"Introduction" a Macao Travel Page by p_yenyen

Macao locates at the mouth of the Pearl River downstream from Guangzhou, so it was called "Ou Mun" which means trading gate in chinese. During the ancient times, port city was part of the silk road with ships loading here. Guangzhou then prospered from sea borne business with the countries of SEA. Therefore, many portugese merchant explorers landed in Macao and set about findng suitable trading posts.

When the portuguese reached "Ou Mun" and asked the locals aout the name of this place, the locals misunderstood that they would like to know about the A Ma Temple. It is pronounced as "Ma Gao " in cantonese, which they built for worshipping the gooddess of Seafarers A-Ma. Therefore the portugese adopted the name, which gradually changed into a Portugues name "Macau" (Macao in english).

This is a city where eastern and western influences have met and continue to coexist in harmony.

The locals ad environments are a combination with two cultures, the portuguese and the chinese.