Macau: History, Former Names & Timeline
Portuguese-leased port on the Pearl River estuary and for four centuries a window between China and the West.
MacauExplore Macau in the interactive map
Former names of Macau
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1557 | Macau |
Timeline of Macau
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1557 | The Portuguese are allowed to settle at Macau |
| 1582 | Matteo Ricci arrives in Macau |
| 1622 | The Portuguese repel a Dutch attack |
| 1887 | China and Portugal sign the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking |
| 1999 | Macau returns to China |
Who ruled Macau
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–401 BC | Unclaimed / no data |
| 400 BC–324 BC | Austro-Asiatic rice cultures |
| 323 BC–201 BC | Unclaimed / no data |
| 200 BC–2 BC | Nan-Yue |
| 1 BC–299 | Han |
| 300–499 | Jin |
| 500–599 | Jin Empire |
| 600–699 | Sui Empire |
| 700–999 | Tang Empire |
| 1000–1299 | Song Empire |
| 1300–1399 | Great Khanate |
| 1400–1499 | Ming Empire |
| 1500–1649 | Ming Chinese Empire |
| 1650–1782 | Post-Ming Warlords |
| 1783–1814 | Qing Empire |
| 1815–1919 | Manchu Empire |
| 1920–1937 | Chinese Warlords |
| 1938–1944 | Chinese warlords |
| 1945–today | China |
Battles and sites near Macau
- Battle of Yamen · 1279
Famous people of Macau
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1552 – 1610 | Matteo Ricci | Jesuit missionary |
Nearby cities
Further reading
Questions about Macau
Which states have ruled Macau?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Macau lies within 17 different states: Austro-Asiatic rice cultures, Nan-Yue, Han, Jin, Jin Empire, Sui Empire, Tang Empire, Song Empire, Great Khanate, Ming Empire and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Macau?
1557: The Portuguese are allowed to settle at Macau. 1582: Matteo Ricci arrives in Macau. 1622: The Portuguese repel a Dutch attack. 1887: China and Portugal sign the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking. 1999: Macau returns to China.
Which famous people are connected with Macau?
Matteo Ricci (jesuit missionary, 1552 – 1610).
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.