Rua de Cinco de Outubro, A nostalgic journey through a vibrant past

The streets of Macau on the 5th of October

A very historic street

4.3

Introduction

October 5th Street, also known as Simate Street, is located in the Inner Harbor area of the peninsula's west. It runs through the Fong Son Tang, Tachang Tang, and Fong Sun Tang districts. Over 100 years ago, there was a Simate pier in that area. Later, the area around the pier expanded into a street and was named Simate Street. The pier no longer exists today, only a gateway remains. The Simate Street Market in Water Cock Lane was abolished after the completion of the Nanjing Street Market and the Camp Street Market. In October 1910, Portugal experienced a revolution, overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a republic. In commemoration of the successful revolution, the Portuguese government renamed Simate Street to October 5th Street. "October 5th" refers to the fifth day of October, not October 5th in the Chinese lunar calendar. In the early 20th century, October 5th Street was a bustling commercial area with a large flow of people. Many teahouses were established here, including the well-known Six Nations Tea House (formerly known as Dexin Tea House), Dalongfeng Tea House (formerly known as Delhi Tea House), and Guannan Tea House. The early famous gambling companies, the Taixing Entertainment Company and the Macau Tourism and Entertainment Limited, opened casinos on this street in 1937 and 1962 respectively. In the middle of the street, there is the Kong Gong Temple, also known as the Temple of Kong Zhenjun, which was built in 1860. In the past, there were many street vendors selling their goods in front of the temple. In recent years, the government has held various recreational activities in front of the temple, gradually turning it into a nostalgic tourism area.