The Guia Fortress or Fortaleza da Guia is a historical military fort, chapel, and lighthouse complex in Macau. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Centre of Macau. Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... A chapel is a private church, usually small and often attached to a larger institution such as a college, a hospital, a palace, or a prison. ... The Peggys Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. ... UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Site #86: Memphis and its Necropolis, including the Pyramids of Giza (Egypt). ... The Historic Centre of Macao (Portuguese: O Centro Histórico de Macau; Traditional Chinese: 澳門歷史城區), on Macao Peninsula, is composed of sites that showcase the unique cultural heritage of Macao. ...

Construction

The fort and chapel were constructed between 1622 and 1638. The lighthouse was constructed between 1864 and 1865, the first western style lighthouse in east Asia or on the China coast. The lighthouse stands at 91 meters tall, and has a light visible for some 20 miles in clear weather conditions. The complex was built upon the highest point on Macau, Guia Hill, and named after the same location. Events January 1 - In the Gregorian calendar, January 1 is declared as the first day of the year, instead of March 25. ... Events March 29 - Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Peggys Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ...

History

The fortress played a small role in repulsing an attempted Dutch invasion of Macau in 1622, during which a cannonball (fired from another Macau fort) abruptly ended the invasion plans by landing in a powder keg onboard a Dutch ship. In 1998, frescoes were uncovered in the chapel during routine conservation work, representing both western and Chinese themes. Today, the site is a tourist destination. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... A XIV Century fresco featuring Saint Sebastian Note: Fresco is the NATO reporting name of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. ...

External link

• English site for Macau Heritage