Guia fortress
The Guia Fortress (Portuguese: Fortaleza da Guia; Chinese: 東望洋炮台) is a historical military fort, chapel, and lighthouse complex in the St. Lazarus Parish of the former Portuguese colony of Macau, in China. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Centre of Macau.
The whitewashed lighthouse atop was the first to light the South China Sea.
There is no exact record of the date of construction of Guia Fortress. However, it is certain that in 1622 there was already a military structure on the site.
An inscription found at the entrance of Guia Fortress has the following information:
The Guia Fortress was financed by the citizens of Macao with Antonio Ribeiro as the Captain of Artillery. Construction began in September 1637 and was completed in March 1638, when Domingos da Camara Noronha was the Commanding Officer .
The Guia Fortress was equipped with sentry posts, ammunition depots and watchtowers.
The Guia Hills was a restricted military area until 1976 when it opened as a major tourist attraction.
Guia Fortress has a trapezoidal plan covering an area of around 800 square metres. The lighthouse located within it, is a 15-metre-high tower with a diameter of 7 metres at the base narrowing upwards to 5 metres. At the top, there is a circular observation platform, where the lantern is installed.
The government weather bureau still uses the hill and the fortress to hang weather signals. Check here for Meaning of Tropical Cyclone Signals and
the relevant recommended safety precautions.
Sources: MGTO and ICM
TOP or Click here to go to Macau Travel Homepage
This site is Powered by Site Build It!
Macau Travel
- MACAU
- Macau Hotels
- Macau Attractions
- Macau Casinos
- Neighborhoods
- Cotai Strip
- Macau Food
- Macau Restaurants
- Macau Churches
- Macau Grand Prix
- Historic Heritage
- Macau Temples
- Macau Museums
- Events & Festivals
- Getting There
- Macau Ferry
- Travel Info
- Walking Tours
- Packaged Tours
- Macau Maps
