Evidence of human habitation stretching back 6,000 years has been found in Macau - but it is only the last 2500 years, as well as the last 440 years, that have had a major effect on the Macau we see today. Macau was once part of the Guangdong Province, when the Qin empire ruled China several hundred years BC. The Southern Song dynasty were the first Chinese inhabitants to record their presence in Macau (in any form that survives today), when they entered the country seeking refuge from warrior Mongols in the 13th century. It was these people that established such Macanese historical sites as Guanyin temple, now included in the listing of World heritage sites in Macau. A-Ma temple, the most famous of these sites, was built shortly afterwards, during the Ming Dynasty of China.
However, much of the influence on the Macau we know today was made by the Portuguese settlement of the region. While settlement by Portugal is generally listed as early as 1553, the first date that a permanent dwelling for Portuguese was erected in Macau, the region was not actually a Portuguese colony until 1849. The Portuguese declared Macau independent from China and stopped paying rent - the Chinese retaliated, and the Governor was assassinated. Taipa Island and Coloane Island did not become Portuguese colonies until some time between 1851 and 1864. Overall, the Portuguese takeover of the region was not extremely bloody - the treaty of Tianjin was signed by China and Portugal in 1862, recognizing Macau as a Portuguese colony and combining its administration with East Timor.
Macau also experienced a brief period of unique circumstances in its history during World War II. As the only neutral port in China, they enjoyed a brisk trade and prosperity, until the Japanese overtook Macau and dominated from 1943 to 1945. In 1966, a Portuguese proposal to return Macau to China and relinquish it as a Portuguese colony was actually rejected. This was repeated in 1974, and again rejected. Macau was eventually returned to China in a handover ceremony on December 20, 1999. The People's Republic of China administers Macau under their 'one country, two systems' policy, just as in Hong Kong. Macau is designated a Special Administration Region (SAR), so is not subject to communist rules and enjoys a high degree of autonomy.
Currently, (in Macau's 'history in the making'), the population of the region is 95% Han Chinese, and 2% Portuguese. Despite the relative minority of Portuguese, the colonial history has had a massive impact on Macanese culture and even Macau's government today. Signs in Macau are displayed in both Traditional Chinese and Portuguese, the language, Patua, is a distinctive Creole and mixes its parent languages well. People are mainly Buddhist, and the food of Macau is a blend of Portuguese colonial fare and Chinese dishes. Gambling is one of Macau's biggest industries, and every weekend hundreds of people from Hong Kong come over to live it up at Macau's many casinos. Tourism focuses on the history of Macau and its many world heritage sites.
New developments in Macau also honor the region's history. Investments like those at Ponte 16, on Macau's waterfront, have taken special care to blend seamlessly with their surroundings and honor the historical nature of the city. Casinos and at Ponte 16, as well as older and more established ones like Casino Lisboa, serve Macanese food and incorporate elements of both Portuguese colonial history and Chinese roots into their architecture and interior design. You'll see the same blend in tourism hotspots like Macau's most famous hotel, Sofitel Macau. Rich Chinese-style coloring blends with European gold accents, Renaissance paintings and French impressionist art.
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