A Trip to Macau: Discovering a 'Little Ruins of St. Paul' in a Deep Alley, More Worth Visiting Than the Ruins of St. Paul

Strolling through Macau is a journey of cultural retrospection.

Over more than 400 years, the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures has created this unique city. It is both exquisite and elegant, both ancient and modern.

From eating, drinking, and having fun to shopping and entertainment, every trip to Macau makes people linger and forget to return.

These days are the best time to travel to Macau. Airfare is super cheap, hotel prices have hit rock bottom, there are few tourists, and many shopping season promotions are available.

For mainland Chinese travelers going to Macau, you only need a nucleic acid test, a Macau Health Code, and a valid Macau visa. There are no queues for exiting or entering, which is very convenient.

Many people visiting Macau will check in at the Ruins of St. Paul.

The Ruins of St. Paul refers to the facade of the Church of St. Paul, formally known as the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, one of the iconic buildings of Macau. The Church of St. Paul was the Church of the Mother of God in Macau, but unfortunately, a fire left only a stone facade unburned.

By the way, next to the Ruins of St. Paul, there is the Macau Museum, where you can go and learn more about Macau's past.

Macau is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, consisting of the Macau Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. To the north, it connects with Gongbei, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province. The first time I went to Macau, I also entered through the Gongbei Port.

In 1553, the Portuguese obtained the right to reside in Macau, and on December 1, 1887, Portugal formally occupied Macau through diplomatic documents. The collision of Eastern and Western cultures has left a large number of historical and cultural relics.

Besides the well-known Ruins of St. Paul, this time let me take you to see Macau's 'Little Ruins of St. Paul'.

I love passing through old streets and alleys that have gone through long years. The streets and lanes of Macau, built along the hills, rise and fall, often revealing new discoveries.

I really like Macau's green street signs and often take photos of them.

In fact, from the A-Ma Temple to the Ruins of St. Paul, there are so many historically significant buildings hidden along the way, waiting for you to discover one by one.

The narrow streets seem to have changed little over the centuries. Wandering around Macau's old districts is like exploring a hidden dragon and crouching tiger, with many century-old tea houses, pharmacies, and pastry shops hidden away.

Macau is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. For foodies, it is worth a visit just for the cuisine.

Macau's 'Little Ruins of St. Paul' is a local term. Its official name is the St. Joseph's Seminary and Church. Entering from Rua do Seminário, the doorway is very small and easy to miss.

St. Joseph's Seminary in Macau is located on a small hill formerly called Morfino in the southeastern part of Macau. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1728.

Over more than 200 years of operation, the seminary trained many talents for the church in China and Southeast Asia. The older generation of Macau people calls it the 'Shaolin Temple' of Macau's Catholicism.

On the heavy wrought iron gate, there is also the distinct emblem of the Jesuits.

This is a monastery with inner and outer gardens, surrounded by walls that isolate it from the outside. Because it is hidden in an alley, few tourists come to check in, and it is quite quiet.

However, the seminary is not open to the public; only the church is free for visitors.

Entering St. Joseph's Seminary, the view suddenly opens up. On a flight of 54 granite steps, a yellow-white building stands impressively.

A friend said, 'Do you know why both the Ruins of St. Paul and this Little Ruins of St. Paul have so many steps? To make you look up, for the Lord is high above; you have to raise your head to see.'

Although I am a non-believer, I find church settings deeply mysterious.

The St. Joseph's Seminary Church, adjacent to the seminary, was built in 1746 and completed in 1758. Its scale is second only to the Church of St. Paul, built by the Jesuits, which is the predecessor of today's Ruins of St. Paul.

The St. Joseph's Seminary Church is known for its magnificent and exaggerated Baroque style.

The main facade of the church is a sturdy wall, 24.6 meters wide. The entire facade is divided into three parts: the top level has symmetrical bell towers on both sides, and the middle part is a curved pediment. The second level mainly has three windows, and the lowest level has three entrance doors, with a thick wooden door in the center.

After showing your Macau Health Code and having your temperature taken, you can enter for a visit.

The dome inside the church is quite magnificent. It is the only church in Macau with a dome. Besides decoration and reducing the weight of the dome, it also allows light to enter the church, adding to the sacred atmosphere.

Inside the church is an important relic of the Eastern Catholic Church: the humerus bone of St. Francis Xavier, for the veneration of the faithful.

Xavier was the first Jesuit missionary to the Far East and died on Shangchuan Island near Macau in 1552. He is later known as the Apostle of the East.

In the center is the main altar, with side altars on both sides.

The altar enshrines a statue of St. Joseph, designed in Baroque style with many decorations. Among them, two pairs of twisted columns wrapped in gold leaf are the most distinctive, and the capitals are finished with broken pediments.

A ray of golden light filters through, making the entire church exceptionally quiet and solemn.

S-shaped columns are a hallmark of Baroque style, and there are many such columns in the church, giving a twisted feel.

The seminary has stood for centuries, weathering many storms with Macau, witnessing the rise and fall of the city over several centuries.

The St. Joseph's Seminary Church, with its significant status in history, architecture, culture, and art, is, in my opinion, more worth visiting than the Ruins of St. Paul. If you go to Macau, besides the Ruins of St. Paul, you can also come here to experience the 'Little Ruins of St. Paul'.

A girl from Jiangnan / Global traveler / Reached the North and South Poles / Well-known travel self-media. The place I want to go in my heart, one day my feet will also arrive. Follow me, I will accompany you to travel around the world.