A-Ma Temple

A-Ma Temple situated on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula, is one of the oldest and most famous Taoist temples in Macau. Built in 1488, the temple is dedicated to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen. The most famous and picturesque temple in Macau – and which helped give the city its name – A-Ma consists of prayer pavilions on four levels, set into a hill that rises from the waterfront of the inner Harbor. Linked by winding paths and moon gates, the pavilions are dedicated to the Taoist Goddess of A-Ma and the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy or Kun lam. At the entrance to the temple is a boulder on which is painted a Chinese junk, and just opposite is the Maritime Museum, which displays a diorama of the legend of A-Ma and pictures of the festival held in her honor. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied (Jyutping: "Maa1 Gok3") or "A-Ma-Gau" (bay of goddess A-Ma). The Portuguese then named the peninsula "Macao. The temple was well described in ancient Chinese texts, as well as represented in paintings, related to Macao. It is also one of the first scenes photographed in Macao.

Temple consists of six main parts: Gate Pavilion, the Memorial Arch, the Prayer Hall, the Hall of Benevolence (the oldest part of the temple), the Hall of Guanyin, Zhengjiao Chanlin - Buddhist Pavilion.

Containing not only an ancient architectural complex, the temple also possesses a measure of the rich and profound Chinese culture. It is worth your while to stay and enjoy the various poems and inscriptions carved on the stone along the cliff. Furthermore, each year, on the days of the birthday of Mazu and the Chinese New Year, many male and female disciples gather here. They burn lots of incense to pay homage and pray for good fortune.

The temple has been a very popular subject for artists over the centuries. They include George Chinnery and Auguste Borget.

In 2005, the temple became one of the designated sites of the Historic Centre of Macau enlisted on UNESCO World Heritage List.

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