Lying to the north of A-Ma Temple, Rua da Praia do Manduco used to be a part of the city’s Northern Bay in the old days, hence the name“Ha Wan”of the street in Chinese. According to his mother, Xian Xinghai, a renowned Chinese composer, was born in Rua da Praia do Manduco. Xian’s family was impoverished and his father died at early age, leaving the wife to raise the son all alone. He spent his short childhood in Macao staying at the home of his maternal grandfather.
Address: Rua da Praia do Manduco, Macau
Going to next stop: 8 minutes’ walk
Xian Xinghai
Xian Xinghai, a native of Panyu of Guangdong province, was born in Macao and was honored as the “People’s Composer”. He had studied in France and began his teaching at the Department of Music of Lu Xun Institute of Arts at Yan’an city in 1938. Xian is best known for his “Yellow River Cantata”, a symphony masterpiece glorifying the patriotic fight in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Other notable works include “Hot-blooded”, “Song at Midnight” and “On the Taihang Mountains”. The MSAR government had named a 450-meter long road after him (Avenida Xian Xing Hai) in commemoration of this great composer.