Indawo Yokunqula
A-Ma Temple
bayi 15 abantu basekuhlaleni abayincomayo
Amacebiso asuka kubantu basekuhlaleni
The A-Ma Temple not only predates the city of Macau, but it might also have given the place its name! According to legend, Portuguese sailors misheard "A-Ma-Gau", or bay of A-Ma, goddess of seafarers and fishermen, as "Macau", and history was made. Built in 1488, during the Ming Dynasty, it is the oldest and most famous temple in the city, with pavilions for the worship of Taoist, Buddhist, and folk deities. 媽閣廟建於明朝(1488年),廟內供奉道教、佛教等多個神祇。媽閣廟不但是澳門最古老的現存廟宇,甚至可能是澳門葡文名字「Macau」的出處。傳說當年葡萄牙人登陸澳門時,向當地居民查問這裡的地方名字,居民卻回答說是「媽閣」,結果因緣際會下,葡萄牙人就把澳門直接音譯為「Macau」。
The A-Ma Temple not only predates the city of Macau, but it might also have given the place its name! According to legend, Portuguese sailors misheard "A-Ma-Gau", or bay of A-Ma, goddess of seafarers and fishermen, as "Macau", and history was made. Built in 1488, during the Ming Dynasty, it is the o…