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The Macao Museum in 2012

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Macao Museum

澳门博物馆 Museu de Macau · Macao SAR, China

Photo: Brenden Brain · CC BY-SA 3.0

Below the walls of Mount Fortress, enter the city museum and understand Macao's more than 400-year story, from fishing village and trading port to the blending of Chinese and Western cultures.

Know before you go

  • Do not climb or sit on the old cannons or the fort's battlements
  • do not touch the artifacts and models on display
  • do not use flash in the galleries

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

The Macao Museum stands on the Mount Fortress in the heart of the Macau Peninsula. Designed by Portuguese architects, it began construction in 1996 and opened on 18 April 1998. The exhibition building has three floors, two of them built below the fortress grounds, and the permanent exhibitions present the origins of Macau, the history of Chinese and Western cultures meeting here, traditional life and folk customs, and contemporary Macau. The Mount Fortress and the nearby Ruins of St Paul's are both part of the "Historic Centre of Macao", inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. After visiting the museum, climb onto the fortress for a view over the Macau Peninsula and the opposite shore; the old cannons and walls of the fortress are exhibits in themselves.

Local customs

Most visitors go up to Mount Fortress via the walkway or escalators beside the Ruins of St. Paul's, then enter the museum. The exhibitions run floor by floor from the bottom up, ending at the fortress terrace. There is a café and gift shop inside, and the Mount Fortress Garden is free to enter and good for a short rest.

Religion & beliefs

  • The exhibition includes artifacts of Catholicism and Chinese folk religion, reflecting Macao's history of religious coexistence
  • the nearby Ruins of St. Paul's and churches still have religious significance, so please dress and behave modestly when visiting, and don't climb the ruins' stone steps or the façade's railings.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not climb or sit on the old cannons or the fort's battlements
  • do not touch the artifacts and models on display
  • do not use flash in the galleries
  • do not fly drones from the fort's platform
  • do not sit or lie on the steps of the Ruins of St. Paul's and block the way
  • do not let children run along the fort walls

Locals appreciate DO

  • See the Ruins of St. Paul's first and then climb up to Mount Fortress
  • work your way up from the underground exhibition level through the whole history of the city
  • take in the panorama of the Macau Peninsula from the fortress walls
  • look out for monthly free-admission days or discounts
  • link it with the Historic Centre of Macao walking route

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Allow 1.5–2 hours, including climbing Mount Fortress. The museum is at Mount Fortress
  • from Senado Square, walk along Rua de São Paulo for about 10 minutes to the Ruins of St. Paul's, then take the adjacent path or escalator up to the fortress. The museum usually closes on Mondays
  • opening hours, tickets and free-admission days are subject to the Macao Museum's official website. Combine Senado Square, St. Dominic's Church, the Ruins of St. Paul's, Na Tcha Temple and the Section of the Old City Walls, then walk on to Travessa da Paixão and Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro for a half-day walking route through the Historic Centre of Macao. The Ruins of St. Paul's and Mount Fortress are crowded during the day, so early morning or late afternoon is more relaxed. Macao summers are hot and humid and the fortress terrace gets strong sun, so protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated
  • when a typhoon signal is hoisted the museum may close temporarily, so watch for official notices.

Photos

Photos

The Macao Museum in 2012
The Macao Museum in 2012
Brenden Brain · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Monte Fort in Macao in 2013
The Monte Fort in Macao in 2013
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources & verification notes

Official website of the Macao Museum

Wikipedia: Macao Museum

Wikipedia: Macao Museum

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