National Parks of ChinaOverview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (cultural, 2005) |
| Province | Hong Kong, Macau & Taiwan |
| Location | Macao |
| Latitude, longitude | 22.2, 113.5 Google Maps |
| Highlights | Chinese and Western architecture |
| Top sights | The Ruins of St Paul’s |
| Nearby cities | Hong Kong, Macau & Taiwan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macao |
| Nearby sites | Mount Xiqiao, Star Lake, Zhaoqing, Mount Baiyun, Guangzhou, Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, Mount Wutong, Mount Luofu, West Lake of Huizhou |
| Themes | Architecture, Metropolises, Culture & history, Rivers, Sea, Casinos |
About
The Historic Centre of Macao, centred on the old town, comprises 22 buildings and 8 adjoining squares on the Macao peninsula. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2005.
Its buildings blend Chinese and Western styles and are the oldest surviving Western architectural heritage in China, a synthesis of East and West.
Buildings
A-Ma Temple; the Moorish Barracks (Port Authority Building); the Mandarin’s House (home of the thinker Zheng Guanying); St Lawrence’s Church; St Joseph’s Seminary and Church; the Dom Pedro V Theatre; the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library; St Augustine’s Church; the Leal Senado Building (former municipal council); the Sam Kai Vui Kun (Kuan Tai Temple); the Holy House of Mercy; the Cathedral; the Lou Kau Mansion; St Dominic’s Church; the Ruins of St Paul’s (called the “Vatican of the East”); the Na Tcha Temple beside it; the old city walls; the Mount Fortress; St Anthony’s Church; the Casa Garden (Oriental Foundation); the Protestant Cemetery; and the Guia Fortress with the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snow and the lighthouse.
Squares
Barra Square, Lilau Square, St Augustine’s Square, Senado Square, St Dominic’s Square, Cathedral Square, Company of Jesus Square and Camões Square.
News
In December 2007, after Macao guides forced mainland tourists to shop (“no shopping, no meals, no hotel”), more than a hundred tourists clashed with Macao police; on 17 December the director of the Macao Tourist Office announced that the travel agency concerned had lost its licence to receive tours.