Coloane

São Francisco Xavier (Coloane) 聖方濟各堂區（路環） Saint Francis Xavier
Freguesia
Hac Sa Beach
Freguesia de São Francisco Xavier in Macau
Country	Macau
Region	Municipality of das Ilhas
Area
• Total	7.6 km2 (2.9 sq mi)
Population (2013)
• Total	9,300
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi)
Time zone	Macau Standard (UTC+8)

Coloane, officially Freguesia de São Francisco Xavier, is one of the two main islands of the Macau Special Administrative Region in China. The island is located directly south of Macau's other main island, Taipa (氹仔), and east of Hengqin Island of Zhuhai in Guangdong province.

Coloane was known in Cantonese as Gau Ou Saan (九澳山, lit. "Nine-inlet Mountain", transcribed in Portuguese as Ká-Hó) and Yim Zou Waan (鹽灶灣, lit. "Salt-stove Bay"). The Portuguese name "Coloane" is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of Gwo Lou Waan (過路環, lit. "Passing-road Ring").

Geography

Coloane has an area of 8.07 km² (3 sq mi), is 4 km (2 mi) long and is 5.6 km (3 mi) from the Macau Peninsula. The narrowest part of Coloane is 300 metres (980 ft). The highest points in Macau are eastern and central Coloane, with the highest point being the 170.6 metres (560 ft) Coloane Alto (Chinese: 疊石塘山, Portuguese: Alto de Coloane).

In the past, Coloane was separated from Taipa by the Seac Pai Bay, which was crossed by a 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) causeway, the Estrada do Istmo, connecting Coloane to Taipa. However land reclamation has physically connected the two islands and a new town called Cotai has been built between Taipa and Coloane, which is home to the Cotai Strip and several other casinos under development.

The northern shore of the island is 4.5 metres (15 ft) deep, and is the site of the Macau Deepwater Port.

The eastern Hac Sa Beach (Chinese: 黑沙海灘, Portuguese: Baía de Hác Sá) and the southern Cheoc Van Bay (Chinese: 竹灣, Portuguese: Baía de Cheoc Van) are popular swimming beaches.

History

From the Song dynasty onwards and until the Portuguese arrival in 1864, Coloane was a sea salt farm for China. After their arrival, the Portuguese made Macau an important trading port, but Coloane remained largely deserted, and was used as a base by pirates until 1910. The island became more populated after the Estrada do Istmo was completed in 1969.

Coloane Village

Coloane Village (Portuguese: Vila de Coloane; Chinese: 路環村), located on the southwestern coast of Coloane, is the island's main settlement.

The village centers on Eduardo Marques Square, which is a rectangle paved in cobblestones that are black, white and yellow, laid out in a wavy pattern reminiscent of the sea. The square faces a seaside promenade that traces the channel dividing Macau from the hills of China proper. At the eastern end of the square stands the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, built in 1928.

A Tam Kung Temple is located at the southern end of Avenida de Cinco de Outubro (十月初五馬路).

Temples (from north to south)

• Sam Seng Temple (三圣宫), also called Kam Fa Temple (金花庙),^[1] located at 2 Rua dos Navegantes in Coloane Village. Dedicated to Kam Fa, Kun Iam and Va Kuong,^[2] it was built in 1865.^[3]
• Kun Iam Temple (Coloane), located at Travessa do Caetano.^[4]
• Old Tin Hau Temple (天后古廟) in Coloane Village^[5]
• Tam Kung Temple (譚公廟) in Coloane Village. Dedicated to Lord Tam, a Taoist god of seafarers, it was built in 1862.^[6][7]

