Guia Fortress, Military fort on Guia Hill, Macau

Guia Fortress stands on Guia Hill, the highest point of the Macau peninsula, and combines a fort, the Chapel of Our Lady of Guia and a lighthouse. The chapel has a white stucco facade with yellow trim, a triangular pediment topped by a thin metal cross, a quatrefoil window and a green double door. Beside it, the tapered white lighthouse carries yellow bands, two small arched windows, an open railed gallery, a glass lantern room and a red domed roof.

The fort and chapel were built between 1622 and 1638 on Guia Hill, the highest point of the Macau peninsula. The fort was already partly standing when Dutch forces attempted to take Macau from Portugal, and its elevated position gave defenders an advantage against naval attack. It later formed part of a defensive line with the Monte Fort and Barra Fort.

The chapel, Capela de Nossa Senhora da Guia, was built around 1622 inside the fortress. In 1998, routine conservation work uncovered frescoes painted on its walls, mixing Western and Chinese themes. Visitors can look for these recovered paintings inside the small chapel beside the lighthouse.

The fort, chapel and lighthouse stand on Guia Hill, the highest point of the Macau peninsula, reached on foot or by the cable car that runs up the hill. The tunnels of the air-raid shelter network, from 47 to 456 metres long, were restored and opened in October 2003 as a display gallery with historical photographs. The lighthouse's light is visible for about 20 miles in clear weather.

The lighthouse was added in 1865 and became the first Western-style navigation structure of its kind on the Chinese coast. This role made the fortress a turning point for maritime communication in the entire region.