A-Ma Temple is the oldest of Macau's Buddhist temples. Situated in the southeast of Macau, in the Barra district and at the base of Pehua hill, the temple is dedicated to the god A-Ma (Mother and Queen of the Sea) whom Macau is named after. There are numerous legends about A-Ma, the most popular on Macau is that she was a beautiful young girl from Fujian province who saved a ship from sinking on route to Guangzhou by giving it her blessing. She vanished on return to Macau, and a temple was built at the spot where she later reappeared as a goddess.

Parts of the A-Ma Temple are more than 600 years old and were built before the arrival of the Portuguese. Today, the temple complex consists of Ming dynasty shrines, prayer halls, pavilions and gardens creeping up the hillside. It is a fascinating and atmospheric working temple and is particularly interesting and vibrant in April and May during the festival of A-Ma, when this is a popular place of pilgrimage. It is busy too, at Chinese New Year when the sound of firecrackers is deafening.

Address: Calcada da Marra, south of Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro.