It was a big moment back in 2005, when Macao’s old city was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reflects local architect Lui Chak Keong. A turning point in the Special Administrative Region’s cultural development after its return to the motherland.

Macao’s Historic Centre may be a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it’s also a cluster of lively local neighbourhoods where daily routines take place amid a confluence of cross-cultural colour. Portuguese street names and azulejo tiles adorn the walls of traditional Chinese pharmacies. Candy-coloured Catholic churches stand near temples fragrant with incense. Cobbled becos open onto leafy squares, where elderly men play Chinese chess beneath the baroque façades of European-style buildings. For the hungry, noodle shops and egg tart sellers abound, doing brisk trade with locals and tourists alike.

All this makes downtown Macao feel part old Canton, part Lisbon – an urban patchwork shaped by what UNESCO describes as the “first and longest-lasting encounter between the West and China.” July marked the 20th anniversary of Historic Centre’s UNESCO designation, an achievement that has had a profound impact on modern Macao’s sense of self. 

What is the Historic Centre of Macao?

The Historic Centre comprises two zones. One stretches from the A-Ma Temple to Camões Square and Casa Garden, along the Inner Harbour. The other encircles Guia Hill, overlooking the Outer Harbour to the east. These zones contain a rich collection of UNESCO-inscribed temples, churches, civic buildings and public squares that not only hold historic value but play vital roles in Macao’s living cityscape today. 

The A-Ma Temple is the oldest building in the group. Its earliest iteration, erected in 1488, was one of the first sights Portuguese navigators took in when their ships reached Macao in the mid-1500s. The temple remains a sacred place where local people seek spiritual help from the Goddess of Seafarers, a ritual they’ve been following for more than 500 years. 

The Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, meanwhile, is one of the Historic Centre’s younger buildings. Built in the early 1890s as a private residence for the widow of one of Macao’s former governors, the ochre-coloured mansion was purchased by Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist Sir Robert Ho Tung in 1918. Ho bequeathed his home to Macao’s government on the condition it be converted into a public library after his death. The mansion, which has been used for this purpose since 1958, houses a rare collection of Chinese books dating back to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), including early Chinese–English and Chinese–Portuguese dictionaries.

UNESCO aptly describes Macao’s Historic Centre as merging “aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West.” This is particularly evident inside the Guia Fortress complex, where a 17th-century chapel sits beside the first Western-style lighthouse in the Far East. Built by Clarist nuns from the Philippines, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows’ interior is adorned with enchanting frescoes that blend Christian motifs with scenes from Chinese folklore. These were rediscovered during routine conservation work in the late 1990s. These days, the 160-year-old Guia Lighthouse still flashes its beacon to aid nearby vessels.

Many structures within Macao’s Historic Centre combine aspects of Oriental and European design. The Baroque façade of the Mater Dei Church – now known as the Ruins of St Paul’s – may appear entirely European from afar, but a closer look reveals Asian mythological figures carved into its granite during the church’s construction in the early 1600s. In contrast, the Mandarin’s House, a sprawling former residential complex built around 1869, follows a traditional Lingnan layout that subtly features Western architectural elements like false ceilings, French windows and Tuscan columns. 

The Mandarin’s House also boasts exquisite capiz shell windows. Made by setting very thin oyster shells into fine wooden lattice work, this window style originated in Southern China and is thought to have spread across Asia via Portuguese trade routes – becoming especially popular in places like Goa from the late 1600s. When light passes through the pearly shells, it casts a soft, diffused glow while still offering privacy and ventilation. Capiz shell windows were an elegant solution for humid climates or times when glass was costly to source, and their travels reflect some of China’s early contributions to a globalising world.

Gaining recognition

Getting inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is no mean feat. Proponents must convince an official committee that the site in question holds “Outstanding Universal Value”, defined as cultural or natural significance that transcends boundaries and will remain important for future generations. Sites must also meet at least one of 10 selected criteria; remarkably, Macao’s Historic Centre ticks four of these boxes.

Firstly, it demonstrates an important interchange of human values over time, offering exceptional testimony to centuries of cultural, scientific, technological, artistic and architectural exchange based on a strategic location and the special relationship Chinese and Portuguese authorities shared. Secondly, the city is home to unique traditions and customs that stem from this cultural fusion. As UNESCO puts it, “intangible influences of the historic encounter have permeated the lifestyles of the local people, affecting religion, education, medicine, charities, language and cuisine.” 

The third criterion met relates directly to the centre’s urban spaces and architectural ensembles, which illustrate a “significant stage in human history,” according to UNESCO. Specifically, they reflect the early Sino-European trading era through visual connections maintained between Macao’s seascape, which includes an ancient Chinese trading port, and its downtown area built in a style highly reminiscent of Portuguese cities like Lisbon. 

