Jorge Álvares
Portuguese explorer and merchant who, in 1513, became the first European to land on the Chinese mainland, making landfall at Tamão island (near modern Guangzhou) in the Pearl River delta. His voyage opened the era of direct Portuguese contact with China and paved the way for the later establishment of Macau. Álvares died in China in 1521; a stone monument marking the site of his landing was rediscovered in the 19th century and is now preserved in the Museu de Macau.
- Lived: 1490 CE – 1521 CE
- Nationality: portuguese
- Roles: explorer, merchant, captain
