Protestant Cemetery

In front of the Camões Garden and next to the Casa Garden, found two inconspicuous monuments: Morrison’s Church and the Old Protestant Cemetery. They were also part of the Pereira’s Palace before.

Once through a small iron gate walking down the steps, you can see a small Romanesque church with a white exterior wall, named after Morrison; the first Protestant missionary sent to China to preach from the West.

Morrison compiled a Chinese-English dictionary, founded Anglo-Chinese College; and published the first full translation of the “Bible” into Chinese in China; ensure the Christian most classical essentials completely introduced to China.

White chapel

Morrison Church is the earliest Christian church in Macau, built in 1821; It then rebuilt in 1922. The exterior of the building is simple and solemn, the main body adopted brick and wood structures. The doors and windows contributed in arched design, which builts its uniqueness. Behind the church is the old Christian cemetery; the environment is quiet and comfortable, felt not scary at all.

Initial Cemetery Users

Morrison was the first Protestant missionary that came to China. He worked in Macau for a long time and buried in the cemetery next to the church after his death. This church also named after him.

In 1821, the wife of Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to mission in China; after died in Macau due to illness. Morrison was an employee of the East India Company at the time; thus he asked the East India Company to apply to the Macau and Portuguese authorities applying the current site to a cemetery; which contribute as the first Protestant Christian cemetery in Macau. In 1857, the city hall banned the burial of any dead in the urban area. The cemetery therefore closed and kept intact today. It also known as the “Old” Christian cemetery.

Later it was a cemetery with dozens of tombs behind. Most of the burials were British businessmen who came to China, colonialists who settled in the East, British generals and Christian missionaries who died in China during the Opium War. One of the most famous is the British painter George Chinnery, who has lived in Macau for more than 20 years. George Chinnery (1774-1852), Christian missionary Robert Morrison (1782-1834).