Section of the Old City Walls

The Section of the Old City Walls is a historical attraction in Macau featuring some of the oldest remaining segments of defence structures.

Some go as far back as 1569, so visitors can see how the Portuguese traditionally constructed defensive walls.

Section of the Old City Walls, History, Construction, Location, Macau

Like other ancient defence walls seen in India and Africa, which were port settlements of Portugal, these solid structures reflect the Portuguese’s use of local materials and techniques. In particular, they used chunambo, a mixture combining oyster shells, clay, sand, soil, rice straw, and crushed rocks – all of which were compacted and set up in layers.

The Section of the Old City Walls was constructed in 1569, though since the Ming government banned the construction of city walls, even if Macau was under Portuguese rule, it was destroyed several times. However, since the Dutch continued to invade China, the Government of Portuguese Macau had no choice but to build these barriers and keep them despite opposition from the Ming.

In 2005, it was added to the World Heritage List. Today, visitors can come and admire a piece of history with the wall, though the remnants seen today were built after 1632. It measures 18.5 meters long, stands 10.6 meters high, and is 1.08 meters wide.

Afterwards, visitors can check out the nearby Na Tcha Temple, an ancient temple built in 1888, which is a fantastic representation of Chinese tradition alive in Macau. This temple has many Chinese features, including a Xieshan-style porch, a Yingshan-inspired flush gable roof, and much more.

The Section of the Old City Walls is located by the famous Ruins of St. Paul’s.