A-Ma, also known as Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) is the Goddess of Seafarers. A-Ma Temple already existed before the city of Macao came into being. It is situated on the western slope of Barra Hill and consists the Gate Pavilion, the Memorial Arch, the Prayer Hall, the Hall of Benevolence, the Hall of Guanyin, and Zhengjiao Chanlin (a Buddhist pavilion).
The various pavilions of A-Ma Temple were constructed at different times with the present-day configuration dating back to 1828. The Hall of Benevolence is believed to be the earliest structure, built around 1488. The Prayer Hall, also known as “The First Palace of the Holy Mountain”, was built in 1605, according to the inscriptions found on some of the stones at this site. Alongside the upward route leading to the Hall of Guanyin, there are engraved rocks that present inscriptions of poems about the history and culture of Macao.