A-Ma Temple (Ma Kok Miu), Macau

Lovely Daoist temple in old Macau. It has multiple levels to it so theres some climbing. It predates the Portuguese colonial town, and is a great example of local Chinese/Cantonese style temples in Macau.

A-Ma Temple (Templo de A-Má) or Mazu Pavilion (A-Ma Go in the local dialect), is a historical iconic temple in Macau, which has rich religious elements of Chinese Taoism and Buddhism. According to legend, it was built for the convenience of worshiping Mazu by the Chinese fishermen who lived along the coast in the 15th century. Because they believed in Mazu as the "Goddess of the Sea", they must burn incense and worship before going fishing every day to pray for a good fishing result and safety. When the Portuguese landed in the local area, they mistranslated by slips of tongue to the local dialect "A-Ma Go" into "Macao", so it has become the current local name since then. Many Taoist and Buddhist statues are enshrined in the Mazu Temple, including Mazu, Avalokitesvara, Queen of Heaven and so on. It has always been devoutly worshiped and prayed by believers, and tourists burn incense to worship too, making the temple is filled with incense smoke. The temple building is full of classical style and is a scenic spot for tourists to take pictures. The open area of ​​the temple is condescending and you can also see the beautiful scenery of the sea, and is also a good focus for photographers. (211122/x)