In the middle 16^th century, the Ming government permitted foreign merchants, primarily Portuguese ones, to reside and trade on a lot in the southwest of the peninsula of Macao. When the Portuguese first arrived in Macao, there were only some scattered villages on the peninsula. The oldest temple in Macao is the A-Ma Temple. Later, the Portuguese began to build simple churches in the Inner Harbour, and around the churches they gradually built more and more residences. The coexistence of different beliefs and lifestyles defines the essence of the Historic Centre of Macao. Successful East-West cultural pluralism is illustrated by the historic centre, which has been the fruit of mutual respect.