Thursday, October 2, 2008

Coloane Village

Coloane Village is the only place where one can still find village life style in highly developed city, Macau. It also stands as a living testament to Macau's dual and Cantonese heritage. The quality of air in Coloane is relatively fresher than that of Macau Peninsula because of fewer local residents and urban development. Nowadays, Coloane Islands is a good place for beach lovers, hikers and golfers.



History



It is a historically fishing village and port for trade with the neighboring islands along the coast of Guangdong province. Before the fall of Qing Dynasty , pirates were a great problem in Coloane and it posed a serious threat to local fishermen and traders. In front of the little chapel dedicating to St. Francis Xavier is a monument commemorating a Portuguese action successfully against Chinese pirates in 1910.

Attractions



The village centers on Eduardo Marques Square which is a rectangle paved in cobbles with black, white and yellow colour, laid out in a wavy pattern reminiscent of the sea. The square faces a seaside promenade that traces the channel dividing Macau from the dusty hills of China proper.

At the opposite end of the square stands the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, built in 1928. The chapel contains some of the most sacred Christian relics in Asia, including the remains of 26 foreign and Japanese Catholic priests who were crucified in in 1597, as well as those of some of the Japanese Christians who were killed during the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. The chapel also housed a bone from the arm of St. Francis Xavier, who died in 1552 on Sanchuan Island, 50 miles from Macau, before it was transferred to Saint Joseph's Seminary and the Sacred Art Museum.

Alongside the Avenida de Cinco de Outubro leads to the Tam Kung Temple. Tam Kung Temple is a Taoist Temple that dedicated to the seafarer's God Tam Kung. Modern deep-water port next to Ka Ho where a village with a typical countryside lifestyle can also be seen.

List of famous sites


Famous sites in the village or nearby include:
* Tam Kung Temple
* Old Temple
* Chapel of St. Francis Xavier
* Avenida de Cinco de Outubro



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