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This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all.

This template should be removed from the article 6 May 2024.

Macau (澳門), alternatively Macao and formerly known as Haojiang (濠冮),[1] is a city-state and autonomous territory on the southeastern coast of China. A major resort city, it lies on the west end of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong Kong, China's other city-state. It was a former colony of Portugal from 1557 to 1999, constituting the last European colony in Asia.

As the site of Portuguese incursions during the 16th century, it became a significant port for the global slave trade. Under the Ming dynasty, it also hosted the stronghold of the Chinese Templar slaver Yu Dayong. His assassination at the hands of the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun in 1526 led to the Templars venting their fury on Macau by setting it ablaze, although it would continue to prosper for centuries after.

In the early 18th century, Macau remained an important trade center and a number of merchants and trade organizations, both Chinese and foreign, vied for power and influence in the city. In 1725, the Templars influenced these companies to aid their search for the ruins of Angkor, an alleged Isu site, but faced opposition from the British Assassin Edward Kenway, who had also traveled to Macau in search of leads to Angkor's location. In time, Edward established his own organization in the city, the Zhang Wei Union, which eventually grew into a large shipping company.

History[]

Ming dynasty[]

Consequences China (4)

The port of Macau ablaze in 1526

In 1513, Portuguese explorer Jorge Álvares became the first of his people to arrive in China. Landing in what is now Macau, he laid the foundations for the area to become the main Portuguese access point into China.[2] As a port town, it became a major site for the Portuguese slave trade.[3]

In 1526, the city fortress was commanded by Yu Dayong, a Templar and one of the eunuchs known as the Eight Tigers. There, he prodigiously oversaw the slave trade, but the vengeful Assassin Shao Jun infiltrated the stronghold one night and killed him.[4] As the Assassin made her escape, Yu's corpse was discovered by Qiu Ju, another Tiger and one known for his brutality. In retaliation for his fellow Tiger's murder and to show Jun the consequences of her actions, Qiu ordered his men to set the port ablaze, killing many innocents in the process.[5]

Qing dynasty[]

Edward Kenway's investigation[]

ACFT - Edward arriving in Macau

Edward arriving in Macau

In 1725, the Templars sought to find the lost city of Angkor, which they believed to be an Isu site, and dispatched one of their agents, the Japanese Templar and Shimazu clan samurai Shimazu Saito, to Macau to search for leads.[6] The Templars also began influencing the power struggle in Macau between the various merchants and trade companies operating there, aiding the businessmen Sun of the Hualien Trading Company, Alan Jacob of the Far East Company and Jan van Aert of the Dutch East India Company with their plans to sabotage their mutual rival, Lee Huiyin.[7]

In February of that year, the British Assassin Edward Kenway arrived in Macau after being informed by a West Indies Assassin of a lead regarding a Piece of Eden in Indochina. Upon his arrival, Edward met John Young, a navigator for the Dutch East India Company who had heard stories about Angkor from his fellow company mate Hendrik, who had found the location of the lost city.[8] While Hendrik was killed by Saito and her ninja followers, who sought to silence anyone who knew about Angkor, Edward protected John and the two teamed up to find the lost city before the Templars.[9]

During their investigation, Edward and John resided in a small village near Macau, where they were allowed to take shelter after the Assassin had saved the life of one of its inhabitants, the laborer Zhang.[6] Edward returned to the city on several occasions, first to steal salt and sugar from a warehouse owned by Lee in order to create a remedy for an outbreak of cholera that had hit the village.[10] Later, the Assassin infiltrated the mansion complex known as the Mandarin's House to steal Hendrik's sea log from Lee, who had purchased it following the navigator's death.[11] However, he lost the log to Saito after the Templar and her ninja attacked the Mandarin's House.[12]

Power struggle among the merchants[]

ACFT - Meeting at the harbor

Lee Huiyin's three main rivals: Jan van Aert, Sun and Alan Jacob

After striking a partnership with Lee,[7] Edward investigated her business rivals, who he believed to be affiliated with the Templars, and foiled their various plots to sabotage Lee's company.[13] One such plot, masterminded by Alan Jacob, was to frame Lee for opium trafficking, which Edward thwarted by staging a large spectacle that exposed the Far East Company for smuggling the drugs into Macau.[14] After the ship carrying the opium shipment was detained by the Dutch Navy, both Lee and Sun sought to steal its cargo for their personal gain.[15] Edward destroyed the ship to prevent this from happening, which led to the end of his alliance with Lee.[16]

