walk all over China

Chapter 34 Macau · Tranquility
St. Paul's Arch

The combination of East and West is the biggest characteristic of Macau.People seek spiritual comfort all the time, so the A-Ma Temple and the Cathedral have naturally become places of refuge for the soul.However, the suffering has passed, and in the face of today's prosperity, people still like to nostalgia, savor the incomplete beauty quietly, and quietly refine their hearts.

When you come to Macau, you must see the Ruins of St. Paul's.Maybe it is not unique enough, but its dignified historical color has become a reason for people to look up.

Strolling in the streets of Macau, you will feel the comfort you have never had before.Although the surroundings are surrounded by flowing scenery, the tranquility seems to have a label on them. Everything is so peaceful, and even the time is quietly flowing, for fear of disturbing the rushing people.

If you pay attention, you will come across various churches and temples while walking. It seems that the people here need more spiritual comfort due to historical reasons.Among most of the churches, St. Paul's Church named "Sanba" is the farthest.According to legend, this church was established in 1637, and it was also the largest church in the entire East at that time.As a scenic spot at that time, it suffered from foreign aggression continuously. Today, only the remnants are left. After three fires and various ravages, the remaining front wall has become a platform for people to look back.This platform is the "Ruins of St. Paul's".

The Ruins of St. Paul's stands tall, like soldiers walking out of the battlefield. After experiencing a hail of bullets, they are exhausted due to lack of energy.Standing on the steps and looking up, it seems that the sky has become dignified because of it.This church was originally built in the 17th century. What kind of fire and what kind of misfortune did it experience to become what it is today?Look at the remaining front wall, the unclear stele of Bible stories, and the bronze statues of saints, maybe they are talking about the glorious days of the church in a low voice.

Climbing up the steps and walking up to the Ruins of St. Paul's, I suddenly feel that the air has become solemn and solemn.That tall archway collects all the past events, and when we face it, it recounts those past events one by one. The damaged traces are a sign of sympathy, and the meaning in it is understood by everyone. But they are all different.

Those lifelike statues can still see the exquisite craftsmanship after a lapse of today.The superb construction and casting technology may be passed down to this day because of the remains of the archway.

What changes is the people, what remains the same is the scenery.Whenever I see the appearance of the Ruins of St. Paul's today, it is always easy to remind people of the past, the prosperity that has passed away.However, an incomplete sense of beauty was rekindled at this moment.Maybe it's helplessness, maybe it's the vicissitudes of life, but the beauty that has gone through the vicissitudes of life is just like Venus, which has the charm of bewitching people's hearts.

Several pigeons of peace hovered over the archway and walked leisurely at the foot of the Ruins of St. Paul's.Perhaps, this is some kind of new life.In an instant, the heartstrings were gently plucked.

Sometimes, people have to believe that everything has an end.No matter get together or leave, nothing lasts forever.The Ruins of St. Paul's has been burned several times, and it has returned to Macau, which is embraced by its mother. There is no accident, no necessity, everything is a definite number. Leave it to posterity to judge.

A-Ma Temple

Life is like a dream, and the scenery in the dream is the real experience in the world.Light a stick of incense and enshrine in front of the Buddha. In that ray of fragrance, what is picked up is an old dream, and the wholehearted worship is the most beautiful stroke in the dream.The incense burns for thousands of years, and the old dreams are constantly changing. Looking back, in the floating life, there is no regret.

There is a song: "Do you know that MACAU is not my real name, I have been away from you for too long, mother." Macau is an old dream in China. In the dream, the thoughts are pushed back to more than 400 years ago.In such a summer, the Portuguese sailed here and occupied this small and pleasant fishing village with weapons.When waking up from the dream, the child who had left home returned to his mother's arms again.The place where the Portuguese first landed was the A-Ma Temple in the village. In Hokkien, "A-Ma" means "MACAU".

The past is like a dream, and the past time is gone forever, but the development of the small fishing village has been continuing with Huaxia.The rose-colored churches are lined up around the small fishing village, and they have become places of spiritual comfort built by different ethnic groups under colonial rule.

However, as a descendant of China, I have always been obsessed with the long-lost traditional culture, just like a religious temple in a fishing village, after hundreds of years, it is still full of incense.A-Ma Temple is a good example of this.

A-Ma Temple is located at the western foot of Mage Mountain at the southern tip of Macau. It was built in the Ming Dynasty more than 500 years ago.According to legend, in the Song Dynasty, there was a well-known filial daughter in Futian, Fujian who was able to divination.She couldn't forget her past life, so she often appeared on the sea to help merchants and local fishermen save themselves from danger.The fishermen were grateful for her kindness, so they built temples to worship her, and respected her as the "Queen of the Sea God".Amidst the tranquility, the A-Ma Temple stands quietly.Looking back at hundreds of years, countless literati left inscriptions and stone carvings again, adding a bit of elegance to the A-Ma Temple.

For a long time, the A-Ma Temple has become one of the most important symbols of Macau with many myths. Whenever you come to Macau, the A-Ma Temple is a must-see. In addition to burning incense and worshiping Buddha, feeling the cultural atmosphere there is also a kind of spiritual enjoy.

From the architectural point of view, the splendor of the A-Ma Temple emerges vividly.Whether it is the Hongren Hall built before 1603, or the stone hall and main hall that were expanded later, they all exude the unique charm of A-Ma Temple.This charm is different from other religious venues. Once you come, you will feel it deeply.

Puji Temple
According to legend, this seemingly small temple receives nearly ten thousand people every day.For hundreds of years, Macao's unique religious culture has never declined and has become more and more prosperous. It has to be said that it is an unexpected miracle.People with different skin colors, cultures from different regions, and completely different clothes are drawn into the same circle in an instant.Worship each other in your own way, and talk to God with your own words. Whenever you see such a scene, you will think of the protection of the Sea God. I hope that the incense of the A-Ma Temple will continue, and the protection of the Sea God will continue.

The old temple always connects people closely with their dreams.This is really the case, if it is not for the fragrance of the A-Ma Temple, there will be no pious eyes of people when they worship, if it is not for the silent prayer and kneeling, there will be no realization of dreams one after another.Listening to Macau, feeling Macau, and coming to the A-Ma Temple is the beginning of understanding here.

Commonly known as "Guanyin Hall", Puji Temple is listed as one of the three ancient temples in Macau together with A-Ma Temple and Lianfeng Temple.Puji Temple is the largest, the most extensive, and the most majestic of the buildings, and it is also one of the temples that preserves the characteristics of southern temples.At the same time, it is also a famous tourist attraction with a history of more than 360 years.

(End of this chapter)