Macau was formerly a Portuguese overseas territory that officially became a part of China in 1999. Just like Hong Kong, it is a Special Administrative Region of China and has its own currency, laws and visa requirements. Travellers looking for good luxury hotels Macau can try Galaxy Macau Resort Hotel. The opulent Macau hotel provides tastefully decorated rooms that are spacious and comfortable. It is the ideal place to stay for both business and leisure travellers and a great starting point for your adventures.
The cityscape has been greatly influenced by the Portuguese and first time visitors may mistake it for a European city if not for the Chinese signage on the streets and shops. Macau has quite a few interesting attractions that are worth visiting. Senado Square is one of them.
Senado Square (also known as Senate Square) marks the centre of the old Portuguese Macau. The square is paved in traditional Portuguese fashion and is surrounded by the General Post Office, St Dominic’s Church and the Leal Senado. Senado Square is a part of the ‘Historic Centre of Macau’ which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is almost four thousand square metres in area which puts it amongst the four largest squares in Macau, the other four being the Praca do Tap Seac, the Praca do Lago Sai Van and the Praco do Centro Cultural. A statue of a Portuguese soldier used to dominate the square but the statue was destroyed by the locals and replaced with a fountain.
Tourists visiting Senado Square can also visit St Dominic’s Church and Leal Senado. Constructed by a troika of Spanish Dominican priests in 1587, the Catholic church is a beautiful yellow structure. The earliest Portuguese language newspaper printed on Chinese land, the China Bee, used the church as its headquarters. The Leal Senado is another important structure from the city’s past. It was the seat of power when Macau was still a foreign colony. The historic building was constructed in 1784 and currently serves as the base of operations for the Institute of Civic and Municipal Affairs.
Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
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