Mount Fortress

Built between 1617 and 1626, Mount Fortress was once Macau's primary defense against pirates and attacks from the sea, even saving the city from an attempted Dutch invasion. The fortress was originally constructed by the Jesuits, who built military barracks, wells and a large enough arsenal to withstand up to two years under siege, before it was seized by the governor of Macau. Since the 1960s, it has served as a weather observatory and, more recently, as the home of the Macao Museum.