AGAINST ENEMY INVASIONS
The construction of defense structures by the Portuguese in Macau dates back to as early as 1569. The city walls went through several cycles of destruction and reconstruction due to the opposition of the Chinese government. But in 1632, the Portuguese managed to rebuild fortifications and fortresses in order to defend the city against the Dutch.
A city map at that time showed that in total, with the exception of the Inner Harbour to the west, the city wall was rebuilt to the north, south and east of Macau, and fortresses were built at strategic locations, making Macau a city with extremely tight military defenses.
In an article published in Review of Culture, Tang Kaijian, historian and professor at the University of Macau suggests that the Portuguese spent as many of 200,000 taels of silver on the project. He quotes the record of chronicler António Bocarro to describe the scale of the struc- ture: “The height of these walls is two fathoms, up to the parapets, where they are eight spans thick; withal the ground on which they are built is very uneven, so that the height of the wall likewise varies according as to whether it runs up or down hill…City walls were four yards in height, and five feet wide at the base.”
Traces of city walls that once surrounded Macau are now only found in several places, such as the Colégio Mateus Ricci, and the Penha Hill Observation Deck, and most notably, behind the Ruins of Saint Paul’s. The Section of Old City Walls bears testimony to the incorporation of local techniques and materials, especially a solid compound named ‘chunambo’, an elaborate mixture of clay, soil, sand, rice straw, crushed rocks and oyster shells compacted in successive layers. Standing at the base of the more than 5-metre high wall, one could easily imagine being impressed by it in those days.
GUARANTOR OF GOOD HEALTH
In contrast to the grandeur of the city walls, the Na Tcha Temple adja- cent to it appears small and simple, however it too was built to fend off another threat to the city: plagues.
In 1888, cholera broke out in Macau, and one of the worst-hit areas was near St. Paul’s. Residents believed that there lacked a deity to exor- cise evil spirits, and decided to invite Na Tcha, from the Persimmon Hill Na Tcha Temple, to bless people in the area. The epidemic was soon put to an end, and a temple to Na Tcha was constructed near St. Paul’s in honour of the deity.
A character in Chinese myths and legends, Na Tcha (or Nezha) is depicted in traditional Chinese literature as having the magical ability to dispel devils. He is often portrayed as a child with almighty powers riding on Wind Fire Wheels to expel demons and disasters. Because of these special abilities, Na Tcha is called upon for help whenever there is a plague, a sick child or the need for an exorcism.
Na Tcha Temple is a simple, single chamber building. The entrance porch opens to the temple building, which is painted grey, with few ornamentations, except for paintings on the walls under the entrance porch. Just as in other Chinese temples, ceramic animal decorations on the ridge serve as guardians to the temple and as decorative features on the roofline. The building serves as an exhibition room, displaying sac- rificial utensils and statues of deities used in the birthday celebrations of Na Tcha.
ENDURING APPEAL
The Na Tcha customs and beliefs of Macau stretch back more than 300 years, beginning with the establishment of the Persimmon Hill Na Tcha Temple in the early Qing dynasty. Over time, it has not only combined with folk myths, but also blended with local customs and culture, de- veloping its unique style. Macau’s cult of Na Tcha has significant dif- ferences from that in neighhouring regions in terms of legends, date of birth and rituals. The Na Tcha Customs, which include all the worship activities and artifacts relating to the deity, were classified as intangible cultural heritage, first in Macau in 2012, then nationally in 2014.
Na Tcha is still believed to have great powers to wipe out diseases. During the SARS epidemic in 2003, special prayer services were held by the Na Tcha Temple, attracting hundreds of participants. Every year on the 18th day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar – the birth- day of Na Tcha – the Temple holds a grand procession across the city. Other activities include the making of Na Tcha lucky charms, firecrack- er-grabbing races, rice distribution and opera performances.
As historian Rex Wilson concludes in a study on the belief of Na Tcha, “An example of Chinese folk religion in Macao, the beliefs and practices of the followers of Nezha satisfy several of their social and psychological needs. The members of the Ne- zha temple associations in Macao preserve colourful local tra- ditions in their ceremonies and benefit from fellowship in their meetings. They support charitable and patriotic activities. They are morally strengthened by their beliefs and encouraged to live virtuous lives. The Nezha temples in Macao are a precious part of Macao’s cultural heritage.”
