There’s a true and fake Lilau fountain?

Referring back in the ancient times (the Ming Dynasty presumably); It was fairly difficult for residents near Lilao area reaching up the mountain acquiring drinking water; An old lady witnessed such desparate situation, thus spent some money sending someone build a reservoir facilitating water collections. In odrer to commemorate the good deeds of this old lady, the well renamed till now the “Lilau Fountain”.

Largo do Lilao was one of the earliest districts where Portuguese people had lived and became one of the city’s main water supply. It is as famous as fountain located at the Curidores and Sidonio Pais. The Portuguese “Lilao square” referred as “up the mountain’s spring fountain”.

Those drink water from fountain Lilau can’t forget Macau

There is a folk song circulating within the Portuguese communities in Macau. “Drink the water from Lilao fountain, you can’t forget Macau. If you don’t start a family in Macau, don’t come back too far”. In Portugal who tasted the clear, refereshing fountain water will return after years, and which can’t help, start write poems and folk songs embracing such beautiful place. There’s other people that can’t forget such beautiful, strong, historical focused location point; and deeply attracted by it over these years.

Located at the foot of Penha Hill facing to the west, it beautifully reflected the multicultural life of Portuguese, Chinese, and Macanese integrations. It looked as if it sketched out a nicely framed view to the closeby building and Lilau’s fountain. At present, many of them have preserved centuries-old, beautiful, detailed and colourful Portuguese architecture; Well mixed with white, yellow, pink, blue and other color elements shaping out the background of Lilao. Nowadays, it brings out a lively vitality to the closeby old community districts.

We are now seeing the Lilau at the square, were not the real Lilau fountain resource point.

Its current look

The former fountain source point rebuilt at the end of the 20th century. If you want to find lilao fountain water head. You need to walk to the end of alleyways, bypassing the many abandoned wooden houses and a few foreign workers renting scaffolding places. At the end of a few narrow street conjunctions, you will see a stoned arch or gateway, covered with wooden planks for spring water. A lot of water pipes now reconnected for self-use.

The Lilau’s area and surrounding buildings restored to retain its primitive style. This European style again listed as of the architectural historical and cultural heritage area in Macau.