Lilau Square

About this place

Lilau Square is a small quiet square in Macau that grew up around a natural spring, considered one of the earliest Portuguese residential areas in the city. A huge banyan shades it, pale old houses surround it, and it belongs to the Historic Centre of Macau, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2005. Its name comes from the Cantonese «lei lao», meaning «mountain spout», while folklore credits an old woman with digging the well in the Ming dynasty. Tourism sources describe the spring as an important natural water source for the city. A famous Portuguese saying is tied to the place, that whoever drinks from Lilau will never forget Macau. In one corner stands a semicircular stone fountain basin against a wall of dark stone, topped by a round green ornament. The ground is paved in red and white patterns, with a small green kiosk, umbrellas and café tables, while roots and branches spread above a round planter. Yellow and white houses stand around, some with brown shutters and others green. It is about 270 m in a straight line from the Moorish Barracks and close to the Mandarin's House, so it fits easily into a tour of the southern old town. The spring is no longer a public water source, so do not drink from it. Evening is lovely here, though the lighting is dim. These are lived-in homes, so respect residents' quiet and do not take pictures through windows.