Macau: The Final European Colony in Asia

Apart from being Asia's gambling and entertainment capital, Macau also has the special distinction of being the last colony in Asia to be granted independence from a European power.

Ruins of St. Paul

* And nothing perfectly shows the coexistence of East and West than Macau's Historic Center, featuring the famous Ruins of St. Paul.

Ruins of St. Paul

* Here we are with two dramatic photobombers!

Macau Skyline

* Colonial European and traditional Chinese architecture rule the ground while eccentric futuristic buildings dominate the skyline.

Ruins of St. Paul

* The Church of St. Paul was built by the Jesuits in the 17th Century and was destroyed when a typhoon caused a fire which engulfed the building. Talk about bad luck!

Ruins of St. Paul Crypt

* Anytime the word "Crypt" is written on a wall, my heart riles up in excitement!

Ruins of St. Paul Crypt

* Preserved ruins of the Church kept in airtight (and extremely yellow) conditions.

Ruins of St. Paul Crypt

* Skeletons! YES!

Ruins of St. Paul

* Photographs showing the ruins throughout the decades. Curiously nothing really changed in all that time..

Ruins of St. Paul

* From behind, the facade of St. Paul resembles a theatrical backdrop. 

Ruins of St. Paul

* And if you look closely at the sculpture on the upper right, you'll find the Virgin Mary stepping on a seven-headed Hydra. Pretty epic!

Ruins of St. Paul

* Never underestimate tourists and their determination to get the best possible photos!

Historic Macau

* Am not sure if these apartments are actually inhabited, but it must be fun seeing a large mass of people outside your window every day.

Historic Macau

* Here, even the concept of Santa Claus is a mixture of east and west!

Historic Macau

* Santa with the... Christmas bear?! Bringing... eggs?

Holy House of Mercy

* The awesome colonial facade of the Holy House of Mercy looks like it was set in a Zorro movie.

St. Dominic Church

* This lime yellow structure is the Church of St. Dominic, the Cathedral Parish of the Roman Catholic diocese of Macau. 

Historic Macau

* A giant prawn inviting us for some ramen! Just another day in Macau!

Historic Macau

* This is either a Sea Urchin or one of Mario's adversaries, offering us traditional Chinese cuisine.

Historic Macau

* The streets are crowded and flanked by lively food stalls giving off smells both familiar and strange.

Ruins of St. Paul

* Night time brings a level of calm in this part of town.

Historic Macau

Historic Macau

Offensive Souvenirs

* Ronald McDonald sure has a weird sense of humor!

Historic Macau

* Two hours later and the giant prawn is still hard at work!

St. Dominic Church

* Damn the lighting here is top notch!

Historic Macau

Holy House of Mercy

* Somehow this building reminded me of the movie Frozen.

Historic Macau

* Senado Square apparently becomes party central at night!

Historic Macau

Historic Macau

* A testament to Portuguese colonial architecture, and the Chinese love of bright colorful lights!

Historic Macau

* Now this structure is definitely Asian to the core!



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