The Façade Of St Paul’s In Macao Reflects Christian, Confucian And Buddhist Spirituality

Abstract

The 17th century Portuguese church of St. Paul’s in Macao has long been destroyed except for its façade. Once, it was part of a large complex that comprised a college which has been displaced by urban development. Th e preserved and recently renovated ruins of St. Paul’s façade however have been added to the list of the UNESCO world heritage sites.
T h e façade’s exposed location above Macao’s old city centre made it an ideal canvas for the encounter of Asian and Western spiritualities, for an encounter of trade, cultures, and people and for an encounter of Macao’s colonial past with Macao’s present status as favoured special trading area of China. It is in this façade where Christian, Confucian and Buddhist spiritualities interact and where they have left a monument that illustrates an harmonious and mutual enrichment among
these cultures.