Macau#

General#

Macau also spelled Macao, officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the western side of the Pearl River Delta in East Asia. Macau is bordered by the city of Zhuhai in China to the North and the Pearl River Estuary to the East and South. Hong Kong lies about 64 kilometres to its East across the Delta. With an estimated population of around 647,700 living in an area of 30.5 km², it is the most densely populated region in the world.

Macau Tower#

Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre, also known as Macau Tower, is a tower located in Sé, Macau, China. The tower measures 338 m in height from ground level to the highest point. An observation deck with panoramic views, restaurants, theaters, shopping malls and the Skywalk X, a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim. It offers the best view of Macau and in recent years has been used for a variety of adventurous activities.The tower was created by the architecture firm of Craig Craig Moller. The tower is one of the members of the World Federation of Great Towers. Besides being used for observation and entertainment, the tower is also used for telecommunications and broadcasting.

Macau Tower(1), Macau | ©Jasmin Hopf(2015)

Macau Tower - plateau for Skywalk, Macau | ©Jasmin Hopf(2015)

Macau Tower(2), Macau | ©pixabay.com(2015)

Churches#

Religion in Macau is represented predominantly by Chinese folk religions and Buddhism. During the period in which the city was under Portuguese rule (1557–1999) the Catholic Church became one of the dominant faiths, but nowadays it has greatly declined.

Ruins of St. Pauls Cathedral(1), Macau | ©pixabay.com(2016)

Our Lady of Penha (Church), Macau | ©Jasmin Hopf(2015)

Ruins of St. Pauls Cathedral(2), Macau | ©pixabay.com(2011)

St. Dominic´s Church, Macau | ©Jasmin Hopf(2015)

A-Ma Temple#

The A-Ma Temple is a temple to the Chinese sea-goddess Mazu located in São Lourenço, Macau, China. Built in 1488, the temple is one of the oldest in Macau and thought to be the settlement's namesake. The Temple consists of six main parts: Gate Pavilion, the Memorial Arch, the Prayer Hall, the Hall of Benevolence (the oldest part of the temple), the Hall of Guanyin and Zhengjiao Chanlin - Buddhist Pavilion.

A-Ma Temple(1), Macau | ©Jasmin Hopf(2015)

A-Ma Temple(2), Macau | ©Jasmin Hopf(2015)

Incense stick in a bowl full of sand - A-Ma Temple, Macau | ©pixabay.com(2004)

Macau Fisherman's Wharf#

The Macau Fisherman's Wharf is an integrated waterfront, hotel, convention, dining, retail and entertainment complex in Sé, Macau, China. The construction of the theme park took 5 years, before an opening ceremony by the Chief Executive of Macau and trial operation began on December 31, 2005. After one year of trial operation, the wharf was officially opened on December 31, 2006. he complex includes over 70 stores and restaurants in buildings built in the style of different world seaports such as Cape Town, and Amsterdam, a convention and exhibition centre, a marina, two hotels and a casino spanning over 133,000 m2 of area.The theme park gets 40% of its area from reclamation from the sea.

Macau Fisherman´s Wharf, Macau | ©Jasmin Hopf(2015)

Casino#

Gambling in Macau has been legal since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalised the activity in the autonomous colony. Since then, Macau has become known worldwide as the "Monte Carlo of the Orient". Gambling tourism is Macau's biggest source of revenue, making up about 50% of the economy. Visitors are made up largely of Chinese nationals from the mainland China and Hong Kong. With the entry of large foreign casinos from Las Vegas and Australia, Macau overtook the Las Vegas Strip in gaming revenues in 2007.