There’s a microcosm of Macao in the heart of its historic St Lazarus district. Albergue da Santa Casa da Misericórdia (SCM), a beautifully cobblestoned courtyard that’s hemmed by ochre European-style buildings more than a century old. At first glance, you could be forgiven for believing you were in Lisbon, Portugal; clearly the inspiration for this picturesque compound. But closer inspection reveals that it’s camphor trees providing shade, a species indigenous to East Asia. And subtle architectural quirks bely a strong Chinese influence.
Take the buildings’ downspouts. They were made to resemble bamboo stems, a design you would never see in Europe. And instead of using limestone for decorative pilasters, cornices and doorframes, Albergue SCM’s builders deployed local sandstone and plaster. Their choices reflected resources available at the time.
Local architect and artist Carlos Marreiros explains that while much of the city’s urban landscape was built based on European ideas, plans were brought to life by Chinese craftsmen using local materials. “Something harmonious came up from this mixture: sometimes brilliant, sometimes bizarre, but it’s an architectural vernacular that truly reflects Macao’s heritage,” Marreiros says. His office is located within Albergue SCM, which also boasts art galleries, an artisan tea shop and a Portuguese restaurant: the compound is one of Macao’s top destinations for culture lovers.
Culture – its origin, preservation and economic potential – is a subject close to the award-winning architect’s heart. Not only is Marreiros Macanese, he’s been involved in drafting legislation to protect the city’s cultural heritage since the 1980s, back when Macao was still administered by the Portuguese.
According to Marreiros, it wasn’t until Macao’s return to the motherland that its preservation laws started being taken seriously. “I am in the position to say that Macao’s heritage has never been so well protected as it is now,” he tells this magazine. “What the Portuguese did was quite good, but there wasn’t enough money. And those who wanted to preserve old architecture could also be labelled anti-progress, or anti-development, which didn’t help the cause either.”
In comparison, both the central and Special Administrative Region (SAR)’s governments have fully embraced the true value of Macao’s East-meets-West identity. Marreiros remembers feeling very glad when the Central Government enshrined the protection of cultural heritage in Macao’s Basic Law (the legal document serving as the SAR’s ‘constitution’, which came into effect on the same date as the city’s return to the motherland). And he watched with approval as the new SAR government met requirement after requirement to get the city’s historic centre inscribed as a World Heritage Site.
UNESCO recognition
That years-long process came to fruition in 2005. Now, 22 sites within Macao’s old town have been recognised for what UNESCO describes as their ‘outstanding universal value’. To achieve this lofty designation, the SAR government demonstrated comprehensive plans for safeguarding each site for future generations.
According to UNESCO, Macao’s historic centre “bears witness to the first and most enduring encounter between China and the West, based on the vibrancy of international trade.” Courtesy of Portuguese navigators, the foundation was laid for the cosmopolitan city Macao was to become. Indeed, the next several centuries saw flows of traders and travellers from within the mainland and across Asia – as well from Europe, the Middle East and the Americas – pass through Macao, some settling here permanently. The city has retained this multicultural spirit to this day.
Historical architecture, very much still alive
It is worth noting that parts of the oldest building on UNESCO’s list, the A-Ma Temple, pre-date the Portuguese’s arrival. Originally built by Chinese fishermen to honour the sea goddess Mazu, these days the seaside complex is a-bustle with prayerful locals and curious tourists. Most if not all of Macao’s UNESCO-inscribed sites are similarly “alive” today, says Marreiros. The temples and churches are active places of worship, where incense is offered to Taoist and Buddhist deities and Catholics line up for Holy communion. The neoclassical Leal Senado building, meanwhile retains much the same function it has since 1784. Back then it was the seat of Macao’s Portuguese administrators; today it houses the SAR’s Municipal Affairs Bureau. Guia Lighthouse, the first modern lighthouse in East Asia, has been shining its beacon since 1865.
Sites not being used for their original purpose have evolved with the times. A 17th-century church that fell prey to a fire in 1835 is no longer being used for services, but its surviving frontispiece has become one of Macao’s most recognisable tourist attractions: the Ruins of St Paul’s. It’s also an important archeological site.
A regularly updated list of Classified Immovable Properties is another way the government protects Macao’s heritage. One-hundred-and-sixty-five monuments, buildings and sites are currently on the list, including the Camões Grotto, where the renowned Portuguese poet Luís de Camões is believed to have finished his epic masterpiece, Os Lusíadas, in the mid-16th century. It also boasts a home owned by Dr Sun Yat-sen, known as a pioneer of revolutions in modern China. The Sun Yat Sen Memorial House is now a museum to the great man, who worked as a doctor in Macao in the 1890s and early 1900s.
