When Portuguese first arrived in the then Haojing, now Macao, in 1553, they asked local Chinese about the name of the place.

Not understanding what the foreigners were asking about, the natives pointed to a temple, murmuring, "Macao."

Macao is the dialectal pronunciation by local Chinese for "Mage ", the Temple of Goddess. For centuries, fishermen in southeast China's coastal areas had built the kind of temple, hoping that the Goddess would bless them.

The one that stands at the southern end of Macao is known as "A- Ma Temple" and was built 511 years ago. The temple not only is where the territory got its present name but also the most attractive site for pilgrims and tourists from across the world.

A tourist from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China, who only gave her surname as Lin, said: "A-Ma Temple gives me a sense of history and is the symbol of Macao. So I must visit it."

Sources here say that the A-Ama Temple will continue to be a major tourist attraction in Macao after the Chinese government resumes the exercise of sovereignty over the region on December 20. (Xinhua)