- Mount Fortress

On the eastern front of the Ruins of St. Paul's stands Mount Fortress. The fort was built in 1616 during the Ming Dynasty, in order to protect priests at St. Paul's church from pirates. The fort is the largest and oldest of its kind in Macao, and the Museum of Macao was constructed within the fort area in April, 1998. Back in olden times, Mount Fortress formed the center of Macao's defense system.