Macau, which is known as the Las Vegas of China is a special administrative region, much like its neighbor Hong Kong, located in southern China. It boasts one of the highest population densities in the world, and is a playground for many people wanting to escape the mainland of China to gamble. What is interesting about this place is that 2/3 of the area is reclaimed from the sea.
This area is a former Portuguese colony since the mid 1500’s as it was leased out by the emperor at the time. As you walk the streets you can notice the Euro-Portuguese architecture in the buildings as many of them still keep their original design, although a lot of the areas are slowly becoming gentrified with newer buildings and luxurious casinos and Hotels.
Walking the streets and immense alleyways of this city, you will see local people going about their daily lives of shop owners or tourists trying to get a glimpse of the popular tourist attractions
As there are a few beautiful cemeteries in this area, I was able to make it to just one. The gravestones and cemetery area is that combined with Catholic gravestones (some from the 1800’s) and new Chinese family plots which are located on the walls that are indicative of the eastern philosophies of Buddhism and Daoism.
Of course any traveling in China is not complete without rain or in my case a huge monsoon type of storm that lasted almost two hours in which I was stuck under an overpass watching people scurry around.
This place is beautiful at night. Many of the tourist attractions are lit up as well as the different food markets and winding alleyways around the city. The Cantonese culture of restaurant neon lights lighting up the way is spectacular to see as the reflection of them bounces off of the ground and lights up the whole area.
Macau, even though technically a part of China and technically not a part of China has their own unique culture as well as food and architecture. Even though I got around to a lot of places, there is so much more I would love to explore and is definitely a place I will return to in the future…..