Monte Fort

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
May.-Sept.
7:00-19:00
free Low Season
Oct.-Apr.
07:00-18:00
free Address & Phone On a hill right next to the Ruinas de Sao Paulo, Macau Peninsula. Transportation One can bus No.8A, 17, 18, 19, 26 to get there Notes

Known as St. Paul Monte Fortress, Central Monte Fortress, or Great Sanba Monte Fortress, Monte Fort is the oldest monte fortress in Macau and a must see when traveling in Macau.

 Located on a hill right next to the Ruinas de Sao Paulo, Macau Peninsula, Monte Fort was built by the Jesuits in 1616 in the region of Emperor Shenzong in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is one of the oldest western monte fortresses in China. Known as St. Paul Monte Fortress, Central Monte Fortress, or Great Sanba Monte Fortress, Monte Fort was used to be the center of the military defense facilities but a famous historical tourist attraction at present.

History

Built from 1617 to 1626 by the Jesuits, Monte Fortress is one of the largest and oldest monte fortresses in Macau. It was originally built to protect the priests of the Sao Paulo Church, then a military defence structure of the Portuguese colony of Macau. The Monte Fort has been weathered in the wind and rain for more than 300 years and opened to the public as a scenic spot in 1966. Now in the center of the Monte Fort lies the Macau Museum and on the top of the Monte Fortress lies the Monte Fortress Garden, in which we can overlook the whole scene of Macau in all directions.

Architectural Feature

Monte Fortress was the former military defense center. The whole area covers an area about 10,000 square meters and is quadrilateral with bastions at each corner and about 100 meters in circumference. The main body of the wall was built on a 3.7 meters thick granite. The stone mixed up with the shell powder composed the city wall with a width of 90 meters, a height of 3.15 meters and a thickness of 2.7 meters. The wall can support 32 cannons to defend the attack. Its outside wall was built with rammed earth and thus very stable. Barracks, cisterns and storehouses were the main buildings of the fort. The Nver Wall is about 2 meters high and with no supporting cannon facility, which shows the defense function as well as the friendly attitude towards the foreign countries.

At present, though the cannons have lost their military function, they still remain. It is acted as a public park in Macau and an ancient cultural relic as well as a historical testimony. A large space in the Monte Fortress has been built into a garden. With a carpet of green grass, towering ancient tress and the historical cannons, Monte Fort attracts many local people as well as the overseas tourists. Standing on the platform, visitors have an excellent view across Macau.

Macau Culture