Macau Travel Photography, Free ePostcards, and Picture Guide | China SAR | Asia

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Send Image as a Free e-Postcard		Largo do Senado: Macau's city center is a spectacular mix of Chinese and Portuguese architecture, unlike anything I've ever seen. After traveling through China and Hong Kong, I was surprised to see such a stark difference in culture so close to the mainland.
Send Image as a Free e-Postcard		Ruins of the Cathedral of St. Paul: Built in the early 1600's, this was once the largest church in Asia. After it burnt down in the 1800's, the facade was saved and now is a top tourist attraction and Macau's emblem.
Send Image as a Free e-Postcard		Casino Lisboa: Macau is best known for its legal gambling, which is its main tourist attraction. I must tell you, gambling in Asia is much different than America, as there are no sideshows or free drinks - just tons of money wagered on each roll of the dice.
Send Image as a Free e-Postcard		Post Box: I like this photo because it shows just how much the cultures have intertwined. This scene looks like it came from a movie set in Asia that is making a movie about Europe but has to use local props.
Send Image as a Free e-Postcard		East Meets West: Since the Portuguese left in December of 1999, there has been a rush to make the colony more "Chinese". I returned to Macau in January after the changeover and the change was quite noticeable.
Send Image as a Free e-Postcard		Night Markets: Throughout Macau there are colorful street markets that sell everything from hand-made clothes, delicious fruit, Chinese antiques, designer clothes knockoffs, and pirated CDs and DVDs!
Send Image as an e-Postcard	Send Image as an e-Postcard	A-Ma Temple: (Left) The temples in Macau are quite spectacular, with incense coils burning and mini-firecrackers popping. This temple, the oldest in Macau, is built on a hill and provides a beautiful view of the Pearl River delta. Cathedral of St Paul: (Right) The intricate carvings on the ruins of the Cathedral of St Paul are quite astonishing, especially when you realize they've survived 400 years and a devastating fire

Map of Macau: See a map of Macau from Lonely Planet

Library of Congress: Macau An broad overview of Macau SAR

Macau's Homepage: A tourist's guide to Macau

Country Digest: Macau: More general information on Macau

Travelingarmchair.com: Macau Food: A neat site with a short article about Macanese food.

Macau: East Meets West: An in-depth travel report by a world traveler

Macau: Return to China: CNN's coverage of the 1999 handover

Macanese Culture: A short piece by CNN about the loss of the Macanese culture

Flags Of The World: Macau Information about and history of Macau's flag

Do you have any questions or comments about this page? Please let me know!

Time Visited: March 1999 & January 2000

Main Cities Visited: Macau

Modes of Transportation: Van, bus, boat, taxi

How I Ended Up There: Another part of my study abroad traveling seminar. I also returned later while on business in Hong Kong.

Memorable Foods: Unique Portuguese / Chinese mix (called Macanese) of food, seafood, egg tarts

What I Liked: Unexpected mix of Europe and Asia - narrow cobblestone streets surrounded by noodle shops and pirated movies!

What I Disliked: Overdevelopment of surrounding land, exodus of Portuguese as China took over

Where I Stayed: Hong Kong

Macau in Five Words: Unique, old-world, over-development, character, dwindling

My Thoughts: Macau presents the visitor with an unlikely mix of two drastically different cultures: Portugal and China. The Portuguese settled this 16km peninsula of China (near Hong Kong) almost 450 years ago, and over time the two cultures have joined together as one. I've had the opportunity to visit Macau twice, once in 1999 and once in January 2000, only three weeks after control of the enclave returned to China. On my first visit to Macau I was impressed with the strange beauty of Portuguese architecture mixed with ancient Chinese. The food is spectacular and the city is quaint and charming.

Sadly, when I returned in 2000, I surprised to see that the city had already lost a lot of its Portuguese "color". I talked to a local merchant who said that about 90% of the Portuguese citizens had been repatriated. Also, continued reclamation of the ocean by the Chinese is ruining the quaintness that Macau once had, as it is rapidly being developed for commercial reasons, without regard to Macau's uniquely historic atmosphere. Visit this jewel before it is too late!