5 Best Sights in Downtown Macau, Macau

Macau’s largest representation of Guangdong residential architecture spans 43,055 square feet and has more than 60 lovingly restored rooms. Built in 1869 and refurbished in 2010, the compound blends Chinese and Western architectural elements. It was the home of Zheng Guanying, a late Qing Dynasty literary figure, who completed his influential Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity here. Just steps away, Lilau Square, a banyan-shaded plaza near one of Macau’s first Portuguese residential quarters, reflects the city’s deep cultural ties.

This fort, built between 1622 and 1638 on Macau’s highest hill, was key to protecting the Portuguese from invaders. You can take a short cable-car ride from the entrance of Flora Garden on Avenida Sidónio Pais or walk the winding road up to it—a journey made easier thanks to elevators inside a pedestrian tunnel linking the Flora Garden and Avenida Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues. On the hill, follow the signs for the Guia Lighthouse—you can’t go in, but you can get a good look at the gleaming white exterior that's lit every night. Next to it is the Guia Chapel, built by Clarist nuns to provide soldiers with religious services. Restoration work in 1996 uncovered elaborate frescoes mixing Western and Chinese themes. They’re best seen when the morning or afternoon sun floods the chapel, which is no longer used for services. The views from here are among the best, sweeping across all of Macau. Beneath the lighthouse, you’ll find exercise paths popular with runners, walkers, and tai chi practitioners in the morning and evening.

Paved with swirling calçada portuguesa (black-and-white mosaic tiles), this pedestrian-only plaza has been Macau’s beating heart for centuries. Lined with pastel-hued neoclassical buildings, Largo do Senado offers a picture-perfect backdrop. Across Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, the Edifício do Leal Senado (“Loyal Senate” building)—erected in 1784 as Macau’s original city hall—still serves as the Municipal Affairs Bureau today. Open to the public, it features a Portuguese-style garden adorned with striking azulejos (blue-and-white glazed tiles), a foyer hosting art and history exhibits, and an elegant meeting room that leads to a magnificent library inspired by Portugal’s Convent of Mafra. Nearby alleys brim with restaurants and shops, although they are increasingly branches of Koi Kei Bakery and health and beauty chain Mannings.

Visit early on weekdays to avoid crowds, and try to come back at night, when the square is beautifully lit.

Only the towering facade, with its intricate carvings and bronze statues, remains from the original Church of Mater Dei, built between 1602 and 1640 and destroyed by fire in 1835. The sanctuary, an adjacent college, and Mount Fortress—all Jesuit constructions—once formed East Asia’s first Western-style university. Now a tourist attraction, the ruins are the widely adopted symbol of Macau. Tucked behind the facade of São Paulo is the small Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, which contains statues, crucifixes, and the bones of Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs. There are also some intriguing Asian interpretations of Christian images, including samurai angels and a Chinese Virgin and Child. Note that admission to the site isn't allowed after 5:30 pm.

Every 30 minutes, from noon until 10 pm, punters and passersby flock to the Wynn to witness flames and fountain jets flicker to tracks like “Diamonds Are Forever” at Performance Lake outside Macau’s first Vegas-style casino-hotel. Inside, they crowd around the rotunda to watch the “Tree of Prosperity” unfold with feng shui glitz, every hour on the dot from noon until 10 pm. Elaborate shows aside, the Wynn’s expansive, brightly lit gaming floor, exquisite fine dining options, luxury boutiques, deluxe spa, and trendy suites make this one of the finer resorts in Macau. Its 1,000 rooms span the glamorous suites in the Encore Tower, all offering views of Nam Van Lake and no less than 1,100 square feet, and the Wynn Tower’s luxurious suites and guestrooms, clad with marble-floored bathrooms, subdued cream-and-gold palettes, and Chinese artwork.