Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For the vast majority of Macau Chinese people, Taoism and Buddhism are the dominant
religions. That said, the Roman Catholic Church is still going strong with an estimated
30,000 believers (about 6% of the population). Macau consists of a single diocese, directly
responsible to Rome.
CONFUCIANISM VERSUS CATHOLICISM
As the Portuguese lost ground to the Dutch and English in trade, religious infighting
weakened the status of Macau as a Christian centre. In what came to be known as the
Rites Controversy, the Jesuits maintained that central aspects of Chinese belief -
such as ancestor worship and Confucianism - were not incompatible with the Christi-
an faith. The Dominicans and Franciscans, equally well represented in Macau, dis-
agreed. It took an edict by Pope Clement XI in 1715 condemning the rites as idolatrous
to settle the matter and this stopped further missionary expansion into China.
Architecture
Macau has a unique heritage consisting of both Portuguese and Chinese architecture. What
often appears at a glance to be 'Portuguese' architecture is actually a complex fusion of Por-
tuguese and Chinese building styles, techniques and materials, with influences from other
parts of Asia such as Goa, the Philippines and Malacca, and contributions from the Italian
and Spanish missioners who infused it with their sensibilities and traditions. Generally the
only buildings in the city that are wholly Chinese or Portuguese are temples and fortresses.
Protest culture in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau is increasingly interrelated. Following
Taiwan's Sunflower Student Movement and Hong Kong's Occupy Central, thousands of
residents in formerly placid Macau took to the streets in May 2014 to protest against a bill
that would grant the Chief Executive, Fernando Chui, immunity from criminal prosecu-
tion. Activist groups are also planning an informal referendum on democracy, after Hong
Kong staged a similar ballot.
Fusion
Examples of Mediterrasian architecture abound, including the Ruins of the Church of St
Paul, and 'Portuguese' churches.
Even Chinese residences sport a mix of influences. The Mandarin's House has Western-
style arches and window panels inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a technique of ornamentation
