Macau was established as a trading settlement when the Portuguese were allowed by the Ming authorities to settle on the peninsula at the mouth of the Pearl River, in exchange for rent. It became the first and the last European colony in China, serving as the base for Portuguese trade with China and Japan and as a centre for Jesuit missionaries. As Hong Kong grew in the nineteenth century, Macau declined, but its casinos made it a rich gambling centre in the twentieth century. Portugal handed it back to China in December 1999, and it is now a special administrative region under the principle of one country, two systems. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its casino industry is now larger than that of Las Vegas.
Before and after
- 25 January 1554Founding of São Paulo
- 1555Construction of St. Basil's Cathedral
- 25 September 1555Peace of Augsburg
- 23 January 15561556 Shaanxi earthquake
- 1557Founding of Macau
- 1557Discovery of platinum
- 24 September 1557Death of Jacques Cartier
- from 17 January 1558 to 26 May 1583Livonian War
- from 23 August 1558 to 26 August 1558Expedition of Mostaganem
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 6 August 1538Founding of Bogotá
- 1541Founding of Santiago
- 12 June 1550Founding of Helsinki
- from 26 July 1581 to 19 January 1795Dutch Republic
- 1614Founding of Tirana
- 29 March 1693Founding of Curitiba
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.