In the early 1550s the Portuguese reached Ou Mun, which the locals called A Ma Gao, "place of A Ma", in honor of the Goddess of Seafarers, whose temple stood at the entrance to the sheltered Inner Harbour. The Portuguese adopted the name, which gradually changed into the name MACAU.

Macau is one of the world's most culturally diverse cities. When the Portuguese arrived on the shores of Macau in the 16th century, they brought with them their own cultural, religious and culinary traditions. These Mediterranean influences have blended and co-existed peacefully with the local Chinese culture for more than four centuries.

Since 20th December 1999, Macau returned back to China and is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and benefits from the principle "one country, two systems".

Macau Culture	Macau Street
Macau Street	Macau Street

Back to Top.

 

The Historic Centre of Macau

On 15th July 2005, "The Historic Centre of Macau" was successfully inscribed as a World Heritage Site, making it the 13th site in China to be granted this status.

The Historic Centre of Macau" encompasses architectural legacies interwoven in the midst of the original urban fabric that includes streetscapes and piazzas. These major urban squares and streetscapes provide the linkage for a succession of over twenty monuments.

Back to Top.

 

Location

The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is a part of China's territory located on the Southeast coast of China to the western bank of the Pearl River Delta. Bordering on Guangdong Province, it located 60 kilometers from Hong Kong and 145 kilometers from the city of Guangzhou.

Back to Top.

 

Area

Macau has an area of 29.5 sq. km. comprising of:

 

Population

Macau has a total population of around 549,500 residents. About 95% are ethnic Chinese and the remaining 5% includes Portuguese, Europeans and other regions.

Back to Top.

 

Language

Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages, Cantonese being most widely spoken. The official languages are used in government departments in all official documents and communication. English is generally used in trade, tourism and commerce.

Back to Top.

 

Currency

The Pataca (MOP) is Macau's official currency. Foreign currency on travelers cheques can be easily changed in hotels, banks and authorized exchange dealers located all around the city.

Back to Top.

 

Climate

The climate is fairly warm tropical climates. Annual average temperature is about 20oC (68oF) and ranges from 16 oC (50 oF) to 25 oC (77 oF). Humidity levels are high and average values vary between 73% to 90%. Autumn (October - December) is the most pleasant season. Days are sunny and warm and humidity levels are low. Winter (January - March) is cold but sunny. In April humidity increases and from May to September the climate becomes hot, humid and rainy with occasional tropical storms.

Back to Top.

 

Shopping in Macau - a pleasure and an adventure

Macau is a place where you can purchase almost anything, and have a wonderful time doing it. Luxury items are cheaper here than in other cities in the region. Jewellery (particularly 24-carat gold), cameras, porcelain, electronic items, mobile phones, watches, cashmere sweaters and silk clothing are available at very reasonable prices.

It is also a great treasure trove for Chinese antiques and collectibles. You can find here ancient coins, 19th century stocks and shares, stamps and other printed material (Rua das Estalagens and Rua da Tercena); boxes of tea (Rua Cinco de Outubro) and coffee from around the world (Estrada do Cemiterio and Avenida do Coronel Mesquita); traditional shops where tea is displayed in wooden drawers and glass goblets; and countless old Chinese Pharmacies packed with traditional medicines (Rua de S.Paulo and Rua de Pedro Nolasco da Silva).

Back to Top.

 

Dining in Macau

Macau is famous for its cuisine and for the quality of the food served by the territory's restaurants and hotels. It is hard to find another city with such a concentration of restaurants offering so many different cuisines to suit so many tastes at all kinds of budget. In fact food has always played a major part in Macau society and is a good reflection of the community's long multicultural experience and present cosmopolitan way of life.

Over the centuries Macau developed a unique cuisine, "Macanese cuisine" that combined elements of Portuguese, Chinese, Indian, and even Malay cooking. Among the most popular dishes are African Chicken (grilled in piri piri peppers), Tacho (a hearty stew of Chinese vegetables and different meats), Galinha Portuguesa (Chicken cooked in the oven together with potatoes, onions, egg and saffron), Minchi (minced beef with fried potatoes, soy, onions and a fried egg), Linguado Macau (Macau sole fried and usually served with green salad) and Porco balichao (Balichao' pork). And for dessert try Jagra de ovos (sweet egg tart).

Food from other parts of the world is readily available in Macau and there are plenty of excellent restaurants serving Italian, French, American, Brazilian, Japanese, Korean and Mozambique cuisine as well as dishes from Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Back to Top.

 

Accessibility

Travelers of east and west have been meeting in Macau as it was the major gateway to China and a crossroad for cultures, cuisines and commerce. Macau is easily accessible and offers international class hotels and a wide variety of meeting facilities.

Macau International Airport is located on Taipa Island, about 15 minutes from the center of the city. Visitors can use the Macau International Airport for traveling to several destinations in the region on direct flights or catch connecting flights to different ports of Asia, Europe or America. It operates 24 hours a day.

Visitors from Europe can fly through a city in Asia and take a connecting flight to Macau. Alternatively, fly to Hong Kong, one of Asia's largest hub airports, and take the helicopter or ferry to Macau.

Back to Top.

 

Airlines

Besides Air Macau, there are approximately 20 airlines flying in and out of Macau, connecting to cities in Mainland China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. The airlines include VIVA Macau, Air China, Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, Cebu Pacific Air, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Eva Airways, Hainan Airlines, Jetstar Asia, Malaysia Airlines,Philippine Airlines, Tiger Airways, Shanghai Airlines, Transasia Airlines, Xiamen Airlines.

Back to Top.

 

Immigration and Visa

Macau grants visa free entry to over 50 countries for a stay of 30 to 90 days. All travelers entering Macau must hold valid passports.

Participants for most countries can apply their visas upon arrival at the Immigration counter, depending on nationality.

Back to Top.

 

Visas are required by all visitors except:

• Nationals of Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Croatia, Czech, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania and the United Kingdom(6 months) for a stay up to 90 days;
   
• Nationals of Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United States of America and Uruguay for a stay up to 30 days;
   
• Holders of travel document issued by the Portuguese authorities for the foreign citizens. However some countries are required to apply for an entry visa before embarking to Macau.
   
• Starting from 1 July 2010: nationals of Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are required to obtain an entry visa before arriving at the Macao Special Administrative Region. Visa-upon-arrival is no longer applicable to these nationals.
   

Back to Top.

 

Visas can be obtained from the Immigration Services through Embassies/Consulates of the PRC and should be used within the validity.

Photos provided by Macau Government Tourist Office