| Abstract: | Macao was one of the earliest port cities in China to be opened to foreigners; but how, under the institutions of Ming dynasty China, it should be opened to the Portuguese, and what its character and function should be, were subjects that triggered controversy both at court and among non-officials. It was only after a lengthy process of evolution that Macao finally developed into a commercial city. The special political environment, administrative patterns and social experiences of early Macao created a unique character and tradition of ＂harmony amidst difference, and difference amidst harmony＂ that was maintained for centuries with undiminished vitality. |