Churches

• Chapel of St. Francis Xavier (聖方濟各聖堂), of the Freguesia de São Francisco Xavier (聖方濟各堂區). The chapel, built in 1928, is located on the southwestern coast of the island and stands near a monument commemorating a victory over pirates in 1910. The chapel used to contain some of the most sacred Christian relics in Asia, including the remains of 26 foreign and Japanese Catholic priests who were crucified in Nagasaki in 1597, as well as those of some of the Japanese Christians who were killed during the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. They are now located in the Museum of Sacred Art, opened in 1996 next to the Ruins of St. Paul's. Another relic was a bone from the arm of St. Francis Xavier, who died in 1552 on Shangchuan Island, 50 miles (80 km) from Macau. This relic has been transferred to St. Joseph's Church.^[8]

Other sites

Sites on Coloane, outside of Coloane Village, include:

Temples

• Hung Shing Temple in Hac Sa Village^[9]
• Sam Seng Temple (三圣庙), in the Ka Ho (九澳) area, in the northeastern part of the island^[10]
• Kun Iam Temple (Ka Ho)^[11]
• A-Ma Statue (媽祖像), built on October 28, 1998 (lunar calendar: September 9)

Churches

• Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (九澳七苦聖母小堂), in the Ká-Hó area^[12]

Others

• Museum of Nature and Agriculture (土地暨自然博物館) within Seac Pai Van Park (石排灣郊野公園).^[13][14]
• Hac Sa Bay Park and Coloane Park
• "Fernando", a Portuguese restaurant at Baía de Hác Sá, is famous amongst locals in Macau and visitors from Hong Kong

• 

  Tam Kung Temple

• 

  Old Tin Hau Temple

• 

  Southern coast of Coloane

• 

  Bus stop at Hac Sa Beach

Transport

Coloane is served by buses and taxis.

See also

• Kai Ho Port
• Macau Prison
• List of islands and peninsulas of Macau

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coloane.

• Coloane travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Google Maps : Macau / Coloane
• Blog entries about Coloane

		Cotai Landfill Zone
	Xiangzhou District		South China Sea
		Freguesia de São Francisco Xavier
		South China Sea	South China Sea

Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (Freguesias of Macau) Freguesias Macau Peninsula N. Sra. de Fátima Sto. António S. Lázaro Sé S. Lourenço Taipa and Coloane N. Sra. do Carmo S. Francisco Xavier Other zones Cotai Macau New Urban Zone University of Macau Hengqin Defunct subdivisions Municipality of Macau Municipality of das Ilhas Defunct territories Lapa, Dom João, and Montanha Note: The freguesias are purely symbolic there are no political administrative subdivisions in Macau after the formation of Instituto para os Assuntos Cívicos e Municipais in 2002.

