Destination Guide to Macau, Macau
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Macau is politically one of the most unique cities in the world. It is one of only two special administrative areas of China and, of course, Hong Kong is the other. Macau is administered by, and heavily influenced by the Portuguese. Situated quite close to one another, Hong Kong and Macau are great holiday destinations and are great places to explore the cities themselves but also, Macau is a great place from which to explore the rest of China and, in fact, Asia. There are many cheap hotels in Macau that are also surprisingly cheap to visit and it is also cheap to move around there as well.
Macau is a very old city and its roots can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty of the 2nd century BC. Macau has also been laid claim to by the Song Dynasty and the famous Ming Dynasty. However, it was not until the Portuguese arrived in 1535 that Macau started growing to its full potential. Unfortunately, the city grew due to the trade in Chinese slaves but this practice was soon abolished. However, trade continued to flourish, transforming Macau into a financial hub.
Macau is known as the most densely populated city in the world. With mostly Portuguese and Chinese influences there are a lot of cultures, religions, languages and people all vying for their place in the world. Naturally, along with this mass of people comes an enormous and magnificent array of artefacts and monuments which seem to all compete for the attention of the tourist by being more magnificent than then next.
Some of the most famous sights to see in Macau include the A-Ma Temple, built in 1448 and the Ruins of St Pauls, originally built in 1602 but mostly destroyed by fire in the 1800’s. Other magnificent places to visit include the Statue of Guan Yin, the Sao Paulo Cathedral, Penha Church as well as the modern Macau Tower for those visitors overwhelmed by history.
Of course, Hong Kong is close by and frequent ferries from Macau are available should you with to visit that city as well.
No visit to Macau would be complete without a ride through the city streets in a Trishaw. This is a great adventure for tourists and a great way to see the city. Some of the most colourful events are religious festivals and the best ones to see are the Feast of Tou Tei and the Procession of the Passion of Our Lord, the God Jesus in March. The differences between Christianity and the worship of the Earth God are very interesting to witness first hand.