The Ruins of St. Paul's (Portuguese: Ruínas de São Paulo, Chinese: 大三巴牌坊; pinyin: Dàsānbā Páifāng) refers to the ruins of a 16th century complex in Macau including of what was originally St. Paul's College and the Cathedral of St. Paul also known as "Mater Dei", a 17th century Portuguese cathedral dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. Today, the ruins are one of Macau's most famous landmarks. In 2005, they were officially enlisted as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.
The ruins is the famous icon of Macau. Entering the ruins and walk further in, you can find a free of charge underground crypt that you can go in. There are 2 levels, you can view it from upstairs, or up close at the bottom. They limit entrance when it is crowded. Right behind the ruins, you'll notice a steel stairway that allows tourists to climb up. People say if you throw coins through the top window, it will bring you luck.
History
Built from 1582 to 1602 by the Jesuits, the cathedral was one of the largest Catholic churches in Asia at the time, and the royalty of Europe vied with each other to bestow upon the cathedral the best gifts. With the decline in importance of Macau, which was overtaken as the main port for the Pearl River Delta by Hong Kong, the cathedral's fortunes similarly ebbed, and it was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon in 1835. The Fortaleza do Monte overlooks the ruin.
The ruins now consist of the southern stone façade—intricately carved between 1620 and 1627 by Japanese Christians in exile from their homeland and local craftsmen under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola—and the crypts of the Jesuits who established and maintained the Cathedral. The façade sits on a small hill, with 66 stone steps leading up to it. The carvings include Jesuit images with Oriental themes, such as a woman stepping on a seven-headed hydra, described by Chinese characters as ' Holy Mother tramples the heads of the dragon'. A few of the other carvings are the founders of the Jesuit Order, the conquest of Death by Jesus, and at the very top, a dove with wings outstretched.
Geting here
Ruins of St Paul's" is near Senado Square, the downtown center of the peninsular, within walking distance. The airport is in Taipa Island. It takes about 20 minutes by bus from the airport to the square and around10 minutes from the ferry terminal.
If you stay at The Venetian hotel, there is a shuttle bus to go the downtown. You can walk to ruins from the bus stop. Check the schedule otherwise you will miss the last bus to go back to hotel, otherwise you can always take taxi back to the hotel, however most of the taxi driver there don't speak english, so it's best to ask the concierge/reception of your hotel to write the address of your destinations in chinese so you can just show it to the driver.
It's always jam packed with tourists. Great place to take photos, it’s a photographer's delight. Many other attractions we can take all within walking distance around the ruins. it is advisable to go before 9 am or try to go in the evening after the crowd thins out otherwise you have no chance to take photo with nice view.
What is more interesting is probably is the maze of shops at the foot of the stairs of the ruins. It is here that most tourists would buy the local snacks/pastries that Macau is famous for. You can use MOP, HKD or even RMB in Macau. Now even a Starbucks has opened its doors to the footsteps. And bakery shops aplenty selling the famous Macanese egg tarts.
The sun is very bright at noon, escaping the oppressive heat outside, you can go inside the museum for a couple of hours. The exhibits were very interesting and gave you a deeper appreciation of Macau's cultural history.
reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruins_of_St._Paul's
The ruins is the famous icon of Macau. Entering the ruins and walk further in, you can find a free of charge underground crypt that you can go in. There are 2 levels, you can view it from upstairs, or up close at the bottom. They limit entrance when it is crowded. Right behind the ruins, you'll notice a steel stairway that allows tourists to climb up. People say if you throw coins through the top window, it will bring you luck.
History
Built from 1582 to 1602 by the Jesuits, the cathedral was one of the largest Catholic churches in Asia at the time, and the royalty of Europe vied with each other to bestow upon the cathedral the best gifts. With the decline in importance of Macau, which was overtaken as the main port for the Pearl River Delta by Hong Kong, the cathedral's fortunes similarly ebbed, and it was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon in 1835. The Fortaleza do Monte overlooks the ruin.
The ruins now consist of the southern stone façade—intricately carved between 1620 and 1627 by Japanese Christians in exile from their homeland and local craftsmen under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola—and the crypts of the Jesuits who established and maintained the Cathedral. The façade sits on a small hill, with 66 stone steps leading up to it. The carvings include Jesuit images with Oriental themes, such as a woman stepping on a seven-headed hydra, described by Chinese characters as ' Holy Mother tramples the heads of the dragon'. A few of the other carvings are the founders of the Jesuit Order, the conquest of Death by Jesus, and at the very top, a dove with wings outstretched.
Geting here
Ruins of St Paul's" is near Senado Square, the downtown center of the peninsular, within walking distance. The airport is in Taipa Island. It takes about 20 minutes by bus from the airport to the square and around10 minutes from the ferry terminal.
If you stay at The Venetian hotel, there is a shuttle bus to go the downtown. You can walk to ruins from the bus stop. Check the schedule otherwise you will miss the last bus to go back to hotel, otherwise you can always take taxi back to the hotel, however most of the taxi driver there don't speak english, so it's best to ask the concierge/reception of your hotel to write the address of your destinations in chinese so you can just show it to the driver.
It's always jam packed with tourists. Great place to take photos, it’s a photographer's delight. Many other attractions we can take all within walking distance around the ruins. it is advisable to go before 9 am or try to go in the evening after the crowd thins out otherwise you have no chance to take photo with nice view.
What is more interesting is probably is the maze of shops at the foot of the stairs of the ruins. It is here that most tourists would buy the local snacks/pastries that Macau is famous for. You can use MOP, HKD or even RMB in Macau. Now even a Starbucks has opened its doors to the footsteps. And bakery shops aplenty selling the famous Macanese egg tarts.
The sun is very bright at noon, escaping the oppressive heat outside, you can go inside the museum for a couple of hours. The exhibits were very interesting and gave you a deeper appreciation of Macau's cultural history.
reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruins_of_St._Paul's
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