Macau Landmark

World Trade Center (Macau)

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World Trade Center Macau is a trade and convention facility in Macau. The 19 storey tower and complex was built by Portuguese architect Manuel Vicente and completed in 1996 and 3 years before the handover from the back to China.

Superior Court of Macau Building

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Superior Court of Mcau Building is the home of the high courts of Macau.

Construction of the court house began in 1997 and was completed in 1999 in time for the handover. The court building is located next to the Macau Legislative Assembly Building in Nam Van Lake area.

The three storey structure uses various types of stones on a concrete core:

* bushamered Portuguese limestone
* polished gray lined marble – arabescato
* Portuguese black cleft slate
* Norwegian Cleft Alta Quartzite

Steel, glass, copper and wood are other materials used throughout the building.

The building was built by local architectural firm Mario Duarte Duque.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial House

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Sun Yat Sen Memorial House or Memorial House of Dr. Sun Yat Sen is located in Macau where former family members and relatives of Sun Yat-sen, the 'Father of Modern China' of Taiwan and China used to live. The House bears witness to his short but significant stay in Macau in the early 20th century where Macau serve as the starting point for Dr. Sun's travels around the world; it also act as an important venue in which he conducted revolutionary activities and finally as the ideal place he chose to settle his family in later years.

History

Known formerly as "Mansion of Sun", the House was built in 1912 as residence for his first wife, Lu Muzhen. It is located within walking distance of Lou Lim Ieoc Garden where Dr. Sun once stay during his later visits to Macau in 1912. Designed in mock-moorish style, the House is a three-storey high building with ornate verandahs and spacious courtyards.

Lu Muzhen settled down in the House in 1913 with their two daughters, Sun Yan , Sun Wan and son at Dr. Sun's request. She lived in Macau for 40 years before passing away at the age of 85 on 7 September 1952. A son-in-law of hers and a granddaughter lived over a long period of time and died in Macau too. Another notable mention is Dr. Sun's elder brother Sun Mei and his wife moved to Macau in 1913 and settled in together with Lu Muzhen, where he conducted business and organised a fishermen's association in Macau. Sun Mei died in Macau at the age of 60 on 11 February 1915.

Macau is a fusion of and Western culture that stretches back to the 16th century when it was opened up as a harbour for trade with the West. Dr. Sun's former residence in the village of Cuiheng, County in China is only 37 kilometres from Macau. Both Cuiheng and Macau were historically under the sway of Xiangshan County before gradually succumbing to the occupation of the in the second half of 19th century.

Dr. Sun's father, Sun Dacheng was a Macau resident. He arrived in Macau at the age of 16 to work as a cobbler in a shoe shop in Largo do S. Domingos before returning to his hometown 16 years later to farm and marry a year later to Lady Yang, Dr. Sun's mother. In 1879, she took 13 year old Dr. Sun to Macau and he consequently became familiar with the territory. From whence he accompanied his mother on his first sea voyage onboard the iron ship ''S.S. Grannock'' bound for Honolulu in Hawaii to embark upon a western education. In 1884, five years after his first voyage, the young man went abroad again by ship from Macau once more. Subsequently, Macau was to serve as the starting point for Dr. Sun to leave his own country and travel around the world.

Medical practice

At the age of 26, Sun Yat-Sen graduated from the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese. In 1892, Dr. Sun was invited by in Macau to set up the Western Medicine Department as a voluntary doctor and diagnosed patients for free. He became the first Chinese doctor to practice Western medicine in Macau. With borrowed funds from the hospital, he subsequently opened the Chinese-Western Medicine Joint Clinic in Rua das Estalagens and was well-known for his outstanding medical skills and enjoyed widespread admiration in the community.

Revolutionary activities

Whilst studying at the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, the young Dr. Sun constantly travelled between Hong Kong and Macau to criticise the corruption of the Qing regime and agitated for revolution to save the country. He, along with Chen Shaobai, You Lie and Yang Heling, were known as the ''Si Da Kou'' . During this period, Sun Yat-Sen made many revolutionary statements and his first great essay—''Letter to Zheng Zaoru''—in his anthology was published by a Macau newspaper in 1890.

