4 Best Sights in China

Only the towering facade, with its intricate carvings and bronze statues, remains from the original Church of Mater Dei, built between 1602 and 1640 and destroyed by fire in 1835. The sanctuary, an adjacent college, and Mount Fortress—all Jesuit constructions—once formed East Asia’s first Western-style university. Now a tourist attraction, the ruins are the widely adopted symbol of Macau. Tucked behind the facade of São Paulo is the small Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, which contains statues, crucifixes, and the bones of Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs. There are also some intriguing Asian interpretations of Christian images, including samurai angels and a Chinese Virgin and Child. Note that admission to the site isn't allowed after 5:30 pm.

One of Hong Kong's few examples of French colonial architecture, Béthanie was built in 1875 by the French Mission as a sanatorium for priests and missionaries recovering from tropical diseases. The Hong Kong Government took over the building in the 1970s and leased it to the University of Hong Kong; and at the turn of the 21st century, the property was extensively restored and was subsequently declared a historic monument. Béthanie houses a photogenic neo-Gothic chapel—a popular wedding venue—a theater, a small basement museum, an exhibition hall, and facilities for the School of Film and Television. Guided tours are available for booking via Cityline ( www.cityline.com) and last about 30 minutes.

A rare example of Lingnan-style architecture, this historic 1920s tenement painted an eye-catching cobalt blue once housed a clinic and martial arts school. Now a community hub and museum, it offers a glimpse into old Hong Kong. Nearby are other similar houses in bright orange and yellow.

A block east of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club stands the Noonday Gun, which Noël Coward made famous in his song Mad Dogs and Englishmen. It's still fired by a Jardine Matheson employee at noon every day. It is said that the tradition began when a Jardine employee fired a gun in salute of the company's head arriving at the port, angering an officer of the Royal Navy.