VISIT TO MACAU

Reporter: Denz Mark G. Valencia BTVTEd MT III

 MACAU is Portuguese colony near Hong Kong.

 On February 18, Rizal accompanied by Basa, boarded the ferry steamer named Kiu-Kiang
going to Macau.

 Rizal was surprised to see among the passengers a familiar figure- Sainz de Varanda.

 Rizal wrote to his diary, “The City of Macau is small, low and gloomy. There are many
junks, sampans, but few steamers. It looks sad and is

almost dead.”

 In Macau, Rizal and Basa stayed at home of Don Juan Francisco Lecaros, a Filipino
gentlemen married to a Portuguese lady.

 Rizal and Basa stayed in his house for two days while they were in Macau.

 During his two day sojourn, Rizal visited the theatre, casino, cathedral and churches,
pagodas, botanical garden and bazaar.

 He also saw the famous Grotto of Camoens, Portugal’s National poet.

 In the evening, February 19, he witnessed a Catholic Procession, In which the devotees
were dressed in blue and purple dresses and were carrying unlighted candles.

 On February 20, they both returned to Hong Kong again on board the ferry steamer Kui
Kiang

Grotto of Camoens

Experiences in Hong Kong

During his two week visit in Hong Kong, Rizal studied Chinese life, language, drama and costums.
He also wrote down in his diary the ff. experiences:

1. Noisy celebration of the Chinese New Year lasted from February 11th to 13th. continous
explosions of firecrackers. The richer the Chinese, the more firecrackers he explode.

2. Boisterous Chinese Theatre, with noisy audience and noisier music. In the Chinese dramatic art,
Rizal observed the following;

• A man astride stick means a man riding on horseback.

• An actor raising his legs means he is entering a house,

• A red dress indicates a wedding

 • A girl about to be married coyly covers her face with a fan even in the presence of her
fiancé; and

• A man raising his whip signifies he is about to ride a horse.

3. The Marathon Lauriat Party, wherein the guests were served numerous dishes such as fruits,
geese, eggs, shark fins, bird nests, white ducks, chicken with vinegar, fish heads, etc. The Longest
Meal in the World.

4. The Dominican Order was the richest religious order in Hong Kong. It engaged actively in
business. It owned more than 700 houses for rent and many shares in foreign banks.

5. Of the Hong Kong cemeteries belonging to the Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims, that of the
protestants was the most beautiful because of its well-groomed.

Departure From Hong Kong

 February 22, 1888. Rizal left Hon Kong on board the Oceanic, an American steamer.

 His destination was in Japan.

 He did not liked the meals on board, but he liked the ship because it was clean and
efficiently managed.

 His cabin mate was a British Protestant missionary who had lives in China for 27 years.
Rizal called him “a good man”.

 Other passengers with whom Rizal conversed with were two Portuguese, two Chinese,
several British, and an American woman Protestant missionary.

END OF MY REPORT

‘’ THANK YOU PI ‘’