Camões and Sun Yat-sen are just two highly-recognisable names whose legacies help illustrate the city’s position as a cultural crossroads. As Marreiros explains it, there’s “a strong, magical energy in this place” that attracts poets, artists and thinkers from different corners of the world, each adding their own flavour to the melting pot that is Macao.
From drunken dragons to the Passion of Our Lord
Of course, Macao’s multifaceted identity is evident in realms beyond architecture. The government also maintains a List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the living traditions that merge the city’s past and present. Cantonese Opera and Herbal Tea Brewing firmly embed Macao within southern China, while the Procession of the Passion of Our Lord the God Jesus takes place in Christian communities
the world over. This annual march traces ‘stations of the cross’ through the city, with each station representing a key event from the day Jesus was crucified.
Many of the intangible items are entirely unique to Macao. The Festival of the Drunken Dragon, for example, has been celebrated by the region’s fishmongers for centuries; highly expressive Patuá Theatre is performed in the Macanese creole, patuá. The most celebrated manifestation of Macao’s multiculturalism is, however, Macanese Gastronomy.
‘A paradise of gastronomy’
Macao’s Cultural Affairs Bureau describes the local cuisine as an “important historical by-product of Portugal’s sailing culture.” And indeed, its story starts in the European Age of Discovery. Portuguese navigators venturing towards the Far East sailed down the Western coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and arrived in Macao via South and Southeast Asia. The seamen’s lengthy voyages saw their European eating habits adapt to local ingredients and techniques – which all came together in Macao’s kitchens.
You can taste this culinary amalgamation in a dish like galinha à Africana (African chicken): heavy on piri piri chilli peppers from Mozambique, yet prepared in a way you won’t find anywhere else in the world. The minced meat and potatoes dish minchi gets its warmth from cloves picked up by the Portuguese in Indonesia, and an umami depth from Chinese soy sauce.
UNESCO recognised Macao as a Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017, describing Macanese cuisine as the “first ‘fusion food’.” The SAR’s government has lent into this status by publishing an online repository of recipes, cook books and culinary manuscripts relating to Macanese gastronomy, and organising a number of food-focused events. These include the annual Macau Food Festival and this year’s inaugural International Cities of Gastronomy Fest.
Macao’s dining scene is a magnet for foodies from all over the world, who come not only to sample Macanese dishes but enjoy the full spectrum of exquisite international cuisine on offer. As Marreiros says, over the past 20 years the SAR has transformed itself into ‘a paradise of gastronomy’ that currently boasts 16 Michelin starred restaurants and 10 Bib Gourmand award winners across its tiny landmass. You can indulge in expertly executed sushi, contemporary French fare or regional specialities from across China – often within the same integrated resort.
The rise of cultural tourism
While Macao is immensely proud of its own deep-rooted heritage, the city’s cultural vibrancy is also evidenced by the many world-class contemporary arts festivals held here every year. The Macao International Music Festival and the Macao Arts Festival both draw global talent and audiences. To illustrate, 2024’s line-ups included US jazz legend Herbie Hancock, Russia’s highly esteemed Mariinsky Orchestra and British choreographer Akram Khan’s dance-theatre take on The Jungle Book. But they are the tip of the iceberg.
As the SAR government works to position Macao as a ‘City of Performing Arts’ – a stated goal in its 2024 policy address – more concerts, parades and large-scale creative projects can be expected. The city’s integrated resorts are already making this a reality through hosting K-pop and Canto-pop sensations, Hong Kong rock bands and even US funk superstar Bruno Mars at their impressive venues.
These types of events are exciting for locals. But they’re also an increasingly important drawcard for tourists from around the region, adding to Macao’s rich seam of cultural attractions. And this is where the SAR’s future lies, according to Marreiros. The architect sees cultural tourism as a vital point of difference as Macao integrates further into the Guandong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
“The GBA is something very strong, and it will definitely provide a very bright future for this area of China,” Marreiros says, adding that each component contributes something to the megalopolis.
One thing Macao has – and adds – its long, long history of multiculturalism. Of being open to new ideas, ways of life and innovation. “Our fantastic identity of inclusiveness and hybridism has been going for over 450 years,” Marreiros notes. “And, with the Central Government’s full support, this is what will give us an even better future.”
