Built in 1770, the first known owner of this mansion was a wealthy Portuguese merchant, Manuel Pereira. At a later date, the house was rented out to the British East India Company, housing some of the company’s high-ranking officials. Visitors of the house include renowned figures such as Lord George McCartney (1737-1806), the first envoy of Britain to China who visited Emperor Qianlong in 1793. In 1960’s, the house was used as a museum space dedicated to Luís de Camões, a famous Portuguese poet. Nowadays, the property is the Macao Branch of the Orient Foundation.