China View: How Portuguese Is Macao Today?
Sellwell
Macao is one of the Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China, but it is such a different context compared to other cities in China. Macao was leased to Portugal in 1557 and remained an important trading port for Portuguese and East Asian sailors for over 300 years. During that time, while the sovereignty over Macau was not formally recognized to the Portuguese, most experts argue that it was a de facto colony. Only in 1887, Portugal secured an agreement with China and claimed Macao as finally Portuguese, to then hand it back over in 1999.
Macao Map. (CREDIT: ICI JAPON)
Today, Macao is a hybrid environment with an extraordinary soul and a multicultural population. As shown from the map to the side, Macau is part of Southern China and observes Hong Kong to the East of its shores. Unlike other areas similar to Hong Kong where locals have often voiced their distinction from the People's Republic of China, Macao instead appears much more integrated into the Chinese context and, nowadays, it is not a region of conflict. The territory of Macao is made of Macao City in the Peninsula, Taipa Island, and Coloane Island. These are all interconnected by bridges, highways, air, and by sea.
The time-series column graph below shows three censuses disclosing official data of ethnic groups in Macao in the years 1991, 2001, and 2011. The first group, made of predominantly Han Chinese, represents the biggest share of the population but, as shown from data, this number has decreased in recent years. Though data for the other groups appear very small, one can notice that, over the years, groups that never existed before were instead born. The groups of Chinese and non-Portuguese mixes as well as that of Portuguese and non-Chinese fusions did not exist or were not represented in the 1991 census. Other immigrants coming from foreign ethnicities also increased in number. However, Portuguese and Chinese-Portuguese heavily decreased over time and could disappear in the future.
Ethnicities in Macao (%)
This diversity was formed because, from a trading port, Macao essentially became a business hub attracting all kinds of foreign firms, especially those dedicated to the tertiary sector. Old pictures of Macao portray its multicultural concept. Below, pictures of the Three Lamps Roundabout, St. Paul’s iconic monument, and St. Dominic Square, show Macao represents a blending of different cultures, traditions, and societies. For instance, one cannot but notice the presence of Coca Cola advertisements, a U.S. product, on the walls of residential buildings or all around the Macao Bull Fight Square. The Iberian culture is especially symbolized by the latter, as bullfighting is an Iberian tradition Portugal might have brought to Asia. Also, buildings and squares are often named after Saints, which do not reconnect with the pillars of the Chinese Han culture. Here is where Christianity has left a tangible legacy that, however, may not be necessarily celebrated today.
Three Lamps Roundabout (Rotunda Carlos da Maia), 40s/50s. (Credit: Macao Archives)
St. Paul’s in the 50s. (Credit: Macau Lifestyle)
Macao Bull Fight Square, 60s. (Credit: Macau Lifestyle)
Like most colonial areas, though, it must be mentioned that Macao also suffered from the presence of the Portuguese settler. In the 1850s, in fact, Macao was an infamous port of transit for the slave trade as well. This situation only worsened in the 1950s, when Portugal and affiliated colonies were under the António de Oliveira Salazar rule. At that time, Macao suffered a sudden detachment from the Mainland, where Communism was spreading. Despite some short conflicts at the border with Chinese Communist Guards, Macao was rather regarded by the Portuguese as a center for entertainment. Around the 1960s, the gambling industry spread in Macao and Hong Kong, enhancing a particular kind of tourism, both involving high-level businessmen and showing the darkest side of these cities.
Once Macao was handed back over to the PRC in 1999, the adopted Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China replaced the Estatuto Orgânico de Macau, and Macao was integrated into the “one country, two systems” formula, where the PRC committed to giving Macao a certain degree of autonomy in all public matters with the exception of those concerning foreign affairs and defense. Macao is therefore a very young territory in China, as it has only formally been part of modern China for the past 21 years.
What, then, remains of Portugal in modern Macao? Firstly, the legacy of casinos and gambling remains central in today’s Macao. In fact, the latter could easily be compared to the city of Las Vegas in the U.S., in terms of how entertainment is organized and distributed. While locals of Portuguese or mixed Chinese-Portuguese origin are few compared to their Han counterparts, the Portuguese language is still particularly valued in education.
As shown from the videos below, modern Macao is turning its colonial past, whether positive or negative, into an interesting strategy that can enhance cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries like Portugal and Brazil. Brazil is an area of growing interest for Chinese investment, and the heritage of Macao could only but help with everything that regards the cultural and linguistic mediation between countries. This view is strongly supported by Paulo Cunha Alves, the Consul General of Portugal in the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), who claimed that “looking into the future, Macau’s integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and the participation in the Belt and Road Initiative will bring unlimited opportunities and promote its diversified economic development.” This could divert from the conventional view of Macao as a city of entertainment and could diversify its economic and social future.
