Lilau Square is one of the first residential quarters of the Portuguese in Macao. The Mandarin's House (1881), a traditional Chinese residence belonging to a prominent Chinese literary figure, covers an area of 4,000m2.
Description
The ground water of Lilau used to be the main source of natural spring water in Macao. The Portuguese popular phrase: "One who drinks from Lilau never forgets Macao" expresses the locals' nostalgic attachment to Lilau Square. This area corresponds to one of the first Portuguese residential quarters in Macao with a typically Mediterranean atmosphere containing some later Art Deco influences that contrast with the nearby traditional Chinese architecture of the Mandarin's House residential complex, in a clear example of a fusion of western and Chinese urban and architectural concepts.
