Guia Fortress

Fortaleza da Guia Lighthouse

Capela de Nossa Senhora da Guia and Guia Lighthouse at the Guia Fortress.
Macau
Location	São Lázaro, Macau, China
Coordinates	22°11′47.4″N 113°32′58.9″E / 22.196500°N 113.549694°E
Year first constructed	1865
Deactivated	1874-1910
Construction	concrete-clad stone tower
Tower shape	massive cylindrical tower with double balcony and lantern
Markings / pattern	white tower, gold trim, red lantern roof
Height	13.5 metres (44 ft)
Focal height	108 metres (354 ft)
Light source	mains power
Range	16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)
Characteristic	Fl (2) W 10s.
Admiralty number	P3416
NGA number	19640
ARLHS number	MAC-001
Managing agent	Macau Heritage (Guia Fortress)[1][2]

The Guia Fortress (Portuguese: Fortaleza da Guia; Chinese: 東望洋炮台) is a 17th-century colonial military fort, chapel, and lighthouse complex in São Lázaro, Macau, China. The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.

Distant view of Guia Hill and Guia Fortress (center left of the picture).

Architecture

The fort and chapel were constructed between 1622 and 1638, after an unsuccessful attempt by the Netherlands to capture colonial Portuguese Macau from Portugal.

Lighthouse

The lighthouse was constructed between 1864 and 1865, the first western style lighthouse in east Asia or on the China coast. The lighthouse stands at Guia Hill, which stands at 91.4 metres (300 ft) tall, and has a light visible for some 20 miles in clear weather conditions. The complex was built upon the highest point on Macau, Guia Hill, and named after the same location. Today, the site is a tourist destination.

Chapel

The chapel (Portuguese: Capela de Nossa Senhora da Guia; Chinese: 聖母雪地殿教堂) was built around 1622 inside the Guia Fortress.

In 1998, frescoes were uncovered in the chapel during routine conservation work, representing both western and Chinese themes.

See also

• List of lighthouses in Macau
• List of oldest buildings and structures in Macau

References

1. Macau The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 15 October 2016
2. NGA List of Lights – Pub.112 Retrieved 15 October 2016

External links

• English site for Macau Heritage

Coordinates: 22°11′47″N 113°33′00″E / 22.1965°N 113.55°E

Main article：Historic Centre of Macau

A-Ma Temple | Moorish Barracks | Mandarin's House | St Lawrence's Church | St. Joseph's Seminary and Church | Dom Pedro V Theatre | St. Augustine's Church Sir Robert Ho Tung Library | Leal Senado Building | Sam Kai Vui Kun | Holy House of Mercy | Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady | Lou Kau Mansion | St. Dominic's Church | Ruins of St. Paul's | Na Tcha Temple Walls of Macau | Fortaleza do Monte | St. Anthony's Church | Casa Garden | Old Protestant Cemetery (including the Macau Protestant Chapel) | Guia Fortress (including Guia Chapel and Guia Lighthouse)