Jewel in the Chinese Crown

 

 

A heady mix of Chinese culture and a strong Portuguese tradition, fuelled by an economy riding high on glitzy casinos. Reinforcing the good-things-small-packages cliché, is a small patch of land on the southern tip of mainland China that’s increasingly called the gambling den of the East – welcome to Macau.

Under Portuguese control until 1999, Macau has been stretching seaward, reclaiming land to accommodate the massive development, especially after its return to China. Casinos are synonymous with Macau and can be seen in numbers that attract people by the hordes. The most prominent, the Sands, is a 1,63,000 square foot, complete with 405 slot machines and 277 gaming tables, two restaurants and a 51 room hotel. Besides, with one tucked away in a corner in practically every hotel, it’s almost like gambling is all they do, but that’s not true! There’s enough for adventure mongers too. Challenging people and gravity since 1986 is the A.J. Hackett Tower or simply the Macau Tower that offers the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. For the faint-hearted, the Skywalk X is just as good. And this is where the whole of Macau can be seen below, buzzing with life at every corner.

If you’d like to cool off, Macau has the Hac Sa (literally translating into ‘black sand’ beach) where one can have fun in the sand and the Sun for company. And, for a peak into the very best of Portuguese and Chinese tradition, the fortress museum has artifacts aplenty to keep one imaginative for hours. A-Ma Temple and ruins of the church of St. Paul make for a sure visit, while Lou Lim Ioc, a garden, is where 60 year olds (men and women) practice Tai Chi with a flair that can put even the youngest of Tai Chi enthusiasts to shame. Take my word for it, Macau is well worth the gamble!