The Special Administrative Region of Macau is known for its history of charity work, cultural diversity and urban density. It stands apart from other cities formerly under Portuguese colonial rule due to its location in the South China Sea, in isolation from other Portuguese colonial possessions, and its long term status as a leased trading post. This specificity is evident in the housing initiatives undertaken by the provincial Urbanism Department in the 1960s, which operated under the mandate of the metropolitan Overseas Department in Lisbon. By examining early public housing estates in both Macau and Hong Kong, this thesis identifies a distinct style of Tropical Modernism in the Pearl River Delta.