Aomen

Navarrete’s missionary activities came to an abrupt halt in 1664 when a fierce and general persecution broke out. All missionaries were to be brought to Beijing by imperial command and then conducted to Guangzhou. Morever the prohibition of maritime trade along the coastline of Guangdong was to be strictly enforced. Since Aomen was under Chinese jurisdiction, the Portuguese colony would have been subjected to martial law except for the intervention of the Jesuit, Johan Adam von Bell Schall (1591-1666), then in favor at court. While he obtained for Aomen an exemption from the regulation requiring removal inland, the regulation relating to trade and commerce remained in force. Aomen suffered greatly from this control of communication, and in 1667 Portugal decided to send an embassy to alleviate the situation. The ambassador, Manuel de Saldanha (d. 1670), did not have permission to go to Beijing immediately, nor did he bring any tribute with him. Aomen had to furnish this, and to support him, his suite, and his family which accompanied him for two years. The stranded Portuguese embassy was finally granted permission to proceed to the capital in 1670—a decision closely associated with the imperial favor enjoyed by the Jesuits.

Source: wiktionary

The mountainous region on the western shore of the Pearl River bay, from Humen on the north to Aomen on the south, divided from the rest of the mainland by the main channel of the West River and including the islands immediately offshore, constituted a roughly defined but coherent geographical entity.

Source: wiktionary

Most of the early arrivals were Portuguese traders who were allowed to establish a settlement at Aomen (Macao) in the 1550s. In the meantime the Jesuits had established a mission in Japan and in 1577 Alessandro Yalignano, the Jesuit Visitor to the Indies, arrived in Aomen. He was followed by Matteo Ricci, who in 1601, after twenty years of negotiation, was allowed to reside in Beijing.

Source: wiktionary

Yet try using Peking or Canton today and there will be howls of protest, though these are legitimate anglicisations based on usage derived from the role of Canton in China’s trade history. There is no reason why English speakers should follow China’s official romanisations any more than do the French, who still use Pekin for Beijing. It also raises the question of whether Hong Kong and Macau are soon to be replaced in English by Xianggang and Aomen.

Source: wiktionary