Macau, Portugese charme in een Chinees sausje

Macau, mix of Portugal and China

Macau, during our trip through China and Hong Kong we saw the opportunity to also visit this former Portuguese colony. Our expectations were not very high, with the idea that it is mainly a gambling paradise. Casinos and other manufactured "fun factories" are not our thing. We did see that there was an old part, and that turned out to be a really fun time!

Quick facts about Macau:

Macau, like Hong Kong, transitioned from a colony to a "special administrative region of China" in 1999.
The flag of Macau, like that of Hong Kong, must always be lower than the flag of China
Like Hong Kong, unlike China, people drive on the left here.
There are only a handful of locals who speak Portuguese
Macau is the largest gambling city in the world, 7 times bigger than Las Vegas
Macau is about 2/3 built on newly created land. Just like parts in the Netherlands.

Macau is therefore a former Portuguese colony, just like Hong Kong was British. While Hong Kong is still trying to move in its own direction, Macau has quickly moved in a different direction than Hong Kong. Macau quickly realized that their special status within China was a clever trick. Gambling is extremely popular in Chinese culture, as it is seen as a social occasion. While gambling is officially prohibited in China, Macau was able to legalize it here due to the special situation in which Macau finds itself. From the moment that Macau started to develop as the Las Vegas of Asia, Macau has quickly become a huge hotspot for regional tourism.

I personally have no interest in Casinos or anything else, but we went to Macau for the old Portuguese city. That looked interesting to us.

From Hong Kong you can easily travel to Macau from the port in West Kowloon in about 1 hour. The boats go several times a day and from different companies. Count on a few bucks for a return. The boat itself is also very nice, as you pass Hong Kong's green Lantau Island. As soon as you approach Macau you can already see the enormous casinos.

Highlights Macau

From the port it is a half-hour walk before you reach the old part of Macau. You encounter Tap Seac Square first. This beautiful square quickly reveals Portuguese history. The combination of buildings from colonial times and the crowded, chaotic buildings as you see in Hong Kong make it a special combination that you only see here.

Walk further via various streets towards the St. Dominic’s Church. This beautiful colorful church is another beautiful Portuguese example. From here you are right in the middle of the old center of Macau. Here you can walk straight to the central station Senado Square where you see Chinese tourists taking photos as if their lives depend on it. They are right because it is just like being in Lisbon. Only the Chinese characters and crowds say otherwise. Walk towards from here St. Augustine’s Square for the more cozy streets as you often see in Portugal. In the meantime, have lunch at the Portucau restaurant and enjoy the delicious Mediterranean cuisine. We enjoyed this after 2 weeks of Chinese food.

From here you walk towards the R. da Felicidade. This old street has still retained the atmosphere of a Portuguese colony. Here you can clearly see the mix between the influences of China and Portugal. What you should definitely not miss is the Ruínas de São Paulo. This is the image of Macau. At least if you don't count the modern casinos.

We did Macau as a day trip from Hong Kong, the old center is very compact, so in principle it is enough to explore the old city. For those who want to take it a bit easier, you can certainly spend the night here for a few days.

Macau is basically visa-free, and you can easily cross the border between Hong Kong and Macau and back again on the same day. You will receive a registration form that you must keep with you at all times. Even though you are usually not asked to do so. Keep in mind that your Esim for Hong Kong/China probably won't work here.

We found Macau to be a very nice destination! The atmosphere and mix between China and Portugal is very unique, and can be experienced here! Macau is also worth a visit for those who don't want to go to the casinos! And perfectly doable from Hong Kong.