Portuguese overseas empire   North Africa 15th century 1415–1640 Ceuta 1458–1550 Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550 Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662 Tangier 1485–1550 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487–16th century Ouadane 1488–1541 Safim (Safi) 1489 Graciosa 16th century 1505–1541 Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) 1506–1525 Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525 Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541 Azamor (Azemmour) 1515 São João da Mamora (Mehdya) 1577–1589 Arzila (Asilah)   Sub-Saharan Africa 15th century 1455–1633 Anguim 1462–1975 Cape Verde 1470–1975 São Tomé1 1471–1975 Príncipe1 1474–1778 Annobón 1478–1778 Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637 Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) 1482–1642 Portuguese Gold Coast 1508–15472 Madagascar3 1498–1540 Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500–1630 Malindi 1501–1975 Portuguese Mozambique 1502–1659 Saint Helena 1503–1698 Zanzibar 1505–1512 Quíloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511 Socotra 1557–1578 Accra 1575–1975 Portuguese Angola 1588–1974 Cacheu4 1593–1698 Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 1645–1888 Ziguinchor 1680–1961 São João Baptista de Ajudá 1687–1974 Bissau4 18th century 1728–1729 Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975 Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century 1879–1974 Portuguese Guinea 1885–1975 Portuguese Congo 1 Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753. 2 Or 1600. 3 A factory (Anosy Region) and small temporary coastal bases. 4 Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879.   Southwest Asia 16th century 1506–1615 Gamru (Bandar Abbas) 1507–1643 Sohar 1515–1622 Hormuz (Ormus) 1515–1648 Quriyat 1515–? Qalhat 1515–1650 Muscat 1515?–? Barka 1515–1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602 Bahrain (Muharraq • Manama) 1521–1529? Qatif 1521?–1551? Tarut Island 1550–1551 Qatif 1588–1648 Matrah 17th century 1620–? Khor Fakkan 1621?–? As Sib 1621–1622 Qeshm 1623–? Khasab 1623–? Libedia 1624–? Kalba 1624–? Madha 1624–1648 Dibba Al-Hisn 1624?–? Bandar-e Kong   Indian subcontinent 15th century 1498–1545 Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India  • 1500–1663 Cochim (Kochi)  • 1501–1663 Cannanore (Kannur)  • 1502–1658  1659–1661 Quilon (Coulão / Kollam)  • 1502–1661 Pallipuram (Cochin de Cima)  • 1507–1657 Negapatam (Nagapatnam)  • 1510–1961 Goa  • 1512–1525  1750 Calicut (Kozhikode)  • 1518–1619 Portuguese Paliacate outpost (Pulicat)  • 1521–1740 Chaul   (Portuguese India)  • 1523–1662 Mylapore  • 1528–1666 Chittagong (Porto Grande De Bengala)  • 1531–1571 Chaul  • 1531–1571 Chalé  • 1534–1601 Salsette Island  • 1534–1661 Bombay (Mumbai)  • 1535 Ponnani  • 1535–1739 Baçaím (Vasai-Virar)  • 1536–1662 Cranganore (Kodungallur)  • 1540–1612 Surat  • 1548–1658 Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)  • 1559–1961 Daman and Diu  • 1568–1659 Mangalore   (Portuguese India)  • 1579–1632 Hugli  • 1598–1610 Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1518–1521 Maldives 1518–1658 Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1558–1573 Maldives 17th century Portuguese India  • 1687–1749 Mylapore 18th century Portuguese India  • 1779–1954 Dadra and Nagar Haveli   East Asia and Oceania 16th century 1511–1641 Portuguese Malacca 1512–1621 Maluku  • 1522–1575  Ternate  • 1576–1605  Ambon  • 1578–1650  Tidore 1512–1665 Makassar 1537–1999 Macau 1571–1639 Decima (Dejima / Nagasaki) 17th century 1642–1975 Portuguese Timor (East Timor)1 19th century Portuguese Macau  • 1864–1999 Coloane  • 1849–1999 Portas do Cerco  • 1851–1999 Taipa  • 1890–1999 Ilha Verde 20th century Portuguese Macau  • 1938–1941 Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1 1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was fully recognized.   North America and the North Atlantic Ocean 15th century 1420 Madeira 1432 Azores 16th century 1500–1579? Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 1500–1579? Labrador 1516–1579? Nova Scotia   Central and South America 16th century 1500–1822 Brazil  • 1534–1549  Captaincy Colonies of Brazil  • 1549–1572  Brazil  • 1572–1578  Bahia  • 1572–1578  Rio de Janeiro  • 1578–1607  Brazil  • 1621–1815  Brazil 1536–1620 Barbados 17th century 1621–1751 Maranhão 1680–1777 Nova Colónia do Sacramento 18th century 1751–1772 Grão-Pará and Maranhão 1772–1775 Grão-Pará and Rio Negro 1772–1775 Maranhão and Piauí 19th century 1808–1822 Cisplatina (Uruguay) 1809–1817 Portuguese Guiana (Amapá) 1822 Upper Peru (Bolivia) Coats of arms of Portuguese colonies Evolution of the Portuguese Empire Portuguese colonial architecture Portuguese colonialism in Indonesia Portuguese colonization of the Americas Theory of the Portuguese discovery of Australia

Coordinates: 22°07′34″N 113°34′01″E / 22.12611°N 113.56694°E / 22.12611; 113.56694