Finally, Macao’s Historic Centre can be considered a conduit for transformative ideas – including some that helped shape China’s modern trajectory. For example, the reformist thinker Zheng Guanying (1842–1921) wrote his masterpiece Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age in the Mandarin’s House, which was built by his father. The great Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Sun Yat-Sen were both influenced by Zheng’s book after it was published in the mid-1890s.

An architect reflects

Local architect Lui Chak Keong worked for the Cultural Affairs Bureau (ICM) while it was preparing Macao’s application for UNESCO World Heritage status. The effort started shortly after Macao’s return to the motherland in 1999, and had strong support from the Central Government. The SAR’s new administration took heritage preservation very seriously, says Lui, a current member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Its definition of heritage value went beyond the physical bones of a building, incorporating connections with important historical figures like Zheng.

The 54-year-old remembers heritage experts flying in from around the world to assess the significance of Macao’s urban landscape during the early stages of its UNESCO application. He was personally responsible for guiding them around key sites in the city. “Initially, the plan was to nominate individual buildings,” Lui explains. “But after the tours, these experts recommended applying for the designation of ‘Historic Centre’ instead. Because that would preserve Macao’s unique urban environment, or nucleus better, including the streets, squares and visible connections with the sea. Otherwise, development could change it completely.” 

UNESCO-listed historic centres elsewhere include Salzburg in Austria, the birthplace of Mozart, and Prague in the Czech Republic. There are also similar concepts closer to home, like Ping Yao Ancient City in China’s Shanxi Province and Hoi An Ancient Town in Vietnam.

During his tours, Lui had been struck by the markedly different perspectives that European and Asian specialists brought to the table. In Europe, there was a strong preference for architectural homogeneity and a sense of historical stasis, he says – as if a city should remain frozen in time. In contrast, the Asian experts placed more value on intangible layers of urban life, such as the continuation of age-old rituals within local communities. In many Asian contexts, as is the case in Macao, functional continuity tends to take precedence over rigid preservation, and authenticity is understood less in terms of age or original materials than in the faithful transmission of cultural meaning. This outlook allows for more flexibility – new developments can rub shoulders with the old, as long as the essential character of the city remains intact, Lui notes.

‘Overwhelmingly positive sentiments’

When UNESCO granted Macao’s Historic Centre heritage status in 2005, Lui was in France, studying for his post masters degree in architectural preservation. He heard the news on the radio. “I felt very proud, because finally the historical value of Macao was being recognised,” he recalls. “For anyone involved in our culture and history, it was a big moment.”

Lui believes the recognition has helped shift how Macao is perceived internationally. Thanks in part to its UNESCO status, the SAR is increasingly viewed as a multicultural city with rich historical depth. The place where Chinese and European traditions have peacefully coexisted for centuries. Indeed, Macao’s Historic Centre is tangible testimony to early cooperation that influenced the course of globalisation, diplomacy and intercultural dialogue. In this sense, UNESCO’s designation fosters local pride and a sense of identity, says Lui. It also elevates the city’s profile as a centre of cultural exchange in modern times, contributing to China’s soft power on the international stage.

On another practical level, the World Heritage status helps attract tourists captivated by Macao’s unique fusion of Eastern and Western history and aesthetics. The appeal of sites like the Ruins of St Paul’s is immediately visible to those on the ground; its grand staircase is almost always crowded with visitors taking selfies with the church’s striking façade. Studies confirm that historic architecture is a major attraction for the city. One from 2024, conducted by researchers from Zhejiang A&F University’s School of Landscape Architecture and the Macau University of Science and Technology’s Faculty of Humanities and Arts, even analysed social media posts to better understand tourist perceptions of the Historic Centre. Its findings revealed “overwhelmingly positive sentiments” were being posted online, with the centre consistently described as a place where dynamism, tranquility, tradition and modernity converged.

“This positive reception speaks both to the Macao government’s commitment to cultural heritage preservation … and tourists’ recognition of the unique cultural heritage values embodied in these sites,” the researchers noted.

Six months of celebration

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Cultural Affairs Bureau is staging a months-long programme of public events. Running from July to December, the campaign includes guided tours, themed workshops and cultural forums, along with the release of a special series of postage stamps depicting heritage sites. It will also see a new documentary about World Heritage produced in collaboration with state-run China Media Group. 

The programme reflects the government’s continued efforts to deepen public engagement with Macao’s architectural legacy. In addition, 20th anniversary commemorations will help highlight Macao’s role as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures and tell the stories of China to the world, the bureau noted in a statement. Two decades on, it’s clear that the Historic Centre’s UNESCO status is about far more than the city’s aesthetic value or historical importance: it speaks to something at the very core of Macao’s soul. 

Text Amanda Saxton | Photos Government Information Bureau/Kenny Lou