Macau Ruins of St. Paul's Photo Guide: Avoid the Crowds and Capture Great Shots

“Ruins of St. Paul's” is a famous photo spot in Macau. The name sounds a bit funny at first. Actually, it refers to the façade left from St. Paul's Church (São Paulo), and “San Ba” is the Cantonese transliteration of São Paulo. The church burned down long ago, but this wall still stands, becoming a landmark of Macau. Thinking about it this way, the name doesn’t seem so strange anymore. A friend said to get photos of the Ruins of St. Paul's without people, you have to go early, around 7 or 8 a.m. I believed it, but I really couldn’t get up that early. So I went there slowly after lunch, and surprisingly, there weren’t many people in my photos! It’s not that Macau is empty, it’s that I know how to find the right angles! The steps and the driveway there are not at the same height. If you sit on the steps and slightly turn your body, the crowd behind you is completely blocked, leaving only you and the weathered old wall in the photo. Here are a few more tips: stand below and shoot upwards, so the lens captures only the sky and exquisite stone carvings; the small hill on the side lets you shoot from above, with green trees in the foreground, separating you from the busy scene; the second-floor window of the Uniqlo across the street is a natural frame; and the small alley behind, when you look back, is so quiet it feels like time travel. So, popular spots don’t always have to be crowded. If you know how to look and where to find, you can carve out a little peaceful space anywhere. The Ruins of St. Paul's, with so much history, is meant for quiet contemplation, even if just for a few minutes.