Dia de S. João In the 17th Century, Macau was a rich and valuable Portuguese trading post. In late June 1622 a large Dutch force attacked Macau. A small group of defenders, augmented by volunteers, fought bravely and defeated the invaders on the 24th June, the feast of the birth of St John the Baptist. […]
Ruins of S. PauloA church on the site was first built in 1580 but was burnt in 1595 and 1601. Reconstruction started in 1602 and completed in 1637. It was 37 metres long, 20 metres wide, 11 metres high – the largest church in East Asia. It had a grand vaulted roof and three magnificently
CHAPTER 8 Conclusion – some reflectionsThe history of the Macaenses in China was primarily a story of survival and a struggle for recognition and relevance. It described how they rose from a small band of traders engaged in illicit trade to become the sole European outpost in China for over three centuries. From shaky foundations
CHAPTER SEVENIn search of a better worldFor the Macaenses in Mainland China, as for other foreign communities, the Communist victory in 1949 provided a dramatic end to a century of settlement. In this chapter, we summarised the key features of the various Macaense communities in China. One was the importance of political patronage in their
CHAPTER 6 The Decade of WarRetreat and integration of the Macaense communitiesDuring the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, China’s history was peppered with one war after another – civil wars and wars with foreign powers over opium or against imperialism. In the history of the Macaenses in China, with the exception of the Opium War (1839-1842),
CHAPTER FIVEHong Kong Macaenses– from the Opium War to the Cold War (1842 – 1952) Hong Kong Macaenses – British – and best?In 1930 an American abroad wrote an article in the South China Morning Post declaring Hong Kong as not only beautiful, but also “British and best”. It was along similar veins that Macaenses
CHAPTER FOURMacaense communities in China– Macau, Shanghai, Shantou and Shameen –From the Opium War to the Cold War (1842 – 1952)Treaty aftermath – a survey of the early decadesThe Opium War (1839 – 1842) marked the beginning of a significant period in modern Chinese history. Indeed, in the context of China’s relations with the West,
CHAPTER THREE Uncharted seas and inhospitable landsMacaenses in China, sixteenth to mid-nineteenth century Inhospitable lands The first three centuries of Macaense settlement in China witnessed the transformation of the community from illegal fringe-dwellers to legitimate traders, from sojourners to settlers, and from living at the outer fringes of the Portuguese empire to being the epicentre
CHAPTER TWO In the wake of the early pioneersThe Macaenses are a people who were part of the Portuguese empire. As Portugal exerted administrative control over the infant settlement in Macau, the colonial society that emerged resembled other Portuguese colonies in many respects. In this chapter, we survey the colonialists who could be categorised into
CHAPTER ONEIntroduction The MacaensesOn 19 December 1999, during his final hours as the last Governor of Macau, General Vasco da Rocha Vieira delivered his farewell address to the assembled crowd of local and visiting dignitaries. The South China Morning Post‘s report of the occasion stated:Colonisation was never the aim of the Portuguese, the departing Governor
