FORTALEZA DO MONTE: Home of the Macau Museum

Built in 1626, Fortaleza do Monte was for many years the hub of Portugal's military presence in this part of China, eventually serving as the governor's residence, a role it performed until 1749. Today, this former fortress houses the three-story Macau Museum, dedicated to the archaeology and anthropology of Macau with an emphasis on how the Chinese, Portuguese, and Macanese have come to live and work together. Also worth visiting is the Mount Fortress Garden, a welcome respite with its pleasant moat-like pond and flower beds, and the Moorish-style Mansão Evocativa de Sun Yat-Sen, a mansion built in memory of Sun Yat-sen, founder of the first Chinese Republic. Another related site is Sun Yat Sen Park with its beautiful gardens, a Victorian greenhouse, and an aviary. #macaumusuem