During the Chinese Revolutionary Party years straddling 1915, Sun Yat-Sen and his associates regarded Macau as an important base for their defensive activities in Southern China. The Chinese in Macau provided valuable support for Dr. Sun at all times and supported his revolutionary enterprises materially and spiritually. The support from them and the overseas Chinese was an important chapter of the Chinese republican revolution. Dr. Sun also made frequent contact with the renowned thinker, reformer and entrepreneur Zheng Guanying . Later, two of his earlier essays were incorporated in Zheng's ''Sheng Shi Wei Yan'' , a collection of his works that act as a welcome boost to Dr. Sun fledging revolutionary aspirations.

On 13 February 1912, Sun Yat-Sen resigned his position as provisional President of the Republic of China and conducted an inspection tour of China to invigorate its development, visiting Macau in May 1912 and June 1913. In May 1919, Sun Yat-Sen expelled the warlord Gui Xi in Guangdong and assigned his son Sun Ke to set up an office at the Rua de Inacio Baptista No. 10 to plan and agitate on behalf of the Constitutional Protection Movement. In 1922, Sun Yat-Sen supported the anti-tyranny wishes of the Chinese people of Macau and received a petition delegation from Macau workers in Guangzhou to make every effort to defend the Macau populace.

Lou Lim Ieoc Garden

In May 1912, Sun accepted the invitation by Chinese businessmen to pay a return visit to Macau. It had been 17 years since he first visited the territory. He was warmly received by the Chinese and Portuguese communities in Macau then. Accompanied by his beloved eldest daughter, Sun Wan, he spend two nights at the ''Spring Herb Hall'' built earlier by business man Lou Lim Ieoc, who was the Chairman of Kiang Wu Hospital.

Sun Yat-Sen was too occupied by military affairs to return to Macau after 1913 but nevertheless remained in close contact with Macau. Sun Yat-Sen died in Beijing on 12 March 1925. Over 20,000 people in Macau attended the solemn memorial ceremony held at Kiang Wu Hospital on 29 March 1925. Since his passing, Macau has hosted large-scale ceremonies over the decades to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Sun and the Xinhai Revolution. In November 2006, a photographic commemoration exhibition was organised by the Macau Government Tourist Board and Macau History Association in his honour. In addition, Macau has dedicated three grand statues of Dr. Sun and has named one memorial hall, one garden and two new roads after him too.

The Memorial House today

In 1933, the House was reconstructed and was renamed to its present name in 1958. A full-length bronze statue of Dr. Sun in the courtyard was cast by his Japanese friend Umeya Shokichi in 1934. Three other identical bronze statues of Dr. Sun now stand at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, the Whampoa Military Academy and the Zhongshan University in Guangzhou.

The House is currently open to the public which showcases his books, letters, photos, personal belongings and old newspapers accounts of his life and the Chinese republican revolution which finally overthrew the regime of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.

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Nova Taipa Gardens

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Nova Taipa Gardens is a properly development project in Taipa, Macau.The landford is Hopewell Holdings Ltd and Shun Tak Holdings Ltd.

Macau Tower

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Macau Tower , also known as Macau Sky Tower, is a tower located in the former of Macau, now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The tower measures 338 m in height from ground level to the highest point. An observation deck with panoramic views, restaurants, theaters, shopping malls and the Skywalk X, a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim. It offers the best view of Macau and in recent years has been used for a variety of adventurous activities. At 233 meters, the Macau Tower's tethered "skyjump" and Bungee jump by world renowned from the tower's outer rim, is the highest in the world. The tower was created by the architecture firm of Craig Craig Moller.

The tower is one of the members of the World Federation of Great Towers. Besides being used for observation and entertainment, the is also used for telecommunications and broadcasting.

