23/08/2020
✨ The Glitz, Glamour & Heritage ✨
Travel Like a Local: Macau 🕺💃
Vegas of China. Monte Carlos of the Orient. Named as the gambling capital of the world in the past few years, Macau is where all of your dreams can come true.
Just 55-minute high-speed ferry away from Hong Kong, Macau is a special administrative region under China just like Hong Kong, where it maintains its own separate political and economic system.
As a result of that, Macau is the only territory in China that gambling has been legal since it was under the Portuguese colony in the 1850s.
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In 2002, the government decided to end the local monopoly system and welcomed American casino operators to come onto the scene. Since then, Macau has been transformed into a city of glitz and glamour with tourists from mainland China and all over the world flying in to live the life of a high roller.
But apart from all the glitz and glamour, Macau has over 400 years of history in which the unique hybrid culture of Portuguese and Chinese coexist, and you can still see the blends of those cultures today in some of the locations in Macau.
Historic Center of Macau 🕍
Located on the Macau peninsula, the Historic Center of Macau is a fascinating destination where over twenty locations of Chinese and Portuguese cultures coexist and blend together in the form of historic streets, Portuguese influenced city squares, churches and residential buildings, and Chinese buildings and temples. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005, and UNESCO describes the location as the place of the earliest and long-lasting encounters between China and the West.
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Macau has many iconic landmarks in the Historic Center of Macau and nearby area on the peninsula, which can indicate the personality of the city easily, for example, Macau Tower representing the living-life-to-the-fullest nature of Macau. Amongst them, Ruins of St. Paul’s has to be the most recognizable due to its stone façade on top of a hill.
Built in 1640, the landmark is the ruins of a 17th century complex, which was originally St. Paul’s College and the Church of St. Paul. You may take many photos of yourself with other Macau’s iconic landmarks, but you aren’t really in Macau unless you have a photo of you with the Ruins of St. Paul’s in the background.
A-Ma Temple 🏮
Built in 1488, A-Ma Temple is one of the oldest establishments in Macau. It is believed that the name Macau was adapted from the name of the temple.
According to the history, when the Portuguese sailors landed on the coast, across from the temple, and asked for the name of the place, the locals replied Maa-gok or A-maa-gok (The Pavilion of the Mother), and later on the Portuguese named the peninsula “Macau”.
The temple united several local religions, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. But the temple was built to dedicate to the sea goddess, A-Ma (also Tin Hau, Matsu or Mazu) – goddess of seafarers and fishermen. A-Ma Temple is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and a part of Historic Center of Macau.
➿ Cotai Strip ➿
Coined by Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Cotai Strip is where all your dreams come true, if you are looking to cash out on luxury and casinos. Majority of the hotel-casinos can be found in the vicinity of Cotai Strip. Most notable establishments in the area, The Venetian, Cotai Arena, The Plaza, Cotai Expo and The Parisian are owned by Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
🔸The Venetian 🔸
Named as the world’s largest casino, The Venetian Macao is the greater and grander sister of The Venetian Las Vegas. The 39-story hotel-casino has 3,000 rooms, over 6,000 slot machines and 800 gaming tables. If you need a break from the casino, you can either shop till you drop at the Shoppes, Venetian’s indoor shopping areas or hire a gondola to paddle through the canals in the middle of Shoppes while a gondolier serenades you.
The Parisian 💃🏵
Owned by Las Vegas Sands, The Parisian is the newest resort on the Cotai Strip, opened in 2016. If the Venetian is all about Venice, you bet The Parisian is all about Paris down to details of having a half-scale Eiffel Tower as a landmark. Similar to the Venetian, the new resort has 3,000 hotel rooms and 170 shops, including 1,200-seat theater. If you want a 360-degree experience of Cotai Strip, check out the observation decks on levels 7 and 37 of Eiffel Tower.
City of Dreams ✨
Located on the opposite side of The Venetian, living up to its name, City of Dreams (CoD) has become one of the leading top destinations for luxurious leisure in Macau. CoD is a resort with four towers - two for Grand Hyatt Macau, one for the Countdown Hotel, one for Nüwa Hotel, and last futuristic looking tower dedicated for Morpheus Hotel.
The four towers are connected by a three-floor podium, home to a mega casino, over 200 retail shops and entertainment extravaganza - an aquarium, a 8-feet bubble fountain and a Dancing Water Theater with one of the largest commercial pools in the world.
There are also exciting interactive art installations, called “Game of Thrills” placed around the walkways between each tower of CoD. They are also top-notch instagrammable spots - our favorite was the Cadillac Pool by Malherbe Paris - a sky blue Cadillac trunk filled with gold and bling.
Taipa Village 🎐
Just a few minutes from the Cotai Strip lies another heritage gem of Macau, Taipa Village, which offers a complete alternative experience to its neighboring high-rolling lifestyle.
The village is located in the oldest and best-preserved area of Taipa with its cobbled streets and its traditional shophouses - the location is a perfect blend of Portuguese and Chinese architecture with distinctive Mediterranean touches.
If you are looking for the original-everyday life of Macau, you can find it here. Taipa Village is a culturally-rich destination where you can find authentic dining experiences or original street food, a fusion of traditional and modern retail stores, and quirky coffee shops.
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We have a few quests for you to do when you’re on the locations. Don’t forget to hashtag them if you post on your Facebook or Instagram!
For your first task, as we have said before, you aren’t really in Macau unless you have a photo of you with the Ruins of St. Paul’s in the background, so let’s get right to it!
Light up the spiral incense at A-Ma Temple.
Ride a gondola at The Venetian. (Price MOP 135 for shared ride and MOP 540 for private.)
Check out the mesmerizing view of the Cotai Strip and the glittering lights of The Parisian from the 37th floor of Macau Eiffel Tower. (MOP 108 for adult and MOP 312 for family pack - 2 adults and 2 children)
Find Pastry Go Round by Malherbe Paris interactive art installation at City of Dreams and enjoy a treat on it while it goes around.
Check out Quarter Square gallery and coffee bar when you are in Taipa Village - it’s a cute and classy place where you can check out a selection of local and international contemporary design.
By Htet Wai
Words by Chit Chit
Model: HTOO AUNG
Photographer: THE STREET SENSEI
Hair & Makeup: AH NGELAY (RED RIBBON)
Stylist: ALITHEA CASTILLO
