It was my first trip to Macau. The Macau Tourism Board invited a bunch of us, no, not to gamble (I gamble enough every day crossing Metro Manila’s streets), but to savor historic old Macau. Yes, that little territory (now a SAR, Special Administrative Region of China), has a historic fabric that is amazingly conserved.
More surprising is the fact that it is a heritage that is authentic and vibrant. No kitschy reconstituted facades or replicated décor here, just the real stuff – plazas, churches, pedestrian-friendly walks and streets, quaint little villages, wonderful cafés and restaurants serving Portuguese and Macanese food.
Macau has a history similar to ours. Like Manila it was developed as a port and base for the agenda of a European power – in this case the colorful and resourceful Portuguese (they perfected navigation so that their ships could sail worldwide – although scholars say the Chinese were first).
Established in the mid-16th century, the port and territory thrived under the Portuguese until the turnover to China in 1999. Smaller than Hong Kong (which is a short ferry-ride away), the territory is home to less than half a million people. Despite this small population, visitors will be surprised at the level and extent of plans for expansion (via reclamation). What’s driving the frenetic building activity? Tourism, of course. Guess how many tourists Macau gets in a year – 18 million!
About half of those visitors come from right next door – the rest of China. Even with that number excluded, Macau gets five times the visitorship that the whole of the Philippines gets.
What’s in Macau? Well, there’s gaming at the casinos, which have been the main driver of its economy in the modern period. Macau was fine with that and the annual Macau Grand Prix (won twice by Filipino ace driver Dodjie Laurel – who’s valorized in a display at the Grand Prix Museum there). Macau is not resting on its laurels, however, as its vision is to cater to an ever-growing Chinese and global need for gaming and leisure destinations. Macau is doing it in style and in a big way. With gaming demonopolized, dozens of casinos have sprouted. The Sands built a big one on the waterfront, which recovered its cost within one year (close to $1 billion in gross receipts, if you can believe that!), so they’re building more.
Macau is planning to expand its number of rooms from the current 10,000 to five times more in the next five years. We were shown the plans and a huge model. So we thought, great plans but how soon will it materialize? Well, that same day our hosts brought us to the actual reclamation site – they are actually building the complex now with construction crews that do not seem to rest. Talk about action.
The action in Macau is not only in the casinos and racing in the streets. Macau is a destination for cruise ships and yachts. With numerous hotels and new convention venues, it is shaping up to becoming a favorite convention city. Then there’s the local culture, which is a unique blend of east and west. Sound familiar? That’s actually like us but the difference is that the Macanese, through its government and heritage organizations, actually take pains to conserve the built heritage of Macau – its old streets, structures, landmarks and landscape.
We spent three days discovering the hidden treasures of the old city center. Senado Square, the ruins of St. Paul’s, pedestrianized streets, shopping the old way (think Divisoria, Raon and downtown Manila without the grime and crime). There is also a fort and the oldest lighthouse in China – all these landmarks wonderfully maintained and friendly to tourists.
The old is carefully mixed with the new. A new inner harbor is marked by a tall tower, which you can enjoy inside and out (they let you free-fall from the top via a steel stranded cable – just like skydiving! Try it). A new waterfront convention and shopping complex has just been opened where you can experience the cuisine and products of the world. Then, of course, there are more casinos. This little city never sleeps and gaming is 24/7. You only go back to your hotel to sleep. We tried the Mandarin Oriental – fantastic service and ambiance (with many staff who are Filipino)! We also experienced extreme luxury at the Grand Emperor Macau. The hotel had Buckingham Palace guards in front – you know, the ones with the funny fur hats and a golden carriage (sans Cinderella). The floor of the lobby, believe it or not, had (real) gold ingots inlaid all over. It was a bit over the top.
All that aside, there is a whole range of accommodations in Macau, including a comfy bed and breakfast run by a Pinoy near the old fort and several casino-hotels all within walking distance from the old city center and its UNESCO World Heritage-listed district of delight. And once you’ve had your fill of this, in the future the Macanese are replicating Las Vegas, with neon-lighted, fantasy architecture-filled resorts and all that glitters, including more gold (a humongous project by the Sands called the Cotai Strip). It’ll be opening sooner than you think. So keep Macau in mind next time you make travel plans – it’s worth a visit because the Macanese make sure you come home a winner. And besides, Elvis is there.