Travel: Macau

lifestyle May 200976 lifestyle May 200976

up & awayMacau

Cultural Macau?You bet.

There’s more to Macau than just camping overnight in casinos. LEONG WAI KIT hits a di! erent jackpot as he discovers yummy eats and the rustic charm of the former Portuguese colony.

The SMSes I received before my trip were amusing.

“Wow, win more, ah!”

“Don’t forget to pack LOTS of red underwear for good luck!”

“Waddya mean you’re not there 2 gamble? Then go there do wat?”

Yes, Macau – which has been enjoying licensed gambling for almost 120 years – is a gambling enclave. But outside the casino walls, the former Portuguese colony is a cultural haven too.

In July 2005, the Historic Center of Macau – an urban area within the old city of Macau – was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Historic Centre of Macau, which comprises eight squares and 22 historic buildings, is a product of 400 years of cultural exchange between the East and West. The colony was under Portuguese rule from the 1500s until 1999, when it reverted to Chinese sovereignty.

And as part of the Macau Special Administrative Region’s 10th year anniversary, the Macau Government Tourist O! ce (MGTO) is rolling out a series of promotional activities, such as the launch of a heritage bus tour, as well as a program of cultural performances at tourist spots.

With such inviting plans – and some 20 museums and numerous eating and shopping places waiting to be explored – it seems every visitor to Macau is a big winner already.

Macau

China

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lifestyle May 2009 77

Goddess GraciousThere’re some 11 temples in Macau but a visit to this historical A-ma (or Mazu) temple is quintessential. After all, that’s how Macau got its name.

A-ma Festival: In Macau, the A-ma festival (April or May, depending on the lunar calendar) is one of the biggest cultural events. Tourists are treated to spectacular celebrations featuring fi recrackers and lion dances.

Where it began: Apparently, this A-ma temple – built by Fujian and Guangdong fi shermen settlers in 1448 – was the site of the fi rst Portuguese landing in the 1500s. Called “A-ma Gao”, meaning the place of A-ma, the Portuguese subsequently modifi ed the name, and called their colony Macau.

The A-ma temple is distinguished by its beautiful titled roofs and spectacular views from the upper gardens.

The A-ma legend: One of the various legends of A-ma, then a poor girl, describes her boat trip to Canton. While at sea, A-ma survived a storm, and found her way to Macau. A-ma gained fame for courageously saving fi shermen in perilous waters. After her death, fi shermen settlers in Macau built this temple in her honor.

Getting there: Buses 1, 1A, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 10A,

11, 18, 21, 21A, 26, 28B & 34

A-Ma temple

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up & awayMacau

St. Dominic’s: The serene cream-colored façade hides a story of murder at High Mass. In 1644, a military o! cer – who supported the Spanish against the Portuguese – was killed at the altar. The church was renovated in 1997 and opened to the public, along with a museum exhibiting sculptures and liturgical ornaments which illustrate the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Asia.

European infl uence: The Macau landscape today is still dotted by European architecture, which lends a rustic charm.

Ruins of St. Paul: This façade and grand staircase are what’s left of the greatest of Macau’s churches. St. Paul’s was fi rst built in 1602 but was destroyed in a fi re in 1835. After restoration work between 1990 and 1995, the back part of the Ruins of St. Paul’s was turned into a museum.

Getting there: Buses 2, 3, 3A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8A, 10,

11, 18, 19, 21A, 26A & 33

Ruins of St. Paul

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Church EngineAs some of the fi rst Portuguese settlers were priests, they naturally built many churches all over Macau, predominantly European baroque in style, and constructed with wood and matting.


Taipa Houses-Museum: Originally residences of 1920s high ranking civil servants and Macanese families, the Taipa Houses-Museum – typically green with Macanese architectural characteristics – was remodeled in the 90s to house art and painting galleries. A favorite spot for wedding photography.

Weddings: A typical 1930s Macanese wedding gown (left) and a typical Chinese wedding ceremony (right).

Museu de Macau: This Macau museum is located in Mount Fortress – the city’s main military defense structure that was built by the Jesuits in the early 17th Century.

Day At The MuseumsOne of the best ways to appreciate history and culture is to spend some time at the museum. There’re some 20 in Macau so take your pick!

Market Square: A replica of Market Square – the main bazaar in the 19th Century – located in front of the Hong Kung Temple.

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Getting there: Buses 11, 22, 28A, 30, 33 & 34

Taipa Houses-Museum

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Canton puppets: The museum houses puppets from Guangzhou, Chaozhou and Fujian province, which were brought over to Macau.

up & awayMacau

Getting there: Buses 2, 3, 3A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8A, 10,

11, 18, 19, 21A, 26A & 33

Museu de Macau

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Grand Prix museum: This museum, opened in 1993 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix, houses original automobiles raced between 1954 and

1965.

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Street circuit: Every November, Macau is turned into a race circuit. Today, the Formula 3 Grand Prix – held every November – draws thousands of tourists to Macau.

Making his mark: Michael Schumacher’s automobile, in which he raced and won the 1990 Macau Grand Prix.

Wine Museum: Located within the same building of the Grand Prix Museum, this 1400 square-metre museum showcases Portuguese wine and grapevines.

Close to 1150 wine brands can be found here, with the Porto 1815 being the oldest wine in the museum.

Drink up: Visitors get to

taste Portuguese wine, which is

characterized by its easy-on-the-

palate sweetness.

Getting there: Buses 1A, 3, 3A, 10, 10A, 10B, 12,

17, 23, 28A, 28B, 28C & 32

Grand Prix Museum and Wine Museum

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Macanese MakanYou ain’t been to Macau until you’ve tried Portuguese egg tarts – and numerous yummy snacks!

