Lifestyle See and do

The ruins of St Paul’s

Written by The Phoenix

This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2012 issue of World Gaming magazine.

Anyone who knows anything about gaming knows Macau is the gaming capital of the world. Macau has found her niche and for the foreseeable future she will be best known for casinos, nightlife, dining and gaming related atmosphere. But one thing that is sometimes overlooked is that Macau has a rich history prior to its rise as the world’s gaming heavyweight. There are some amazing sights from the past that should be on any tourist’s “must see” list.

The rear of the façade

The rear of the façade

Since it became the first permanent European colonial settlement on the China coast 455 years ago, Macau has always been a city where East meets West. A shining example of multi-cultural exchange and mutual tolerance, the ruins of St Paul’s, also known as “St Paul’s ruins” or simply “St Paul’s”, is as salient today as it was when it stood as the Portuguese epicenter of culture and learning. In Chinese the ruins are known as 大三巴, pronounced “dai sam ba” in the local Cantonese dialect.

Macau’s most famous landmark and symbol, St Paul’s ruins stands atop a hill on the fringe of the old city. The complex consists of the archaeological remains of St Paul’s College alongside the vestiges of the stunningly constructed Mother of God (also known as “Mater Dei”) church. For some reason the name “St Paul’s”, which was the name of the college (but not the church) has come to be associated with the entire complex of the college and the church. The church’s façade and the 68 step grand stone staircase leading to its doors are the sole remains of one of the largest catholic churches in Asia.

We can thank the Jesuit order for the construction of St Paul’s. Initiated in 1582 it took many years before the initial project was finally completed. Seemingly tested by the very faith it venerated, fires in 1595 and 1601 all but destroyed St Paul’s. But it rose again from the ashes, just like yours truly. Further construction was undertaken between 1602 and 1637. The period from 1620 to 1627 saw the creation of the intricate carvings that adorn the façade. These were hewn by the hands of Japanese Christians in exile and local craftsmen, under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola.

The Baroque style façade of the ruins is about 27 meters high and about 24 meters wide. Its granite construction is composed of five tiers, the first of which contains three doorways and the second three arched openings. These first two tiers are said to represent the Society of Jesus and the activities of missionaries, with the remaining three reflecting the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The sculptured motifs of the façade, mostly in the top three tiers, include statues of the Virgin and saints, symbols of the Garden of Eden and the Crucifixion, angels and the devil, a Chinese dragon and a Japanese chrysanthemum, a Portuguese sailing ship and pious warnings inscribed in Chinese. The designs as a whole create a regional and international fusion of both religion and culture.

The ruins of the church are situated next to the archaeological remains of the old St Paul’s College, widely considered to be the first elaborate western style academic institution in Asia. Chinese, Portuguese, Latin, theology, mathematics and astronomy were some of the disciplines disseminated to travelling missionaries and pilgrims. It was the focal point of the Jesuits’ crusade to bring Catholicism to surrounding Asian colonies.

Both the St Paul’s College campus and the church were destroyed once again by fire in 1835. The ruins stood untouched until the Instituto Cultural de Macau (Cultural Institute of Macau) undertook a study of the site in the early 1990s. It was at this time numerous priceless religious and cultural artifacts were uncovered within the foundations and the crypt. The Macau government quickly decided to restore the site to what it is today.

Visitors to the ruins climb stairs at the rear of the façade to a landing at the base of the second tier, where they can enjoy the view back down the hill. In recent years it has become customary to throw coins from behind the façade for good luck! If you are having a bad run on the tables, you might like to try this little trick to summon the luck of the Jesuit priests of yesteryear.

St Paul’s is Macau’s most famous tourist attraction and is usually packed with tourists sitting on the steps and taking photographs. This is the old Macau and being here evokes a completely different feel to the glitz of the casinos.

It is wonderful to see such efforts put in to preserve Macau’s cultural history. These efforts include construction of the Museum of Sacred Art near the ruins. This modern museum exhibits paintings, sculptures and liturgical objects from monasteries in the city and stands as a reminder of Macau’s rich and diverse history.

For a truly amazing and artistic look at St Paul’s ruins, visit YouTube and search “Audiovisual mapping of St Paul’s ruins Macau“. Enjoy the show!