At the Ruins of St. Paul's

Macau, little more than a tiny peninsula and two tinier islands joined by an artificial land-bridge, was once the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Asia, and one of the most important religious and political sites in the world.

The Ruins of St. Paul's, Macau

In the early 15th century, the small peninsula of Macau was granted to the Portuguese Empire by the Ming Dynasty of China after Portugal's famed armada helped fight pirates off the Chinese coast. It remained a colony of Portugal until its return to China in 1999.

St. Paul's

Today, a plethora of Portuguese vestiges still mark the face of Macau. The most prominent of these is the iconic facade of the Ruins of St. Paul's Church. Constructed in the 16th century by Portuguese Jesuits, the church was designed by an Italian architect and constructed by exiled Japanese Christians who had fled persecution in their homeland to the Catholic stronghold of Macau. It was, at its time, the largest Christian church in Asia.

climbing the steps to Macau's most famous church

The church was destroyed in a typhoon in 1835, leaving only the facade, which has become Macau's symbol and most famous landmark, standing. Today, the facade of St. Paul's appears on both Macau's 5 pataca coin and 20 pataca note.

behind St. Paul's

Beneath the ruins of the church lies a crypt. This crypt was re-discovered during preservation efforts in the 1990s. Since renovated, the crypt today holds the relics of numerous 16th century Japanese Catholic martyrs and important Jesuit missionaries who were based out of Macau. As we climbed down the steps into the cool dark crypt, the complete silence was broken only by the soft sounds of recorded Gregorian chant.

in the crypt

In Japan, Christianity was outlawed and persecuted by the Shogunate in the late 14th century. The religion had arrived in Japan with Portuguese traders, and was seen as a threat to the Shogun and the Emperor. Shinto, the state religion of Japan, emphasized the Emperor as the "Son of Heaven", and a religion that threaten that status quo was seen as dangerous. The Kakure Kirishitan, or "Secret Christians", had to go underground, hiding their beliefs.

Macau... old and new

 Most famous of these were the "26 Martyrs of Japan", twenty-six foreign and Japanese Jesuits and Franciscans who were executed by crucifixion in Nagasaki in 1597. All have been canonized by the Catholic Church. Their remains were interred in a place of honor beneath St. Paul's in Macau.

Just next door to the ruins is the Fortaleza do Monte, the Fortress of Our Lady of the Mountain of St. Paul, an old Portuguese fortress that has been, in the modern day, re-fitted to hold the Museum of Macau.

the old fortress

After climbing up the steep steps of the old fortress, we soon discovered that we had gotten lucky - the museums in Macau are all free on Tuesdays... and it was Tuesday!

After spending some time at the museum, which is built into the side of the hill, we exited at the very top, where the old stone walls of the historic fortress look out over the densely-packed city of Macau.

looking over Macau

Macau has a small population - just 600,000 - but it has one of the highest population densities in the world. Surprisingly, it never feels very crowded, though. It's a beautiful city, and one that has boomed in the past hundred years. Today, it's developed into something of an Asian Monaco. It's home to the Macau Grand Prix (which was going on while we were there), and is the only place in China where gambling is legal, making it home to numerous five-star casinos.

Grand Lisboa Casino

After visiting the fort, we had a bit more time. We walked to the nearby Catholic cemetery, which is the resting place of both Portuguese and Chinese Christians.

chapel at the cemetery

Today, some 10% of the Macanese population are Catholic (the vast majority are Buddhist), but the Catholic Church in Macau is still a hugely important institution that runs dozens of schools, universities, hospitals, day cares, and other social services in the city.

the Catholic cemetery

I had visited Macau on a day trip several years ago, but didn't think that much of it at the time. I enjoyed it, but loved Hong Kong more. This time, however, I have discovered that I really love that atmospheric old city! It grows on you, especially once you step away from the casinos and experience the history and culture that Macau has to offer.

inside the chapel