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General
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History
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 Macau
is derived from the name of a Chinese goddess, known as A-Má or Ling Má,
and is popular with seafarers and fishermen. When Portuguese sailors landed
and asked the name of the place, the natives replied A-Ma-Gao (Bay of
A Ma). In modern usage, Amagao was shortened to Macau.
The Portuguese settled
in Macau between 1554 and 1557 during the great era of Portuguese exploration
initiated by Prince Henry the Navigator. Jorge Alvares was the first Portuguese
to set foot in Southern China in 1513 and this visit was followed by the
establishment of a number of Portuguese trading centers in the area. These
were eventually consolidated at Macau, which boomed with a virtual monopoly
on trade between China and Japan, between both nations and Europe. But
the establishment of Hong Kong in the 19th Century proved to be more competition
than Macau could bear. Stripped of its importance as a center for trade,
the territory survived as a center of scholarship, legalized gambling,
and espionage and vice. After many centuries of administration by Portugal,
Macau was given broad autonomy in 1974.
Throughout its years
of history, Macau has proudly been the stronghold of Portuguese presence
and culture in the Far East. The Portuguese flag was always flown in Macau,
even during the Spanish occupation of Portugal, and D. João IV, King of
Portugal, rewarded this act of faithfulness by granting Macau the title,
"CITY OF THE NAME OF GOD, MACAU, THERE IS NONE MORE LOYAL".
Christianity was
the dominant religion in Macau, and it was via Macau that the religion
saw a massive expansion throughout Asia. A permanent attestation of the
growth of Christianity is still seen in the majestic façade of St. Paul's
Church of the Mother of God, or commonly known as the Ruins of Saint Paul.
The city of Macau
has always been able to sustain its identity, resulting from the encounter
between two completely different cultures and civilizations: Eastern and
Western. Such harmonious co-existence and uniformity has resulted in a
concentration of cultural heritage, one of a kind in the entire Asia-Pacific
region, expected to last even after the Territory of Macau reverts to
Chinese rule on December 20, 1999. Today's Macau gets its revenues from
casinos, commerce, light industry, and tourism. On weekends and holidays,
Macau is filled with Hong Kong Chinese, who enjoy the gambling and slower,
more relaxed pace of life.
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