The principal festival with the Chinese is New Year's Day

The principal festival with the Chinese is New Year's Day. No one cares about business, and everyone is occupied in feasting. This day is considered by them as a fast day, which it is said was established in order to avoid cases of intoxication. Every man dresses in new clothes, and even those who live in extreme poverty appear on this day with something new.

Eight days before the New Year, nearly all the shops commence to decorate with new articles, such as artificial flowers, joss paper, etc., of different designs and colours, while in the streets are to be seen flowers in pots, toys, curiosities, and such-like things. These are all intended for sale. Here and there, too, are to be met with different groups of Chinese busily engaged in gambling. On the water, the boats are all gaily decorated with banners. The number of boats on this occasion is very great. Music and fire crackers are indispensable, both in the daytime and at night.

On the eve of the New Year, the concourse of people and their enthusiasm increase. The gambling multiplies proportionably, and there is no place where it is not to be seen. At night, both the marketplace and the harbour are rendered beautiful by immense illuminations, of course accompanied especially with music and the firing of crackers. The boats, when illuminated, produce a fine effect. The buying and selling are very extensive, but never fail to be accompanied, even at this happy season, by numerous thefts.

As soon as midnight of the last day of the year arrives, all the shops close and work of all kinds ceases. The festival continues for a greater or lesser number of days, generally not exceeding eight, and these are the days which the Chinese look upon as the principal ones. On the ninth day, when the shops begin to open for the ordinary business, there is again a feast which consists simply in firing crackers, burning joss paper, and so on.

The second day of the second moon is the day dedicated to the household gods. This feast is celebrated in various parts of the city by societies, and the expenses are borne by subscription. Each of these societies builds a tent in the locality chosen for the purpose, and in these tents there is always a goodly display of pictures. Music is played inside the tent and outside fire crackers are burnt at intervals. During the time of the feast, sacrifices are offered in the tent one after another. When many people meet there, a kind of firework is burnt. As soon as it falls, everyone rushes upon it, and he who picks it up first wins a prize and will be considered happy for the whole year. Some more of these fireworks or big crackers are burnt at intervals, and the parties who pick them up have the same interests as the first one.

The fireworks are all numbered and, consequently, the quality and value of each is indicated. Those who have picked them up are obliged to present similar ones for the same purpose. In order that no one of the party who has picked them up shall fail in fulfilling his obligation, the directors take and keep a memorandum of the names of the individuals. Underneath the name of each is indicated the number he has to supply. These acts are only practised by those of the common classes. The rich perform their sacrifices in their own houses, but many of them appear at the above festival as spectators.

The festival usually lasts for two or three days and ends with the burning of another kind of firework, which takes place on the night of the last day. Figures are placed on it which are moved by the fire, representing dramatic characters. The title of the piece is represented in sacred characters and the firework is composed of as many parts as there are acts in the theatrical performance which has to be imitated. The first act is represented on the lower part of the firework and, as soon as it comes to an end, the second act appears, and so on until all the acts are finished.

The feast of the goddess Kuonyn is celebrated on the nineteenth day of the same moon. This feast consists of sacrifices performed in the houses, at sea, and in joss houses; and on this occasion there is always a great quantity of food offered, in addition to small pieces of gilt and silver paper.

On the last days of the same moon, which is the beginning of Spring, the Chinese commence to make sacrifices over the gravestones of their deceased relations. These sacrifices usually last more than twenty days. Victuals are placed near the gravestones, and paper clothes and small pieces of gilt and silver paper are burnt. When the sacrifices are on the eve of terminating, a part of the food is given away to the poor, who on these occasions generally muster in great numbers.

Excerto de "Manners & Customs of the Chinese at Macao", publicado em Xangai em 1877. Trata-se da versão em inglês (tradução de Rufino Francisco Martins) da obra publicada dez anos anos em Hong Kong - "Os Chins de Macau" - da autoria de Manuel Castro Sampaio.  

Este livro é considerado um dos primeiros e mais detalhados estudos etnográficos sobre a comunidade chinesa em Macau escritos por um português. Nele, Sampaio descreve com rigor os costumes, a religião, as festividades e a organização social da população local.

O livro inclui esta "Planta Topographica do Bazar de Macau"

Manuel de Castro Sampaio nasceu no Porto a 28 de Agosto de 1827. Com uma formação académica superior, licenciou-se em Medicina, o que lhe conferiu um rigor científico e uma capacidade de observação que marcariam todo o seu percurso profissional e intelectual no Oriente. Assentou praça no Exército em 1845 e três anos depois partiu para Macau em 1848, integrando o quadro de saúde do Ultramar.

Ao longo da sua estadia em Macau, Sampaio desenvolveu uma carreira multifacetada. No plano militar e administrativo, ascendeu ao posto de capitão e exerceu cargos de grande responsabilidade, como o de Secretário da Junta da Fazenda. O seu prestígio intelectual valeu-lhe o reconhecimento internacional, tendo sido distinguido como sócio-correspondente da Real Sociedade Asiática de Londres (Royal Asiatic Society), uma das mais prestigiadas instituições científicas do mundo dedicadas ao estudo das culturas orientais.

No campo das letras teve um papel preponderante na imprensa de Macau sendo editor a colaborador activo do periódico Ta-Ssi-Yang-Kuo (Arquivos do Extremo Oriente), iniciado em 1863. Colaborou ainda com a Gazeta de Macau e o Echo do Povo. Ainda em Portugal fundara o Voz do Alentejo.

Entre 1871 e 1873 foi Governador de Timor, um mandato onde se empenhou na organização administrativa e na melhoria das condições de saúde pública. 

Após décadas de serviço no Oriente, Manuel de Castro Sampaio regressou a Portugal, vindo a morrer em Lisboa, a 12 de outubro de 1875.

Para além dos livros já referidos foi ainda autor de: 

Pobreza envergonhada (Valença, 1852); Ensaios Poeticos (1858); Compendio de hygiene popular – tradução livre do texto de D. Francisco Tamires Vaz, (Elvas, 1860); Victimas de uma paixão (Lisboa, 1863); Memorias dos festejos realizados em Macau no fausto nascimento de S. A. o sr. D. Carlos Fernando (Macau, 1864); Compendio de Ortographia (Macau, 1864).