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Beco da Rosa

Beco da Rosa, or rose alley, is also known as “Choi Long alley to the pier”. It is connected to Rua dos Ervanários. The area was a coastal area during Ming and Qing dynasties and its alter- native name “Choi Long alley to the pier” indicates an alley lead- ing to the pier and docks. Inside the alley, there is a shrine to the Earth God named “Choi Long Se”, in which the “Choi Long Se In- scription”, an agreement signed between the Qing government and residents under the reign of Emperor Jiaqing, is preserved. The agreement provided evidence that the area was once called “Si Seng Fong”, a place where cargo were unloaded and passen- gers landed in a pier.

Address: Beco da Rosa, Macao
Going to next stop: 4 minutes’ walk

Choi Long Society

The tangled streets in Macao are categorised into rua (street), travessa (lane), estrada (road), avenida (avenue), beco (alley), pátio (patio), istmo (isthmus), passeio (sidewalk), terraço (terrace), escada (staircase), calçada (slope), etc. Shrines of earth gods can be found on every three streets, every two lanes, or each alley. The common earth gods include the Groundkeeper God, God of Land, God of Blessing, Virtue and Fortune, God of Blessing and Virtue, Earth God, God of Ground and Fortune, etc. The shrines of the gods can be found at both the entrance and exit of Patio das Seis Casas, Pátio dos Cules, Beco da Felicidade and Pátio do Espinho. Beco da Rosa also houses the “Choi Long Se”, which is a shrine of the Earth God. Inside the shrine, the Earth God is worshipped and the “Choi Long Se Inscription” that recorded the history of the area is kept.

“Choi Long Society Inscription” was made in the 24th year of the reign of Emperor Jiaqing in Qing Dynasty, which was nearly 200 years ago. The tablet reads “Si Seng Fong is a vital passage of Macao. Close to the sea, it houses many shops and homes. Recently, a fire took the neighbourhood due to a lack of preparedness preventive measures. We received an order from the government and will call for a donation from the whole neighbourhood for removing old wells, dredging drainage systems and building piers for the benefit of shop owners and residents, as well as for fire prevention. For this, we appreciate the government’s love for the people. Hawking and any kinds of obstruction are not allowed at the harbour area behind the temple. The wells should not be used for bathing, slaughtering or washing dirty laundry as the water may be consumed by the residents. Offenders will be held accountable. In June of the 24th year of the reign of Emperor Jiaqing, this inscription is made by: Renhe Pawnshop, Gonghe Pawnshop, Tongsheng Pawnshop, Tongmao Pawnshop and Dinghe Pawnshop”. The record does not only tell us that “Si Seng Fong” was the name of the district close to the bay that functioned as a border gate and harbour in those days, but also that the population was dense and shops were arranged in rows. It was because of this fire that the residents were asked to build wells and dredge drainages to prevent fire hazards. Street obstruction and well water pollution were also forbidden.

The “Choi Long Se Inscription” is actually an agreement made between the authorities during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing in Qing Dynasty and the residents. From the content of the inscription, we can see that the people responsible for the fulfillment of the agreement were the owners of pawn shops, who also provided funding to manage “Choi Long Se”. This shows that Macao’s pawnbroking industry was already thriving at that time.

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