Ruins of St. Paul's

大三巴牌坊

Macau's landmark: the Baroque stone façade that survived the 1835 fire at the Church of Mater Dei (St. Paul's), the heart of the historic centre and right beside Mount Fortress.

The Ruins of St. Paul's are the front wall of the Church of Mater Dei (St. Paul's), built between 1602 and 1640 when it was the largest Catholic church in the Far East. After a fire in 1835 destroyed the rest of the building, only this 27-metre granite façade remained. It earned its name from its resemblance to a Chinese memorial archway. The five tiers blend European Baroque and Eastern motifs: a statue of the Virgin Mary, Jesuit saints, a Chinese inscription meaning “Praying for the dead is no sin,” and carved chrysanthemums and peonies. It's worth taking your time over the details. Behind the façade are the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt (free), where you can see the church's foundations and the relics of Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs. To the right of the façade, you can climb to Mount Fortress (built 1617–1626, free admission), the best vantage point over the Macau Peninsula and the Grand Lisboa. Inside the fortress is the Macao Museum (admission about MOP 15, closed Mondays), which tells the story of 400 years of Chinese-Western exchange in Macau. To the left of the façade, the Na Tcha Temple and the remains of the old city walls are also part of the World Heritage site. It's about an 8-minute walk from Senado Square along Rua de São Paulo, past souvenir shops such as Koi Kei and Choi Heong Yuen, where you can sample almond cookies and pork jerky for free. Admission to the ruins is free. For photos, come before 8 a.m. or after the lights come on in the evening. Notes: The steps are very crowded, so keep an eye on your bag. Tour groups are heaviest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Restaurants nearby are pricey.

Ruins of St. Paul's

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