Above the din of the gambling tables, the faint echo of a lost empire
November 19, 2006 | 12:00am
On June 10, I threw myself off from the top of the 61-story Macau Tower.
It was a balmy evening. There was not a cloud in the sky and the moon cast a silver glow on the earth below. The wind rushing past my face was bracing and gave a sharp edge to everything laid out before me. Just below, spread out over the mouth of the Pearl River, were three soaring bridges all lit up against the night sky. Beyond the bridges on the island of Taipa was the airport, with a giant Ferris wheel on a hill above it. Past the airport I could make out the skeleton of the Venetian Macau. On the opposite side, on the Macau Peninsula, was the garishly lit Hotel Lisboa and, behind it, the copper silhouette of the Wynn Macau. Further on was the Sands with its round facade. Behind me was the pink governor’s mansion and, not too far from it, the historic center of Macau. "What a spectacular view!" I was telling myself… just as I was about to crash onto one of the Tower’s ground crew.
Such was my introduction to Macau. In that one 20-second plunge, I was able to take in how Macau is transforming itself into the gaming and entertainment capital of Asia – a transformation which will come into full flower by next year.
It was not always this way. When Portugal handed over its last colony to China in 1999, Macau was a sleepy backwater with a reputation for seedy gambling casinos and warring triads. The handover was the final nail in the coffin of an empire that lasted over 500 years and was, at its apogee, the largest commercial empire on earth. After a frenzy of voyage and discovery (capped by that monumental act of hubris when Portugal and Spain divided the world between the two nations), Portugal lost its energy. By 1780, Portugal was well into its decline. A 24-year-old Englishman named Thomas Kuyck van Mierop wrote, upon first entering Macau: "We approached by the more spacious harbour facing the Pearl River, which is the main channel to Canton. This harbour is a majestic bay, as regular in form as a crescent moon, its shore lined with houses of great dignity, all of them painted in bright colours (by order of the Portuguese), behind which rises a gentle slope covered with gracious buildings, including numerous churches and walled gardens planted with many trees… Next to (the English company’s house) is the so-called palace of the Portuguese governor, a more modest edifice guarded by two African soldiers wearing uniforms which I could swear are 30 years old. In general, all that concerns the Portuguese is old and decrepit. It is remarkable that they have remained here for so long. The place is priest-ridden. I have never seen so many churches for so small a population."
Fortunately for Macau, the houses of great dignity, the gracious buildings, the numerous churches and the governor’s palace that van Mierop describes are still around. The historic center of Macau – which comprises the Guia Fortress, the famous ruins of St. Paul’s, the Leal Senado and its square, St. Lawrence’s Church, St. Augustine’s Square and many more – has been inscribed on the World Heritage list. It is anchored by the Museum of Macau which gives the traveler a proper background of Macau’s history. (However, lest one thinks that Portuguese influence is dead and gone, it lingers as a benevolent presence in restaurants serving traditional Portuguese cuisine and that lively mix called Macanese food.)
But that was the past. Macau is now very much in the present, even if one’s first impression is that it looks like the 1950s Hong Kong of Love is a Many Splendoured Thing with a liberal dash of provincial Portugal. Fronting the garishly antediluvian Hotel Lisboa is the shape of things to come – the Wynn Macau, an exact replica of the Wynn Las Vegas. The Wynn has dancing fountains (Performance Lake they call it), thumping rock music in the driveway, ruby red Murano chandeliers in the lobby, beautiful artwork all around, guest rooms ranging in size from 56 to 278 square meters, three fine-dining restaurants, three casual dining restaurants, three bars and lounges, a spa and a salon, a gallery of high-end shops and, of course, acres of casino.
Not too far from the Wynn is the Sands. The opposite of Wynn’s gentility (if one can call it that), the Sands is all no-nonsense, industrial-strength gambling. Its one and only aim is to separate you from your money. It is now ranked the biggest casino in the world in terms of number of gaming tables (740). The Sands’ main casino floor boasts a 65-foot-high ceiling; two 60-foot-high water walls; a 260-foot-wide, 50-foot-high window wall; and a 120-foot-long, 25-foot-wide, 50-foot-high chandelier. For the high rollers, there are 51 premium suites ranging in size from 92 to 743 square meters, equipped with in-room massage areas, in-room saunas, karaoke rooms, multiple plasma TVs, butler service and panoramic views. There are seven restaurants, bars and entertainment areas, one of which features a groaning buffet table 100 meters long. I can only describe the Wynn and the Sands as a litany of wretched excess. What fun!
There is more to come. The Sands is rumored to have made back its investment in eight months and has propelled its owner, Sheldon Adelson, to the rank of third richest man in the world. This is no doubt why Adelson has taken up a large area of the Cotai strip which links the islands of Coloane and Taipa (hence the name Cotai). His development will feature the Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Traders, Sheraton, St. Regis, Hilton, Conrad and Fairmont hotels. It will be anchored by the 3,000-room Venetian Macau Resort hotel. Not to be outdone, Steve Wynn will be building a Ferrari hotel across the street. Once completed, the Cotai strip will have 25 hotel developments and over 60,000 rooms! Best of all, by the spring of 2008, Cirque de Soleil will be creating a one-of-a-kind show for the Venetian Macau.
Macau currently has 18 million tourist arrivals a year. Imagine what it will be like when the Cotai development is completed. Meanwhile, over here in the good old Philippines, we are shitting bricks (and fudging figures) trying to pump up our tourist arrivals to 3 million.
