Nov. 7, 2005 - Macao

For thousands of years people were crossing the mountains that lie between the Western worlds and China.  Precious stones and spices and silk were transported along the Silk Road from China to Europe from as early as 200 BC.  As maritime technology progressed, cheaper and faster sea routes replaced the land routes through the dangerous mountains and hostile deserts.

Immediately after the discovery of the sea route to India in 1498, Portuguese initiated trading relations with the distant kingdoms of the Far East.  They first came into contact with Chinese merchants at Malacca, and from here they sailed Chinese Sea and started their trade along the Pearl River Delta.

The Portuguese traders and priests landed first time in Macao's small harbour in mid 16^th Century.  Macao, otherwise known as a Bay of A-Ma, is a small island at the tip of southern cost of China, connected to the mainland China by a sand land bridge, creating a peninsula in the shape of a lotus flower.  

Ama, of our story, was born inside this temple at noon of 21^st of June 1595, by an African mother who was brought over to Macao as a slave.  Her father was a Portuguese Lord, Ottavio de Nobili.