Originally founded in the 16th Century by the Portuguese, work commenced in earnest on the fort in 1663 under Dutch colonial rule, when it became the country's primary port.

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Today, half the world's container trade, and much of its oil, pass within 5km of Aden, but northern rule, and the country's fierce protection of its independence, have turned the port into a backwater.

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Already their numbers have been decimated by marriage and migration. (Some 40, 000 Macanese now live abroad.) They and their once-graceful port at the mouth of the Pearl River will have a hard time maintaining a distinct identity under mainland rule.

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