Portas do Cerco

Called the Barrier Gate in Chinese, the Portuguese name "Gate of Siege" says a lot more to the hundreds of years of relations between the Portuguese and Chinese. The old archway, built in 1870, marked the border between Portuguese and Chinese territory, and was the actual border crossing between Macau and China until 1994, when a new crossing by the side was created. The archway and surroundings were turned into a pretty plaza. In 2004, the entire area was again renovated, with the new Barrier Gate Frontier Post being constructed north on the archway. The archway bears the dates of significant events and the motto by Luís de Camões, "Honour your country, it cares for you".