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| December 1999 Macau's 450-year Portuguese Legacy By Lauren Li Articles from the
same section: At the midnight on 20 December, Macau will revert to the Chinese sovereignty after years of Portuguese rule. Settled by the Portuguese seafarers over four centuries ago, Macau has developed into a cosmopolitan city with a unique character. Mr. Ng Kuok-cheong, a legislative counsellor in Macau, said that Portuguese culture could be seen everywhere in Macau. The native Portuguese came to Macau many years ago and they married local people. Therefore, there are many people of mixed ethnicity living in Macau. Said he: “Also, there are buildings of the Continental style.” A priest in Macau, Father Francis Hung, who works in a Macau school, said that the street signs of Macau were also an interesting legacy. “Many names of the streets are Portuguese, such as Rua de F. Savier Pereira, Rua de Manuel de Arriaga. “Portuguese food and churches can also be regarded as Portuguese legacies.” Though Macau has been influenced by Portuguese culture during the past centuries, most Chinese in Macau preserve their own culture. Father Hung said, “The Macau people feel more like Chinese unless they’ve gotten married to a Portuguese.” According to Father Hung, Macau people are quite patriotic, especially after the “123 incident”. In the late ’60s, some people wanted to set up some schools for the local Macau people but were opposed by the colonial government. Demonstrations followed, a curfew was imposed and some people were fatally shot. This incident is called the “123 incident”. However, under Portuguese rule, Father Hung said the Portuguese government allows much room and autonomy to develop education in Macau. He said, “Government intervention is minimal. Unlike Hong Kong, there is no fixed curriculum here.” When talking about the future of Macau, freedom and law and order are most people’s concerns. The Portuguese government has given the people of Macau much freedom. Ms. Chao Sio-lai, a local nurse, said, “Though Portugal is a Catholic country, it respects our freedom of religion.” However, Mr. Ng wondered if the freedom granted by the Portuguese government could be preserved. Mr. Ng said, “It would be good if the freedom and human rights granted by the Portuguese Constitution could still be preserved after the handover.” Father Hung also worries about the future government. He said, “I’m not optimistic about the future Macau government because there is not much talent here.” He said that the people of the new administration were too young and inexperienced. |
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