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Macau (Portuguese)

Type Object Region China Time 1557–1999

In 1557 Portugal obtained Ming government permission to establish itself at the Pearl River estuary, and Macau became a bridgehead for European trade…

Timeline

  1. 1611–1613Macau Inner Harbour · ChinaThe Macau Senate managed city affairs. Chinese silk and porcelain were re-exported through Macau to Japan, while Japanese silver and copper goods flowed back into China, forming a triangular trade network.
  2. 1614–1617St. Paul's College · ChinaJesuits based in Macau studied Chinese, trained missionaries bound for Japan and China, and translated Western scholarly texts, promoting the exchange of knowledge between Europe and China.
  3. 1618–1620Monte Fort · ChinaBetween 1617 and 1626 a system of forts was successively constructed. Between 1618 and 1620 the Dutch East India Company repeatedly cast covetous eyes on the Pearl River estuary; the Portuguese of Macau relied on their forts and their relationship with the Ming court to maintain their foothold.

Sources