The bronze figure before you seems to strain against an unseen force. This is the João Ferreira do Amaral Statue, a monument tangled in the complex history of Portugal and China. João Ferreira do Amaral was the Governor of Macau from 1846 to 1849. During his time, he made bold moves to assert Portuguese authority in Macau. He introduced policies that angered the Chinese residents. Sadly, this ultimately led to his assassination in 1849.
Originally, this very statue stood in Macau, a symbol of Portuguese dominance. However, as Macau prepared to return to Chinese rule in 1990, colonial symbols were removed. The statue was shipped to Lisbon, a silent witness to a changing world order. Now the statue stands here in Lisbon far from the land he governed. It serves as a reminder of a tumultuous period in history and the complexities of colonial relationships.