Later, Edward and his allies came together to establish their own organization, the Zhang Wei Union, with the headquarters in the A-Ma Cultural Village.[17] Operating as a legitimate shipping company, Edward and his crew performed various contracts and were eventually able to secure a partnership with the Dutch East India Company after the Assassin helped Jan van Aert with a favor. This allowed the Zhang Wei Union to expand rapidly, becoming one of the major trade companies operating in Macau.[18]

Shimazu clan civil war[]

ACFT - Edward ending the fight between the ninja

Edward ending a fight between Shimazu ninja in the streets of Macau

During this time, a civil war broke out between the ninja who had accompanied Saito to Macau, with Fuma Sukuna leading a group of pure-blooded Japanese shinobi against Saito's mixed-blood ninja. Sukuna and Saito allied themselves with Lee and Sun, respectively, and fights between members from the two factions became commonplace in the streets of Macau.[18] To end the conflict, Sukuna enlisted Edward's help to assassinate Saito aboard Sun's floating gambling hall,[19] but the Assassin and Templar ended up striking an alliance instead and attempted to recover Hendrik's sea log, which Saito had given to Sun.[20]

Aside from Edward and Saito, Hendrik's log was also sought by Lee, who sent Sukuna and his ninja to retrieve it, and the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins led by Xiao Han, who hoped to use Angkor's treasure to overthrow the Qing dynasty.[21] The consequent fight for the sea log aboard Sun's gambling ship resulted in the deaths of all of Saito's subordinates,[22] Xiao Han claiming the log after assassinating Sun,[23] and the ship's destruction by Jeong, an admiral hired by Lee. Edward and Saito escaped with the help of John, who also rescued Xialun Qing, a waitress working aboard the ship who was subseqently recruited into the Zhang Wei Union alongside Saito.[24]

In the aftermath of the Shimazu civil war, Xiao Han and the Chinese Assassins allied with Lee to find Angkor and its treasure,[25] while the members of the Zhang Wei Union were able to find a lead directing them to the Philippines. Edward and his allies subsequently left Macau in order to investigate this lead, leaving Zhang behind to lead the Union during their absence.[26]

Modern times[]

ACFT - Noa in Macau

Noa Kim in Macau

In 2023, after using the genetic genealogy site WhyYou developed by Abstergo Genetic Research Lab, Edward's descendant Noa Kim was lured on a vacation prize trip to Macau. There, he was abducted by agents of Abstergo Industries and brought to the Exitus research vessel, where he was forced to relive Edward's memories in the Animus to help Abstergo locate the Piece of Eden found by his ancestor.[27]

In time, however, Noa was able to strike a deal with the scientist leading the operation, Doctor Shimazu Sei, being given some degree of freedom to act as he pleased in exchange for his cooperation.[10] When Noa and Sei ran into a roadblock while exploring Edward's memories, they traveled to Macau's A-Ma Cultural Village to follow up on a lead and the former was able to find a clue that allowed him to continue reliving Edward's memories.[28]

During the trip to the village, members of the Zhawang Corporation, a branch of the Zhang Wei Union, attempted to rescue Noa and enlisted the help of the Doom Eagle criminal organization to stage a distraction. While the thugs attacked Sei and her Abstergo guards, two Corporation agents approached Noa and asked him to leave with them. However, Noa refused and went to protect Sei from the thugs before willingly returning with her to the Exitus.[17]

After running into another roadblock later down the line, Noa and Sei, along with the latter's team, left Macau and sailed to Cebu in the Philippines aboard the Exitus to investigate another lead that would permit them to continue exploring Edward's memories.[29]

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Non-canonical appearances[]

References[]

  1. Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao JunThe Assassin Brotherhood and The Templar Order
  2. Assassin's Creed Chronicles: ChinaDatabase: Portuguese Sailors
  3. Assassin's Creed Chronicles: ChinaThe Port
  4. Assassin's Creed Chronicles: ChinaThe Slaver
  5. Assassin's Creed Chronicles: ChinaConsequences
  6. 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 4
  7. 7.0 7.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 12
  8. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 2
  9. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 3
  10. 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 7
  11. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 10
  12. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 11
  13. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 13
  14. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 17
  15. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 19
  16. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 20
  17. 17.0 17.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 23
  18. 18.0 18.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 30
  19. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 31
  20. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 34
  21. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 36
  22. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 37
  23. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 38
  24. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 39
  25. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 40
  26. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 41
  27. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 1
  28. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 22
  29. Assassin's Creed: Forgotten TempleEpisode 42

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