Ruins of Saint Paul's

The Ruins of Saint Paul's are the remnants of a 17th-century Catholic religious complex in Macau, including St. Paul's College and the Church of St. Paul. Today, the stone frontispiece stands on a small hill with 68 stone steps leading up to it. A museum is located behind the façade.

Niet missen

• The stone frontispiece, shaped like a retable and themed around the Assumption of Mary
• Carvings showing Mary stepping on a seven-headed hydra, described in Chinese characters as 'Holy Mother tramples the heads of the dragon'
• Six Chinese guardian lions carved from stone at the base of the structure
• The museum behind the façade, which displays bones of persecuted Japanese Christians
• The crypt and foundations uncovered during excavations from 1990 to 1995

Tickets & tours

Manieren om Ruins of Saint Paul's te bezoeken

Bereikbaarheid

Goed om te weten

• 68 stone steps lead up to the façade.
• A museum is located behind the façade, housing religious artifacts and relics.
• Tourists are no longer allowed to climb the façade due to preservation concerns.

Een stukje geschiedenis

Built from 1602 to 1640 by the Jesuits, the church was one of the largest Catholic churches in Asia at the time. It was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon on 26 January 1835. The façade was likely influenced by Japanese Christian craftsmen who worked on it, and includes carvings with Asian traditions, such as Mary stepping on a seven-headed hydra and six Chinese guardian lions at the base. The remains of around 250 Korean and Japanese slaves from the Portuguese slave trade are buried near the church.