Same same, but di! erent: The recipes might be di! erent, but both Margaret and Lord Stow’s egg tarts share one similarity: They’re tasty. While Lord Stow’s egg tarts are creamier, Margaret’s are fl avored with more butter.

Lord Stow’s Bakery: The most famous egg tarts in Macau are baked from the kitchens of Lord Stow’s Bakery.

The late Lord Stow’s bakery sells up to 3000 tarts daily.

Tart huntYou’ll fi nd egg tarts everywhere in Macau but true-blue foodies hunt for theirs only in two places. Macau’s most famous Portuguese egg tarts on Coloane Island, (started by the late Lord Andrew Stow), and Margaret’s Café on The New Road, (owned by Lord Stow’s ex wife).

An egg tart is born: English pharmacist, Lord

Andrew Stow came to Macau in the 1970s. He started experimenting with Portuguese egg

tart-making before coming up with the

current winning recipe.

AAn egg tart is born:

Getting there: Buses 15, 21A, 25 & 26A

Lord Stow’s Bakery, 1 Rua da Tassara, Coloane Town Square, Coloane Island

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Where:

Getting there: Buses 3, 3A, 5, 6, 8, 8A, 26A & 33

Margaret’s Café & Nata, The New Road (behind Grand Lisboa hotel)

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Margaret’s Café: After a bitter

divorce, Margaret set up this café, to rival

her ex-husband’s Portuguese egg

tarts.

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Taipa Food Street

Freshly made: A shop assistant (left) mixing black sesame cookies – which are generously o! ered to passers by as samples.

For the sweet tooth-ed: If you’re not the aunty sort of shopper (wah, so cheap! Must buy!), pop into one of the cafés where you can relax over desserts, pastries or a cuppa.

Getting there: Buses 11, 22, 28A, 30, 33 & 34

(about eight minutes walk from the

Taipa Houses-Museum)

Taipa Food Street

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TWhere:

Not boar-ing: How about some wild boar bak kwa? Though it’s sweet and tastes vaguely like venison, it’s twice as hard as pork bak kwa. Not

for those with weak teeth.

This is your one-stop food souvenir alley. Though there’re less than 20 shops here, Food Street is home to some of the most famous signature tidbits including Almond and Wife Cookies.


up & awayMacau

Food fare and SquareSenado Square features various eateries and street delicacies. What you must try when in Macau.

Stewed noodles with dried shrimp: This eatery (Xiang Ji Mian Shi Zhuan Jia, near The New Road) is famous for its shrimp noodles. Dried shrimps generously sprinkled on springy noodles make every mouthful a delight.

Deep fried fi sh balls: Beneath the crusty armor are chewy fi sh balls, made even tastier with fermented clam sauce (think chin cha lok, or fermented shrimp sauce).

Stick to good health: Yong Tau Fu (an assortment of bean curd, meat and vegetables) sticks are a popular Macanese street food choice. Order what you want, have your sticks boiled in minutes and munch away.

Milky goodness: This shop (Yi Shun Xian Nai, right beside the fountain in Senado Square) puts the cow in Macau. It serves

up a variety of milk-curds including almond, chocolate and

ginger fl avors. But order the plain milk-curd (warm) if you’re on a tight stomach-storage budget.

Snack for free: Snack shop owners are generous – they display freshly baked goodies (such as these almond cookies), and o! er them to curious tourists. You can eat without buying. Okay, you did not just hear that from me.

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Getting there:

Buses 2, 3, 3A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8A, 10,

10A, 11, 18, 19, 21A, 26A & 33

Senado Square

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goodness: This shop


Tiger Airways is o!ering 10,000 seats to Macau -- just pay taxes and charges of $85 (one-way)! For more info,

Macau FactsWhat:Macau is made up of the Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane islands, and the reclaimed area called COTAI.

Its total area is about the size of Sentosa, which is great because everywhere is within walking distance from your hotel.

Where:Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, and is about 60km from Hong Kong and 145km from the city of Guangzhou. As such, optimize your travel deal to nearby cities.

Tourist hotline:To enhance tourism experience, the MGTO has launched a 24-hour tourism hotline(+853 2833 3000), to promote quality travel practices as well as traveling advice to tourists.

Fly:Direct fl ights from Singapore via Jetstar Asia (www.jetstar.com) and Tiger Airways (www.tigerairways.com).

Currency:Hong Kong dollars or Macau patacas.

Climate:Jan-Feb: Winter (temperatures can drop below 10oC)Mar-April: Spring (characterized by wet weather, fog and drizzle)May-Sept: Summer (expect thunderstorm and the occasional waterspout) Oct-Dec: Autumn (fi ne cool weather)

One-stop website:Log on to www.macautourism.gov.mo for more details.

Fly to Macau!

Win free accommodation in Macau! Answer the question correctly and win the following prizes:

Put the cut-out coupon in an envelope and mail it to us:

First prize:2 air tickets + 2 nights stay (deluxe room with breakfast) at Hotel Royal for 2 Second prize:2 nights stay (superior room) at Sofi tel at Ponte 16 for 2 Third prize:2 nights stay at Casa Real with breakfast for 2 Fourth prize:1 night stay at Landmark Hotel with breakfast for 2

Question: When was Macau inscribed as a World Heritage Site?

Lifestyle / Macau Government Tourist O! ce GiveawayName:I.C. No (in full please) :Address: Email:(Winners will be notifi ed by email)

Tel:(h)(mobile)Closing date: May 29, 2009

Robinson Road Post O! ceP.O. Box 189 Singapore 900339

Travel: Macau

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