Category: Macau

Macau is also one among the two special regions of administration in China and the other one is Hong Kong. Macau is situated on Pearl River Delta and the region was the colony of Portuguese. Macau was the first as well as the last colony made by Europeans in China. Macau is under ‘one country, two systems’ policy and China is only responsible for the region’s foreign affairs and defense. The region is autonomous in other things like immigration policy, customs policy, police, monetary system and legal system. Macau’s history begins back to Qin Dynasty of 221-206 BC.

The first known settlers of Macau were people who took refuge from the invading Macau at the time Southern Song Dynasty. Macau was not a major settlement till the Portuguese arrived to the territory in 16th century. According to the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and basic law, the freedom, rights, lifestyle and economic system of Macau should remain unchanged for a minimum of 50 years even after the transfer of rights to China in the year 1999. Chief executive heads Macau and he is appointed by central government.

The region’s economy is mainly dependent on tourism and gambling. Macau also depends on garment manufacturing, export-geared textile and financial services. About three fourth of the earnings through export is provided by the textile industry. Macau is most populated region of the world with a population of 18,428 individuals/sq km. About 95% of the people in Macau are Chinese and other 2% is Portuguese or mixed Chinese/Portuguese descendents. The official languages of Macau are Portuguese and Chinese and other languages used in the region are Hokkien, English and Mandarin. The most important religions of Macau are Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Other religions are Christianity and Mahayana Buddhism.

Tourism is a major industry of Macau as the region has several unique attractions, fascinating museums and world heritage sites. Macau’s culture is a mixture of Portuguese and Chinese heritage. Macau consists of Macau Peninsula as well as other islands of Coloane and Taipa. You can find several sightseeing places in Macau Peninsula. Central part of the Macau is a shopping area and tourist part with a main square, numerous streets and Largo do Senado. Central part of Macau consists of baroque and Portuguese style building, international branded textile shops, restaurants and sceneries. You can find Guia Lighthouse and Guia Fort in Macau which are situated at the highest point of the city, Guia Hill. Tourists can enjoy a cable car ride over the hill and you can see Flora Garden that consists of a zoo and aviary.

Macau offers best gambling centers of Asia where you can enjoy playing gambling games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, boule, slots and fan-tan. In Macau, you can see the Canindrome which is the only complex for greyhound racing. To watch horse racing, you can also go to Macau Jockey Club and Grand Prix Museum of Macau is another attraction based on racing. In Coloane Island, you can find Macau Golf and Country Club and black-sand Hac Sa Beach which is one of the great golf courses of Asia. The golf courses are open to both foreigners and locals.