Macau played a key role in East-West trade long before the British established a base in Hong Kong. As a result, the city, which was administered by Portugal for more than four centuries, is dotted with relics from bygone eras.
Constructed between 1617 and 1626 to defend the city, the 10,000-square-metre Monte Fort, or Fortaleza do Monte, housed barracks and was equipped with cannons and enough supplies to withstand a two-year siege. A museum was constructed within the fort in the twilight years of Portuguese rule.
A smaller fortress was built at the mouth of Macau's inner harbour. The Fortaleza da Barra, or Barra Fort, was also built in the 17th century and had a small chapel where there was a statue of St James, patron saint of the Portuguese Army. According to legend, the statue would sometimes have muddy boots - proof that it had been out patrolling the estuary.
The Guia Lighthouse stands on top of Penha Hill. Completed in 1865, it is the oldest modern lighthouse on the coast of the South China Sea. It has a tiny chapel with frescoes having Western and Chinese cultural themes.
Senado Square sits at the heart of what has been dubbed the Historic Centre of Macau, which was declared a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of Unesco in 2005. With a lovely fountain at its heart, it is flanked by colonial commercial buildings. There is also an imposing stone-fronted post office and the white stucco Holy House of Mercy, a charitable body responsible for creating the city's first Western-style medical clinic.
Across from the square on the city's main drag is the Leal Senado, or Loyal Senate, home to the city's legislature before the handover. A modest neo-classical structure, it has been turned into a museum and also houses a baroque library with elaborately carved woodwork and an important collection of volumes on Chinese history, a lovely courtyard and exhibition spaces.
Located just off Senado Square, the Mandarin's House has the characteristics of a traditional Cantonese-style residence. A fusion of architectural influences, it was constructed around 1869 by Zheng Wenrui, father of the late Qing scholar, Zheng Guanying. Beautifully restored and now housing the Zheng Guanying Exhibition, it is one of the few stately Chinese-style homes to have survived the wrecker's ball.