Praça

Blessed are those who can see Macau after dark. As the throng of tourists thins out visibly on the main streets, the town switched on a global glow which camouflage urban chaos and exaggerated details. Colour intensity scales back to a consistent golden hue from street lamps and general building illumination, except during festivities.

Largo do Senado is the main square of Macau, fronting the former Leal Senado (which now houses the Municipal Affairs Bureau) and lined by historic monuments such as the General Post Office and Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Macau. It is widely believed among locals that the best guide to seasonal changes is not the calendar or the Chinese almanac but the festive features at Largo do Senado. Marking key moments of the year are Christmas, New Year, Lunar New Year, Easter, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day, Macau SAR Establishment Day, all of which guarantees elaborate pop-up installations which last weeks on end to showcase Macau as a city of cultural hybridity and political virtues. Add to that special events organised or promoted by the Macau administration, cultural parades and religious processions.

Although a public square, Largo do Senado seldom serves the primary function of a praça where people may stop, gather, sit and simply admire the space, the surrounding buildings or the fluidity of people. Colossal installations to celebrate festivities fragment the beautiful curves of the calçada portuguesa, mask the classical façades of monumental architecture and occupy the space that is available for the public.

Since 2005, Macau's historic centre has been listed as a UNESCO heritage. Seated at the heart of this world heritage is Largo do Senado and its beatitude of pop-ups.