A typical postcard from this bustling island reveals glittering casinos towering over colourful market stalls, with the image of wonderfully decrepit colonial-style architecture lingering in the background. Though administered by the People's Republic of China, Macau enjoys similar autonomy to nearby Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" policy.
At just a stone's throw from its friendly neighbour (59.5 km), it's not surprising that most of Macau's 25 million annual visitors approach the city via ferry from Hong Kong.
Despite its fascinating history and rich culture, Macau really began to flourish as a vacation spot only a decade ago, around the time the PRC took over (1999). Until then the city had been off the tourist radar -- the downtown was crumbling, and Triad gangs had the city in a chokehold -- but with the handover came a crackdown on crime and the sweeping away of old gambling restrictions.
After the dust cleared, Macau emerged as an international hot spot, boasting plenty of cultural attractions, enchanting harbour views and an abundance of choice for those who come to chase Lady Luck.
As both the first and last European colony in China, Macau is one of the few places in Asia where a Western influence features so prominently. While cement may be all you see from the ferry terminal in the Outer Harbour (big land-reclamation projects, shiny new highways and skyscrapers crowd the landscape here), a trip to the historic district offers a view into the island's uncanny mixture of Eastern dynamism and Western refinement.
Start at Largo do Senado, a scene straight out of coastal Portugal, where the sea of black and white street tiles that curve and bend like waves are surrounded on every side by handsome pink and yellow colonial buildings. Fountains decorate its square, and a long pathway leads northward to St. Paul's Church. From its locale -- atop a grandiose flight of stairs -- the ornate facade (a fire swept away the rest of the church in 1835) looms over the horizon like a ghostly outline of Macau's faded splendour.
Accessible through an escalator near the church, the Museum of Macau (10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Mondays; about $2.50) traces the history of the city and provides fascinating insight into local culture, religion and cuisine. Surrounded on every side of this condensed historical district are sun-splashed cobblestone side streets that wind through old Macau, conceding to the heavy influence of Chinese culture in the forms of produce stalls, open-fronted markets and clotheslines swaying in the wind.
Another must-see attraction is the A-Ma Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Macau. Dating back to the 15th century, A-Ma was here when the Portuguese arrived, and its location, A-Ma-Gao (Bay of A-Ma), is the origin of the city's name, Macau. After exploring the inner sanctum, work your way up the hillside to the highest shrine, where the views of Inner Harbour are spectacular.
IF YOU GO
Canadian citizens do not require visas for short stays but be sure to bring your passport. Before exiting the ferry terminal, you'll want to swing by the Macau Government Tourist Office (9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily) for a bus map. Hong Kong dollars are widely accepted in Macau but you'll receive change in local currency, the pataca.
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