A-Ma Temple
媽祖閣（媽閣廟）
The sea-goddess temple that gave Macau its name
- Hours
- Daily 7am–6pm
- Tickets
- Free
- Address
- Off Barra Square (Largo da Barra) at the end of the Inner Harbour
The temple honours Mazu, goddess of seafarers, and the story goes that Portuguese sailors who landed here took the name 'Macau' from it. Its oldest hall dates from 1605, making it the oldest temple in Macau with surviving physical evidence. Small halls climb the rocky hill in tiers, and giant incense coils hang from the eaves, smoking all day. At the top you find carved inscriptions on the boulders and a view back over the Inner Harbour.