Old Macau City Walls Sections
Macau Heritage Tours

In order to protect the city from foreign aggression, the Portuguese attempted to construct military defences. In as early as 1569, the Portuguese settlers began building a kind of palisade around the city.

These old city wall structures were very fragile and were dismantled by the Ming authorities several times.

Just a section remains of Macau's old city wall.

Although the Chinese authorities had not granted permission, the construction of military walls and fortresses intensified. At this time, the military structures were mostly built of chunambo.

After the Portuguese defeated the Dutch invasion of 1622, the Ming authorities approved the construction of more permanent military structures to reinforce the city’s defence.

Going through the old city walls

From the map of Macao of 1632, it is possible to observe that the city was already well protected in the north, east and south, with strategic military constructions.

The Section of the old City Walls was part of these defence structures.

Part of the city’s former defensive walls, this surviving segment of the old city wall is located to the left of the Ruins of St. Paul’s, close to Na Tcha Temple.

Housing besides the old city wall

The walls were built as early as 1569 and are made of chunambo — a local material made from a mixture of clay, sand, rice straw, ground rocks and oyster shells compacted in layers.

The existing section of the walls is 18.5 metres long, 5.6 metres high and 1.08 metres wide, with an arched opening that is 1.8 metres wide and 2.8 metres high.

The old city wall frames the Chinese Temple.

Despite its limited extension, the section of the Old City Walls is a clear reminder of the historical military past of Macao and in this context it has great cultural significance.

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