When, after more than half a millennium of Portuguese rule, Macau was returned to China in 1999, the transition was surprisingly smooth, despite uncertainty about the future of the tiny peninsula's autonomy.
During the transition, Portuguese artist Cristina Rocha Leiria designed the Kuan Iam Ecumenical Center, just off of the southern shore of the Macanese Peninsula. The center, built beneath a statue of the Chinese goddess of mercy standing atop a lotus blossom, was designed to be a
celebration of the unity between East and West.
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| the Kuan Iam Ecumenical Center |
Kuan Iam (or Guanyin, in Mandarin) is revered throughout Asia as both a Buddhist saint and a Taoist immortal. The tall bronze statue of the goddess of mercy in Macau stands 20 meters tall, and looks back over the bustling city.
The features of Guanyin at the center were designed to be ethnically neutral, representing neither western nor eastern people exclusively. Most statues of Guanyin that I've seen throughout Asia depict her as looking older and wiser than the one in Macau. Here, she looks warmer and kinder that I've usually seen.
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| Kuan Iam, or Guanyin, the goddess of mercy |
The Ecumenical Center is part statue and part museum. You can enter the lotus blossom (it's free to visit). and spiral your way down a set of stairs inside. There is a small bookshop and a few exhibits about how the statue was designed, cast, and constructed.
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| inside the lotus blossom |
Fresco murals cover the domed ceiling inside the center, and benches give visitors a cozy and quiet place to meditate, read, or just relax and enjoy the soft music that plays inside.
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| frescos of theTaoist immortals |
The Ecumenical Center was constructed under UNESCO patronage in order to encourage unity during the uncertain times of the handover of Macau to China. The statue of Guanyin is a symbol of peace, love, and harmony - things that are not always easy to hold on to in our daily lives!
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| tiled mosaics outside |
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