text: [{"text_idx": "#000046", "text": "Phrae to BangkokPhrae to Chiang Mai"}, {"text_idx": "#000117", "text": "Church of St. Paul in Macau"}, {"text_idx": "#000118", "text": "The ruins of the Church of St. Paul are the most visited and iconic historical landmark in Macau, a region of China better known for its many casinos. At the time of its construction, 1602 to 1640, the Church of St. Paul was the largest Christian place of worship in Asia. Macau was leased from China by the Portuguese Government in 1557 and remained under Portuguese control until 1999. As well as Portuguese language and cuisine, the Portuguese also introduced their religion, Catholicism, to Macau making it one of the most important centres for the development of the Catholic church in East Asia. Christians from China and Japan came to Macau in large numbers for freedom of worship and they were played an important role in the construction of the church, the Jesuit order of the Catholic church, however, appears to have been the major driving force behind the construction of the Church of St. Paul."}, {"text_idx": "#000119", "text": "All that remains of the Church of St. Paul is its stone facade, and a set of stairs leading up to the church. The rest of the church was built of timber and burnt down in 1835. The facade is propped up by a steel frame which also holds up a staircase at the rear of the facade which visitors can ascend and look out through the windows of the facade. A crypt and foundations of the building were uncovered during renovation work which took place from 1990 to 1995, and this part of the church has been opened as a museum displaying some interesting artefacts relating to the church and Macau from the period before it burnt down."}]