Old Protestant Cemetery

Step out of the bustling streets of Macau and into the quiet embrace of the Old Protestant Cemetery. Established in eighteen-twenty-one, this small enclave serves as a poignant chronicle of the diverse international community…

We begin at the Morrison Chapel, a modest but deeply significant structure located near the entrance. Named after Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China, the chapel was originally built in eighteen-twenty-one…

Perhaps the most significant site in the cemetery is the grave of Robert Morrison, who died in eighteen-thirty-four. Morrison was a giant of his time, a scholar-missionary whose work changed the course of Sino-Western relations. …

A short walk from the Morrison family, we find the grave of George Chinnery, the most famous Western artist to live in nineteenth-century China. Born in London in seventeen-seventy-four, Chinnery spent over twenty-five years in…

The largest group of graves in the cemetery belongs to the employees of the British East India Company and other merchant houses. These men—and sometimes their families—were the driving force behind the global trade that centered…

In addition to merchants and missionaries, the cemetery holds the remains of many sailors and naval officers, including a significant number from the United States. This highlights the growing role of America in the Pacific trade…

As we conclude our walk, let us examine the boundary walls of the cemetery, which hold a secret of their own. During the restoration and maintenance of the site over the years, many gravestones that had become displaced or whose…

Our journey through the Old Protestant Cemetery has brought us face-to-face with the pioneers of a global age. From the linguistic brilliance of Robert Morrison to the artistic vision of George Chinnery, we have seen how…