The coloured glass
Vivid colours in the doors.
Yumeto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · LN9267 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · LN9267 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · LN9267 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · LN9267 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Lou Kau Mansion is a historic house in the Sé district of Macau, built around 1889 as the home of the prominent Chinese merchant Lou Kau. One of the sites of the Historic Centre of Macau on UNESCO's World Heritage List, it blends Chinese architecture with Portuguese decoration, giving a rare picture of how the city's wealthy once lived. The building became a protected property in 1992. The Cultural Bureau began maintenance in 2002, and it opened to the public in 2005. It regularly hosts small concerts by the Macau Chinese Orchestra, which return some of its old life. The mix of styles speaks of a city where Chinese merchants and Portuguese culture lived side by side. The house has two storeys of blue-grey brick around three courtyards. You enter through a plain door to open halls with carved timber doors and windows, vivid coloured glass and timber lattice screens. Upper walls carry plaster reliefs of plants and figures, light falls from the courtyard, and green plants and pots stand within it. It is about 370 m in a straight line from the Ruins of St. Paul's and close to Senado Square, so it fits easily into the main route. The space is not large and can feel tight in crowds, so morning is best. Do not touch the timber and glass, ask about picture rules and check the hours before you arrive. Access may change during concerts.
Vivid colours in the doors.
On the upper walls.
Plants and light.
Sé district, near Senado Square
Senado SquareThe heart of old Macau, a triangular square of about 3,700 square metres named a2 minutes walk
Monte Fort and Macao MuseumMacau's historic military heart, a fort built by the Jesuits between 1617 and 164 minutes walk
Ruins of St. Paul'sMacau's best-known symbol, a towering stone façade standing alone at the top of 5 minutes walk
Rua da FelicidadeRua da Felicidade, the «Street of Happiness», is an old pedestrian street in cen5 minutes walk
St. Augustine's SquareSt. Augustine's Square is a small quiet square near Senado Square in Macau, with5 minutes walkA prominent Chinese merchant, for whom it was built around 1889.
Yes, it fits easily into the main route.