I initially planned to follow the Macau Peninsula Walking Tour suggested by Lonely Planet and several other Chinese guidebooks, which will bring us to, among others, Largo do Senado, Museum of the Holy House of Mercy, Church of St Dominic, Macau Cathedral, the Consulate General of Portugal, Monte Fort, Macau Museum, ruins of the College of the Mother of God, Church of St Paul, Pawnshop Museum, Cultural Club, Leal Senado, Church of St. Augustine, Dom Pedro V Theatre, Largo do Lilau and A-Ma Temple.

But we quickly lost our way. The walking map was pretty detail, but at some point we still unable to figure out where were we now. Beside, along the walking route, most of the sights are churches and some colonial buildings that my family is of not much interest in. So I decided to straight some famous and important landmarks straight away.


Leal Senado is just opposite Largo do Senado, located along Avenida de Almeida Ribiero, which is just a short distance walk from Central Hotel, so it naturally became our first destination.

Neo-classical building Leal Senado currently houses Instituto para os Assuntos Civicos e Municipais (IACM: Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau) and the mayor’s office. Leal Senado is Macau most important historical building where it housed 18th-century Loyal Senate. It’s named Loyal Senate because the body sitting there refused to recognise Spain’s sovereignty during the 60 years that it occupied Portugal. It was built in 1784 and remains the most outstanding example of traditional Portuguese architecture in Macau.

We didn’t go into the Leal Senado. Inside, there are heraldic inscription inside the senate’s entrance hall that was placed in 1654, a dozen years after Portuguese sovereignty was re-established. The lower walls are decorated with magnificent blue and white Portuguese tiles while a number of historic stone carvings are set into an interior courtyard. To the right of Entrance Hall is IACM Gallery and a Senate public library is located on the first floor and its two inner chambers contain magnificent examples of the institution at Coimbra, in Portugal.

Tips: The huge windows at the first floor of Leal Senado have the best view of the Largo do Senado.