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Midway Sojourners, Macanese Moments and Stoical Settlers The River and the Sea While Maca u lie s a t th e estuar y o f th e Pear l Rive r int o whic h flo w th e waters o f Sout h China' s thre e grea t rivers : th e East , Nort h an d Wes t Rivers, Portuga l lie s alon g th e Wester n seaboar d o f th e Iberia n peninsul a on th e Atlanti c Ocean . Lisbon , it s capita l sinc e 1255 , i s locate d a t th e mouth o f th e Tagu s Rive r whic h immediatel y join s th e se a an d wa s onc e the startin g poin t fo r numerou s maritim e discoveries . Th e significan t similarity o f Maca u an d Portuga l i s thei r intrinsi c relationshi p wit h th e river an d th e sea . The rive r i s a symbo l o f fertility , lif e an d peace . Th e se a i s a symbo l of flux , eternit y an d liberty . Th e rive r als o share s i n th e symbolis m o f th e sea, o r th e ocean , which represent s th e cosmic forces : th e sourc e o f al l life . However, the y bot h hav e a Janus-like natur e whic h foster s a paradoxica l effect: a s a benefactor, th e river and th e sea are associated with regeneration , purification an d universa l life; as a monster, the y stand fo r death , untamabl e wildness, fruitlessness , unbounde d desolatio n an d immens e illogic . Th e sea, i n particular , allude s t o th e longin g fo r adventur e an d spiritua l exploration (Olderr , 1986 : 9 5 an d Vries , 1976 : 406) . Althoug h Maca u and Portuga l ar e fa r apart , bot h shar e th e characteristic s o f bein g impregnated b y the rive r an d th e sea , an d th e tw o people s ar e inseparabl e from seaborn e trad e an d commerce . Du e t o historica l grafting , th e tw o peoples hav e encountere d an d i n som e instance s the y revea l thei r arden t attachment t o th e rive r an d th e sea . Thei r sea-lovin g sensitivit y i s ver y much reflecte d i n literar y production ; motif s o f th e river , th e se a an d th e ocean ofte n provid e stor y line s t o differen t literar y genres . Macau ha d lon g bee n a por t befor e th e Portugues e settle d ther e i n 1557 an d befor e Hon g Kon g becam e a 'fre e port ' i n 1841 . The Fujianes e traders an d fishin g peopl e bega n t o us e Maca u a s a por t durin g th e Yua n 6 162 MACAU: A CULTURAL JANUS dynasty (1279-1368 ) an d the y wer e believe d t o b e th e earlies t know n settlers i n th e enclave . Maca u wa s the n a favourabl e shelte r fo r fishin g boats an d tradin g junk s t o replenish wit h foo d an d wate r befor e venturin g onto longe r journeys . Th e inne r harbou r als o offere d a saf e have n fo r fishermen i n storm y weather . Geographically , Maca u ha s alway s bee n a port i n th e mos t litera l sense : a meeting point , a steppin g stone , a contact frontier , an d a doorwa y o f Sout h China . Th e por t phenomeno n hardl y lends a sens e o f permanence; it only serve s as a threshold an d a temporar y rendezvous fo r huma n contacts . However , i n reality , i t i s also considere d a permanen t shelte r an d a fina l destination . Macau ma...

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