History

On a visit to Auckland, New Zealand, Macau casino billionaire was so impressed by the Sky Tower in Auckland that he commissioned a similar one to be built in Macau. The tower was designed by New Zealand engineering firm Beca Group and Gordon Moller of Craig Craig Moller architects for Sociedade de Turismo e Divers?es de Macau, SARL. Construction work of the tower started in 1998, and the tower was officially opened on December 19, 2001.

Events

On December 17, 2006, the father of bungee jumping, A J Hackett, and popular artist Edison Chen broke two Guinness World Records at the Macau Tower. A J Hackett, broke his own Guinness World Record of "The Highest Bungee Jump from a Building" achieved in 1987 from the Eiffel Tower. Edison Chen represented Macau Tower in the inaugural jump to bid for "The World's Highest Bungee Jump Facility".

In popular culture

It was used as a roadblock in an episode of ''The Amazing Race: All-Stars'' that originally aired on April 22, 2007 on CBS.

Gallery

Macau Monte Fort

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Macau Monte Fort is a 17th Century fort and former colonial residence in Macau, in the People's Republic of China. The fortress was built in 1617-1626 by Jesuits and has served various functions:

* First residence of the Governors of Macau
* Macau Museum
* Meteorological Department

Macau Legislative Assembly Building

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Macau Legislative Assembly Building is the home of the Legislative Assembly of Macau and various government offices.

Construction began in 1998 and was completed in 1999 for the handover. The building is triangular in shape and overlooks Nam Van Lake and within the Cathedral Parish. The assembly's hall over looks the lake at the rear. The building is also home to:

* Administrative Offices
* Legislative Assembly member’s offices
* Archive and Library
* Auditorium
* Function Hall

The building was built by local architect Mario Duarte Duque, who also designed the
Superior Court of Macau Building built next door.

Previous homes of the Legislative Assembly

Prior to the handover in 1999, the Assembly sat at the historic Leal Senado.

Macau Government Headquarters

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Macau Government Headquarters is the official office of the Chief Executive of Macau and has been since 1999.

The office is the former residence of the Governor of Macau and the offices of the governor prior to the handover in 1999.

Built in 1849 by Tomás de Aquino, Baron do Cercal, the two storey structure is one of the historic properties preserving Portuguese influence in Macau and located on Avenida da Praia Grande.

Lotus Bridge

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Lotus Bridge is a cross border bridge linking the Cotai reclaimed area of Macau with Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, mainland China. The bridge is the second road crossing between China and Macau, the other being the Portas do Cerco Frontier Checkpoint on the northernmost point of Macau Peninsula.

The Lotus Bridge is located about 1 minute of road traffic west of Macau International Airport. The bridge has three lanes in each direction, with the south set of lanes following the custom of Macau's driving on the left towards China to the west. The approach roads to the bridge on the mainland side have an unusual arrangement to facilitate switching traffic to driving on the right in China.

Leal Senado

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The Leal Senado, for ''Loyal Senate'', was the seat of Macau's government during its time as a . It is located at one end of the Senado Square. The title was bestowed on Macau's government in 1810 by Portugal's Prince-Regent , who would later become King John VI of Portugal. This was a reward for Macau's loyalty to Portugal during the Iberian Union, between 1580 and 1640.

The building itself was erected in 1784. After the to China in 1999 it became the headquarters of the .

It became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau in 2005.

Dom Pedro V Theatre

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Dom Pedro V Theatre , situated at ''Largo de Santo Agostinho'', Macau, is one of the first western-style theatres in China. The theatre is an important landmark in the region and remains a venue for important public events and celebrations today. The Dom Pedro V Theatre was built in 1860 by local Portuguese to commemorate their reigning king, . The theatre is neo-classical in design, incorporating a portico front on a rectilinear plan.

In 2005, the theater became one of the designated sites of the Historic Centre of Macau enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Coloane Village

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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

China Insurance Building, Macau

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The China Travel Service Building in Macau is a 24 storey office tower in the Special Administrative Region of Macau.