Spiral joss sticks at the temple. CLICK TO ENLARGE
I was invited by the Macau Government Tourism Office-Philippines (MGTO) together with other travel writers and bloggers for a familiarization tour to this interesting place last May and it was a beautiful experience with its cuisine, glitz and old world charm. Burning spiral joss sticks were hung at the temple cielings, their fragrance filling the room. It was rather a cramped and chaotic setup with various religious items inside and red tags with chinese inscriptions. From time to time, devotees come and kneel, hands clasped, eyes closed and lips moving with prayer.
A-ma Temple is one of the popular religious sites located at the southwestern tip of Macau dedicated to the goddess Mazu or Matsu, the patron of fishermen and seafarers and protector of the sea. It is also one of the oldest, built in 1488, predating the Portuguese arrival.
Largo do Lilau (Lilau Square), an old quarter, is part of the Historic Center of Macau, inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, rows of Portuguese style houses in pastel colors give the place an old world feel.
There's a marked contrast. A glaring showcase of opposites. Shabby apartment buildings, tiled roof traditional houses, century old churches and government buildings at one end. Then you have glitzy high rises, skyscrapers filled with lights and neon marquees dancing on a foggy night at the other end. Macau's old meets…
It was a festival of sorts at the A Ma Temple in Macau, the oldest Taoist temple in the island, built in 1488 and dedicated to the goddess Matsu, patron of fishermen and seafarers. The area was festive with Portuguese influenced dances as locals were dressed in traditional Portuguese wear…
I was invited by the Macau Government Tourism Office-Philippines (MGTO) together with other travel writers and bloggers for a familiarization tour to this interesting place last May and it was a beautiful experience with its cuisine, glitz and old world charm. Burning spiral joss sticks were hung at the temple cielings, their fragrance filling the room. It was rather a cramped and chaotic setup with various religious items inside and red tags with chinese inscriptions. From time to time, devotees come and kneel, hands clasped, eyes closed and lips moving with prayer.
