In 1886, Lou Kau, a prominent Chinese merchant known as the first “King of Gambling” in Macao, decided to build a house to accommodate his growing family. A friend took him to a vacant lot on the Travessa da Sé, where a number of wealthy Chinese residents lived. Lou was very satisfied with the location, and immediately acquired the approval from the Governor of Macau to construct two residential buildings on No 7 and No 9 of the Travessa da Sé.
Over a century has passed, and only the one on 7 Travessa da Sé remains now. Today, it is known as the Lou Kau Mansion, part of the Historic Centre of Macao inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Witness to Family History
Lou Kau (Lou Wa Sio) was born in 1848 into a rural family in Xinhui, Guangdong province. Orphaned at a young age and suffering from the Red Turban Rebellion that swept South China, Lou escaped to Macao around 1857. He started as a servant boy at a prestigious local family, and developed interest in doing business.
With exceptional business savvy, this man with humble beginnings found the first of pot of gold in old-style Chinese private banking, and he gradually gained the concession to operate multiple gambling games in Macao, including Fan-tan, Pakapoo, Tse-fa, Vae Seng lottery, Holy House of Mercy lottery, etc. He became the first-generation gambling tycoon in Macao and rose to social prominence by acting as mediator for the Chinese community and the Portuguese authorities.
It was in the prime of his life that Lou decided to construct grand residences for his large family – with a wife, 9 concubines and nearly 30 children. He hired architects from Canton, adopted the style of traditional xiguan Chinese residential building and also incorporated European features. When the construction was completed in 1889, the formidable family houses became the most visible icons of the street.
With a near monopoly on gaming in Macao, Lou was keen on expanding his business elsewhere. In 1900, he won an eight-year concession to operate Pakapoo lottery game in Guangdong province, making him the first person to run casinos in both Macao and Guangdong. This move, however, not only failed to advance his career, but also pushed him to the brink of bankruptcy – a result of the subsequent prohibition of gambling in Guangdong. Lou eventually took his own life in his private garden (now the Lou Lim Ioc Garden) in the winter of 1907.
Traditional Architecture with a Western Twist
After Lou’s decease, the mansion fell into hands of others and at one time accommodated as many as 20 households. As a result of long-time disrepair, most of the mansion was taken down. It was not until 2002 that Cultural Affairs Bureau started maintenance and restoration of the mansion. In 2005, Lou Kau Mansion was opened partially, and the public finally got a chance to appreciate this architectural treasure and its storied past.
The mansion is a two-storey, traditional grey-brick courtyard house, with the architectural characteristics of a typical xiguan Chinese residential building. The façade of the house, according to the research of Dr Ieng Weng Fat, conforms to the golden ratio of 1:1.618. It also has a recessed entrance, which creates an overhanging eave for weather protection, common in the housing design of the Lingnan region.
The house is organized in a three-by-three grid of spaces. The two courtyards in the central axis separate the three main halls, namely the Entrance Hall (Men Guan Hall), the Tea Hall (Sedan Hall) and the Senior Hall (Tou Hall) on ground level. This spatial arrangement demonstrates the hierarchical structure of Chinese families where the spaces further inside the house are reserved for senior members, and are more private, away from the view of guests.
Although the house is typically Chinese in its structure, the decorative motifs also integrate subtle western influences as well as techniques from other regional sources, such as oyster shell applications on the windows, Manchuria windows, neo-classical balustrades, and perforated wooden ceilings similar to those inside Macao’s churches, a technique that can also be found in Latin America.
The mansion reflects the unique fusion of Chinese and Western architectural styles in Macao. Also, scholar Chan Tin-kuen points out in an article published on Review of Culture, “Lou Kau Mansion is not as symmetrical as the siheyuan – Chinese quadrangles that are commonly seen in the North. On the ground floor, there are small courtyards on the left and right, but they are not equal in size and location…Also, the wooden stairs on the left and right sides leading up to the first floor are not symmetrical either. This marks a characteristic of Lingnan architecture: although the mansion adheres to the traditional hierarchy and structure, it is also influenced by the free and casual air of the West. The left and right spaces are intentionally asymmetrical in design to show the eclectic nature of Lingnan culture.”
Old Structure, New Life
The restored Lou Kau Mansion is open to the public, not just as a heritage that preserves the architectural features of Macao, but also as a unique venue for various cultural events.
One of the regular visitors is the Macao Chinese Orchestra, which has staged a number of small-scale performances there in recent years. Relaxing jazz, upbeat Cantonese folk music, melancholy Portuguese fado…one can be impressed by an array of music genres in this century-old house.
The mansion has also been a venue for the Macao Arts Festival, as well as some floral demonstrations, theatrical performances, and DIY workshops. At the Macau City Fringe Festival earlier this year, local artists Jay Lei and Shuk Man Lee presented the participatory theatre “Property Guide at Lou Kau Mansion”, a theatrical guided tour of the mansion with the use lights, sounds, projections and installations, allowing the audience to rebuild their image of the mansion and subsequently ponder on its unique value and historic significance in Macao.
When one hears the beautiful Chinese or foreign melodies or gazes at the exquisite works of art right here in this quiet place in the bustling downtown, that is the moment to truly connect with this old building. The new life of Lou Kau Mansion is a living example that the preservation of heritage is not only about restoring the bricks and tiles, but also about feeling the breath and pulse of the building, so that it can live on for generations to come.