TAURA'S MACAU

MACAU

Since Macau is so close to Hong Kong - only 50 minutes away by jet foil ferry or 25 minutes by helicopter - I have escaped there quite a few times. This city (for lack of a more accurate description) was ruled by the Portuguese from 1557 until 1999 and the Mediterranean influence is easily seen in the architecture and the lifestyle. This long colonial history gave it the dubious honor of being the world's oldest imperial relic. Everything passes and so did this in December 1999 when, like Hong Kong in 1997, Macau rejoined the fold and became a Chinese territory again.

Macau is part Las Vegas reincarnation, part quaint Portuguese town, and part mainland China city. Since the merger with China some of the triad street violence has gone to be replaced by more construction cranes than I've ever seen in one place. Rumor has it that Macau will soon rival Vegas in terms of casino floor space!

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Published
June 1999

	We went over to celebrate our good friend Paulo's birthday...I won't mention which one! May 2006
	He had the party at the Pousada de Coloane and I stayed over night there. It's Macau's last traditional Portuguese style hotel with no casino. May 2006
	The home of the first gambling magnate, Lou Kau, was built in 1889 and has been opened to the public and occasional concerts. May 2006
	The street in front of Leal Senado in the old district embodies that fusion charm. May 2006
	Macau Tower dwarfs the city at 233 meters. Nov 2005
	And yes, we jumped off the thing! The falling was the easy part, the challenge was seeing if my body would obey me when I asked it to jump star shaped! Nov 2005
	The Lisboa Hotel is the symbol of the gambling life in Macau and people from everywhere in Asia flock here to soak in the fumes.
	The other center of town is Largo Do Senado (Senado Square) which houses government, culture, shopping, and a 15th century nunnery all in one small area. This building is a 17th century Dominican church called Sao Domingo which contains ivory statues of the Virgin and Child.
	When my mom came to visit Hong Kong in January 1999 we also made a day trip to Macau. We visited one of Macau's best sights - the facade of Sao Paulo. The original structure was destroyed in 1601 and rebuilt numerous times. The final destruction was in 1831 after which Chinese and Japanese Christians undertook an ingenious restoration project to maintain the illusion and memory of the church.
	Just above Sao Paulo is the 17th century Fortaleza Do Monte used to protect the colony from Dutch attackers. My mom rests on one of the original canon which is now strangely pointed at the Bank of China building rather than Dutch marauders.
	Yes, Macau is Chinese - one of the few typically "Chinese" tourist spots is A Ma Temple after which Macau is named. It is the oldest temple site in Macau dating back to the 14th century and is famed for its ability to bring safety to sea voyagers.