The authors of Macau’s Historical Witnesses: 22 Hidden Stories Seen by the City’s Landmarks That Everyone Should Know About aim to inspire locals, visitors, and readers worldwide by showcasing “the depth and diversity of Macau’s history.”

It’s often said that Macau’s destiny has been shaped by a series of improbable events, creating the city’s distinctive character. In much the same way, the inspiration behind the book penned by New York-born Christopher Chu and his Macau-native wife, Maggie Hoi, was equally unexpected.
“It all started in 2021, about a year into the pandemic, while Maggie and I were having dinner over Zoom,” recalls Christopher Chu, who was then based in Hong Kong. After much thought, he made the decision to hop on a bus and move to Macau—for good.
Locked down in Macau, the couple had the time to explore the city’s landmarks and hidden gems, all while delving into its rich history through various books. Wanting to go beyond the usual East Meets West mantra, they decided to tell Macau’s history through a series of 800–1,000-word vignettes that would immerse readers in the city’s past, weaving through both time and place.
“We wanted to draw the reader into the stories, to make it feel more tangible,” Christopher told a captivated audience at Artyzen Grand Lapa’s Vasco Bar on Thursday, during the latest ‘Brews & Buzz’ gathering hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Macao (BritCham Macao).
“The landmarks serve as fantastic tools for learning—encouraging people to engage and participate actively in the process, rather than learning in the traditional, textbook way,” he added.

The 22 stories came together in a book that was published in November 2022, just as the city was a couple of months away from emerging from pandemic restrictions.

The book exceeded the authors’ expectations, quickly gaining popularity. After an initial print run of 200 copies, demand was so high that they had to order a reprint. A Chinese version followed soon after, with a Portuguese translation currently in the works.

The book captures the “depth and diversity of Macau’s history, from the Jesuits to the Portuguese, the English to the French, and from the Spanish to the Chinese.”

As Maggie and Christopher emphasise, “Everyone has a story to share. And it all happened in Macau.”


【Macau Business】Everyone has a story to share
https://www.macaubusiness.com/everyone-has-a-story-to-share/