If you wake up in the Venetian Hotel, you may not know immediately whether you are in Las Vegas or Macau, the two cities where it is located. For all the similarities between the two hotels, one is located almost as west as land goes, and the other almost round the globe in the Far East. Put another way, the two cities are located eight time zones away from GMT, on opposite ends of the earth.

Step out of either of the two Venetians, and very different worlds await. For Macau, also spelt Macao, is a blend of Mediterranean Portugal and traditional China even as it embraces the modern West. Its casinos are a playground for the rich, its heritage is sight for tourists and its conference facilities and geographic location an ideal place to hold business events and meetings. The Venetian Macao alone, with its over 100,000 square metres of convention space and 3,000 suites, can hold 90 Boeing 747 jumbo jets.

In contrast to this modernity are 30 buildings and squares collectively known as the Historic Centre of Macau and accorded the distinction of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. This area itself can be more than a day’s itinerary covering streetscapes and piazzas such as Barra Square, Lilau Square, St. Augustine’s Square, Senado Square, Cathedral Square, St. Dominic’s Square, Company of Jesus Square and Camoes Square, as well as a succession of over twenty historic monuments and sites, including A-Ma Temple, the Moorish Barracks, Mandarin’s House, St. Lawrence’s Church, St. Joseph’s Seminary and Church, Dom Pedro V Theatre, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, St. Augustine’s Church, the “Leal Senado” Building, Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple, Holy House of Mercy Cathedral, Lou Kau Mansion, St. Dominic’s Church, the Ruins of St. Paul’s Church, Na Tcha Temple, the Old City Walls, the Mount Fortress, St. Anthony’s Church, the Casa Garden, the Protestant Cemetery, and the Guia Fortress (including Guia Chapel and Lighthouse).

Nowhere does Macau come as alive as at Senado Square, or Largo do Senado, in the Historic Centre. A hub for shopping, entertainment and eating, it is the “most awake” part of this 24-hour city. The venue for major public and religious festivals, it was also the place where the colonial rulers from Portugal, who handed over this territory to China in 1999 after nearly five centuries of occupation, would showcase their strength and military power, and where new Governors would publicly take over. It is distinguished by its cobbled pavements with their wave-patterned montage of colored stones. It is also the location of one of the newest municipal markets, and the city’s tourist center. If you are looking to buy clothes or other inexpensively-priced goods, you are at the right place.

If you want to be a little more adventurous with your shopping, follow the Rua do Dr. Soares from Senado Square uphill, behind the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau building until you reach Rua da Felicidade. Turn right and continue down past the restored 19th century shophouses in Felicidade, once a thriving red-light district. This is a fascinating place to browse among shops selling jewelry, curios, dried beef and even live snakes. This is a city you walk around to explore the wealth of shopping to choose from, especially those at good bargains.

Panoramic View of Macau

Though there are many primary reasons to visit Macau, the ruins of the 16th century St. Paul’s Cathedral are the city’s most famous landmark. Boasting a spectacular façade with intricate carvings by Japanese monks, you will generally see this structure overcrowded with tourists but still a delight to visit. Another structure from the same period, the Monte Forte (Fortaleza do Monte), occupying a hilltop to the east of the cathedral, was built by the Jesuits and later used as a military base. This fort today features a public park, an observatory and the Macau Museum. Interestingly, its cannons have been used only once in its history when the Dutch invaded Macau in 1622.

Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral at Christmas

If you are looking to make yourself more knowledgeable about the history, culture, and people of Macau, make sure you go into the Macau Museum. Inaugurated on April 18, 1998, it may not have a display of very expensive items but the pieces they do have are of great historical value and are exhibited in a manner that appeals to the visitor.

There is no dearth of sites to see in this small city. Other forts include the Mong Há Fort, completed in 1866 in anticipation of a Chinese invasion, the Barracks of São Francisco, built in 1629, and the Guia Fort, also from the 17th century. The last mentioned fort occupies the top of Guia Hill, the highest point in Macau. Originally designed to defend the city from attacks, its height has made it an ideal observation post. It originally contained barracks, a water cistern, ammunition and equipment stores, the commander’s house, and a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Guia. It boasts a 91 metre high lighthouse, built in 1865, which is the oldest on the China coast. There is a cable car to take you up; enjoy the panoramic views of the Pearl River and the surrounding islands as you ascend. You could hang around till evening to watch the sun set and the neon lights — which the city is full of — come on.

Drop in at the A-Ma Temple, dedicated to the goddess who Macau is named after. According to legend, A-Ma, a poor girl, was allowed passage in the boat of a lowly fisherman from Canton after being refused by wealthy junk ship owners. A storm soon after wrecked all but the boat carrying the girl. On arrival in Macau, she vanished, to reappear as a goddess on the spot where the fishermen built her temple; she is regarded as the seafarer’s goddess. The annual Festival of A-Ma takes place on the 23rd day of the 3rd Moon (in April or May). Firecrackers, to scare away evil spirits, are exploded in the temple’s entrance courtyard, to greet tour groups. Lion dances are also performed here on weekends. Don’t miss these.

If it is some green and relaxed space you are looking for, away from all the concrete being poured into Macau as it develops further, hop onto a bus to Coloane Island. Once a convenient base for pirates because of its deserted coves, rugged cliffs, large sea caves, and densely forested hills, it is now a pleasurable retreat with its sandy beaches, hiking trails, and other outdoor attractions. Go to the Coloane Village for a bite at any of the many restaurants, including the popular Lord Stow’s Bakery.

Macau Fisherman’s Wharf

And if you finally want to enjoy a modern attraction, head out to the Fisherman’s Wharf, a 120,000 sq. metre park and the first themed entertainment attraction in Macau. Offering a vast selection of entertainment, accomodation, fine dining, retail, convention, and exhibition facilities in one singe location, it is just a 5-minute walk from the Macau Ferry Terminal and Heliport. Check out the 40 metre high volcano towers, or Aladdin’s Fort or even the “Roman Amphitheatre”. ENjoy the Chinese Acrobatics show, shop around, or simply sit back and enjoy some live music. You can even get yourself a hotel room right here, or entertain yourself at the Casino.

Just like Las Vegas, Macau has something for everyone at any given time. Go enjoy it.

Some useful information

• Best time to visit: November to April when it is pleasantly cool and sunny, but not uncomfortably warm. Spring and Autumn are usually the rainy season, and the summers can get very hot and humid.
• The political status of Macau: It is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, since 20 December 1999, and, like Hong Kong, it benefits from the principle of “one country, two systems”.
• Population: Estimated at 531,400, comprising ethnic Chinese (94%), the rest being Portuguese and from other regions.
• Language: Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages. Cantonese is most widely spoken, and English is generally used in trade, tourism and commerce.
• Currency: The Pataca (MOP$), divided into 100 avos, is Macau’s currency. The Pataca is linked to the Hong Kong Dollar (HK$) which is also accepted as currency in Macau. The exchange rate is HK$100.00 = MPO$103.20. Roughly 10 Patacas is equivalent to 1 Euro, and 8 Patacas are equivalent to US$1.
• Getting there: East Asia Airlines and Heli Express run a helicopter service between the helipads of the Macau and Hong Kong Ferry terminals, each flight taking approximately 16 minutes. You can fly into and out of the Macau International Airport, but there are still only limited connections to many parts of the world. Many passengers fly into the Hong Kong Airport and take a ferry. This ferry can be taken from the airport itself — you don’t need to go through Hong Kong Customs and Immigration in this case — or from the Shun Tak Centre above the Sheung Wan MTR station in the Central District of Hong Kong Island.