites also includes Chinese architecture, of note the exemplary A-Ma Temple, the same temple which greeted the first Portuguese sailors on their arrival 400 years ago. The temple’s memorial arch, gate pavilion and prayer halls were inspired by Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and a multitude of folklores.

Close to the Chinese Bazaar area is another temple of interest, Kuan Tei Temple, which was directly associated with long-standing Chinese business associations, precursors to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Macau.

On a more tranquil note is the Casa Garden, the homestead built in the same year Captain James Cook landed at Sydney’s Kurnell. It was originally the residence of a wealthy Portuguese merchant, Manuel Pereira, only to be used by the East India Company and now headquarters of the Oriental Foundation.

For an insight into Macau’s diverse community profile, the Protestant Cemetery, close to Casa Garden, has on show a comprehensive record of the earliest Protestant settlers, the chapel dating back from 1821 and named in honour of Robert Morrison (1782-1834) who is buried there. Important British–China trade artist, George Chinnery, is also buried in the cemetery.

Like many others before them, taking the step to trade and settle in Macau was likened to a giant leap.

Spanish and Italian architecture as seen in the San Francisco Garden on Macau peninsula.

Spruced up colonial architecture.

GETTING THERE

Cathay Pacific has almost 80 flights each week between Australian mainland capitals and Hong Kong. They include four a day from Sydney and three from Melbourne. Most flights connect to the Turbo Jetfoil service (www.turbojet.com.hk) to Macau at Hong Kong Airport’s Sky Pier. It offers convenient through-check-baggage service in each direction. Special fares are often available at Cathay Pacific — see your travel agent or visit www.cathaypacific.com.au.

STAY

Mandarin Oriental — plush boutique-style accommodation, each guest room and suite having water view, either of Nam Van Lake or Macau Bay. Also offers eight treatment areas (four suites for couples in its Mandarin Day Spa), plus formal dining in its Vida Rica Restaurant and Bar. Details: www.mandarinoriental.com

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

On the peninsula, the Ruins of St Pauls, the Monte Fort and Museum of Macau, Senado Square, A-Ma Temple and Macau Tower along with MGM Grand and Wynn’s. On the isle of Taipa is the centuries-old village of Taipa along with the contemporary shapes of the Venetian and The City of Dreams (Cotai Strip linking Taipa with Coloane). On Coloane, Lord Stow’s Bakery is a prime attraction along with the mix of colonial and Chinese architecture.

Dining: International fare at the Mandarin Oriental’s elegant Vida Rica Restaurant and Bar, dine on African Chicken at Litoral Restaurant, sample egg tarts at Lord Stow’s Cafe or take-away bakery, try Portuguese cuisine at Antonio’s Restaurant. Upmarket dim sum served at Wynn’s Win Lai Chinese and giant international buffet at the Atrium of the MGM Grand Hotel.

DETAILS

Taipa Houses Museum.

A Ma Temple – historic gateway to China.