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Section of the Old City Walls of Macau

🇨🇳 China · 16th century

Section of the Old City Walls of Macau in China
Photo: Abasaa · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The Section of the Old City Walls are the remains of a wall that surrounded the colonial city of Macau, in Portuguese Macau, in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The wall's construction is unique because it was built of clay, sand, rice straw, rocks, and oyster shells.

Its construction began as early as 1569, and the wall was used as a defensive measure against attacks by the Chinese and other invaders.

After a failed attempt by the Dutch to invade the city in 1622, it was fortified and greatly improved to withstand future military attacks. Because the wall was not properly maintained, it slowly collapsed over time, and only small portions still remain.

The Section of the Old City Walls is now part of the UNESCO Historic Centre of Macau World Heritage Site.

Text adapted from “Walls of Macau” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Section of the Old City Walls of Macau ranks #5,364 of 8,134 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #66 of the 119 mapped in China. Founded 1569, it is older than 37% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 755 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. 9 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Zhuhai, 9 km away. See how China compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗

Frequently asked questions

Where is Section of the Old City Walls of Macau?

Section of the Old City Walls of Macau stands in China, at 22.19773°, 113.54061°.

When was Section of the Old City Walls of Macau built?

The atlas dates its founding to 1569. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Section of the Old City Walls of Macau?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #5,364 of 8,134 worldwide, and #66 in China. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.

What is the nearest castle to Section of the Old City Walls of Macau?

Fortaleza do Monte, about 1 km away.

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