A surviving section of Macao’s old city walls preserves an early defensive structure built with chunambo, a locally made compound of earth, straw, stones, and shells. The remnant offers a close view of how builders adapted fortification techniques to local materials.
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This short wall fragment is a rare surviving piece of Macao’s early defenses. It dates as early as 1569 and recalls a Portuguese practice of building fortified enclosures around port settlements.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The surviving wall section was built as early as 1569.
- The wall is made using the local compound known as chunambo.
- Chunambo included earth, rice straw, crushed stones, and oyster shells.
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