Monday morning was a day for us to explore the Historic Centre of Macau, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, my third Heritage Site visit in the past year ( after Penang and Bern ). The first place to explore is the most recognisable facade in Macau : Ruins of St Paul's. We were there very early ( about 8 am+), and it was a wise choice. Just look at my photos! Not many people can boast about capturing a photo of almost all the steps leading to the wall without tourists crowding.
This famous door was what remained of Church of Mater Dei, built back in the 1500's. After surviving a few bombings and fires, a kitchen fire back in 1835 destroyed the entire building, saved for the facade, foundation and the front steps ( the 3 F's...haha).
Looking down from the facade, you will see the skyline of Macau.
This is the front door of the Lou Kau Mansion. The mansion used to be the residence of a prominent Chinese businessman. The interior of this mansion was designed with both eastern and western influence, and incorporates feng shui in the placement of furnitures.
Within walking distance from Lou Kau Mansion is The Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and built in 1622.
From what i read from the travel brochures, apparently before the handover of Macau's sovereignty to China, every new Governor of Macau would traditionally come to the Cathedral and place his sceptre next to the image of Virgin Mary, making this a very important Catholic Church in Macau.
We made a brief stop at Sam Kai Vui Kun, also known as Kuan Tai Temple. This temple is situated in the middle of the Macau Bazaar,and is always bustling with activity around it.
Just across the street from Senado Square is 'Leal Senado' Building, originally built as the municipal building. It possesses a distinct Southern European architectural design.
The exterior of the building is very nicely decorated with colourful plants, which blends well with its blue mosaic tiles.
We visited the meeting room on the first floor, which is elaborately decorated like a castle. Unfortunately, it was a Monday and the library was closed. We would've liked to see its collection of foreign texts and Macau's first copy of the 'Bee Newspaper'.
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