Old Walled City
China
The Section of the Old City Walls are the remains of a wall that surrounded the colonial city of Macau, in Portuguese Macau, in the 16th and 17th centuries. The wall's construction is unique because it was built of clay, sand, rice straw, rocks, and oyster shells.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Old Walled City (Macau)
Welcome to the Old City Walls of Macau. As your guide, I invite you to analyze this humble section of weathered earth not just as a ruin, but as a critical intersection of European military strategy and local Chinese materials. …
Listen in the app2Chunambo: The Science of the Wall
Let’s take a closer look at the material of the wall. Analytically, Chunambo is a masterpiece of pre-industrial materials science. …
Listen in the app3Na Tcha Temple: Coexistence in the Shadow of the Wall
Directly adjacent to the wall sits the small, brightly decorated Na Tcha Temple. To an analytical observer, this is one of the most important sights in Macau. …
Listen in the app4Military Strategy: Defending the 'Christian City'
To understand the layout of these walls, we must look at the military context of the 16th and 17th centuries. Macau was known as the 'City of the Name of God,' a Portuguese Catholic stronghold on the edge of the Chinese Empire. …
Listen in the app5Social Geography: The Barrier of Culture
Beyond its military function, the Old City Wall served as a social and racial boundary. In the early colonial period, the area inside the walls—the 'Cidade Cristã' or Christian City—was reserved primarily for the Portuguese and…
Listen in the app6Ruins of St. Paul's: The Grand Backdrop
As you stand by the wall, you cannot ignore the massive facade of the Ruins of St. Paul’s nearby. …
Listen in the app7The Wall Today: Conservation and Meaning
As we conclude our analysis, let’s consider the status of the Old City Wall in the 21st century. It is now a key component of the 'Historic Centre of Macau,' a UNESCO World Heritage site. …
Listen in the app8Closing
Our exploration of the Old City Walls of Macau has come to an end. We have analyzed the ingenious science of Chunambo, the military necessity of these fortifications, and the beautiful cultural coexistence represented by the…
Listen in the app
What is Old Walled City?
Old Walled City is a place in China with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | China |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 22.1938, 113.5457 |
| Last updated |