On our last night in Macau, our group drove over to the island of Coloane. This island provides a real counterpoint to the neon-lit development that is the rest of Macau. Coloane is still isolated, silent and sleepy. We ate in a small but romantic Portuguese restaurant called the Espaco Lisboa. All around us, the homes were dark and quiet, their windows shuttered. My mind drifted back to Thomas van Mierop, the 24-year-old English trader. He went on to become a successful businessman with a decidedly anti-opium bent. He also got himself a Chinese mistress named Martha. She had been abandoned at 13 but overcame all obstacles to become an international trader in her own right, the richest woman on the China coast, and Macau’s greatest public benefactress. As echoes of the past reverberated all around me, I could just imagine them sheltered from the searing midday sun by their shuttered windows. There, amidst the lengthening shadows, in an opulent room filled with camphor wood and sandalwood, they would make love in an opiate haze.
For more information about Macau, contact the Macau Government Tourist Office at Ste. 11-D, The Valero Tower, 122 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati. Call 812-2595 and 813-0947 or fax number 892-5232. Visit www.macautourism.gov.mo or e-mail mgtophil@info.com.ph.
Air Macau offers four flights a week from Manila (on a share-coding basis with PAL). Flights from Davao began in November this year, twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. Call 243-3111 or fax 243-3580.
Tiger Air flies daily to Macau from Clark. Website: www.tigerairways.com.
Wynn Macau — Tel. (853) 986 99 66. Fax (853) 986 99 00. Website: www.wynnmacau.com. E-mail: roomreservations@wynnmacau.com.
Sands Macau and Venetian Macau Resort Hotel — Call center hotline (853) 88 33 88. Fax (853) 88 33 77. Sands website: www.sands.com.mo. Venetian website: www.venetianmacao.com.
For those seeking more affordable accommodation, Macau has a range of two- to five-star hotels, a list of which one can get at the Macau Tourist Office. A recommended three-star hotel is the Sintra Hotel. It is centrally located and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. Tel. (853) 71 01 11. Fax no. (853) 51 05 27. Email: rsvn@hotelsintra.com. Website: www.hotelsintra.com.
Recommended restaurants: The Restaurante Litoral for Macanese food (Tel. 853-967878. Fax 853-967996). For Portuguese food, try Manoel Cozinha Portuguesa (Tel. 853-827571. Fax 853-811362. Reserve ahead of time, this is a tiny restaurant), the Camoes Portuguese Restaurant inside the Fisherman’s Wharf (Call/Fax 853-728818), and the Restaurante Espaco Lisboa in Coloane (Call 853-882226). For a panoramic view of the city, try the revolving restaurant atop the Macau Tower which offers an international buffet.
For information and booking for Mast Climbing, the Sky Walk and the Skyjump at the Macau Tower, call tel. (853) 9888-656. E-mail ajhackett@macautower.com.mo. Website: www.macautower.com.mo.
It was a balmy evening. There was not a cloud in the sky and the moon cast a silver glow on the earth below. The wind rushing past my face was bracing and gave a sharp edge to everything laid out before me. Just below, spread out over the mouth of the Pearl River, were three soaring bridges all lit up against the night sky. Beyond the bridges on the island of Taipa was the airport, with a giant Ferris wheel on a hill above it. Past the airport I could make out the skeleton of the Venetian Macau. On the opposite side, on the Macau Peninsula, was the garishly lit Hotel Lisboa and, behind it, the copper silhouette of the Wynn Macau. Further on was the Sands with its round facade. Behind me was the pink governor’s mansion and, not too far from it, the historic center of Macau. "What a spectacular view!" I was telling myself… just as I was about to crash onto one of the Tower’s ground crew.
Such was my introduction to Macau. In that one 20-second plunge, I was able to take in how Macau is transforming itself into the gaming and entertainment capital of Asia – a transformation which will come into full flower by next year.
It was not always this way. When Portugal handed over its last colony to China in 1999, Macau was a sleepy backwater with a reputation for seedy gambling casinos and warring triads. The handover was the final nail in the coffin of an empire that lasted over 500 years and was, at its apogee, the largest commercial empire on earth. After a frenzy of voyage and discovery (capped by that monumental act of hubris when Portugal and Spain divided the world between the two nations), Portugal lost its energy. By 1780, Portugal was well into its decline. A 24-year-old Englishman named Thomas Kuyck van Mierop wrote, upon first entering Macau: "We approached by the more spacious harbour facing the Pearl River, which is the main channel to Canton. This harbour is a majestic bay, as regular in form as a crescent moon, its shore lined with houses of great dignity, all of them painted in bright colours (by order of the Portuguese), behind which rises a gentle slope covered with gracious buildings, including numerous churches and walled gardens planted with many trees… Next to (the English company’s house) is the so-called palace of the Portuguese governor, a more modest edifice guarded by two African soldiers wearing uniforms which I could swear are 30 years old. In general, all that concerns the Portuguese is old and decrepit. It is remarkable that they have remained here for so long. The place is priest-ridden. I have never seen so many churches for so small a population."
Fortunately for Macau, the houses of great dignity, the gracious buildings, the numerous churches and the governor’s palace that van Mierop describes are still around. The historic center of Macau – which comprises the Guia Fortress, the famous ruins of St. Paul’s, the Leal Senado and its square, St. Lawrence’s Church, St. Augustine’s Square and many more – has been inscribed on the World Heritage list. It is anchored by the Museum of Macau which gives the traveler a proper background of Macau’s history. (However, lest one thinks that Portuguese influence is dead and gone, it lingers as a benevolent presence in restaurants serving traditional Portuguese cuisine and that lively mix called Macanese food.)
But that was the past. Macau is now very much in the present, even if one’s first impression is that it looks like the 1950s Hong Kong of Love is a Many Splendoured Thing with a liberal dash of provincial Portugal. Fronting the garishly antediluvian Hotel Lisboa is the shape of things to come – the Wynn Macau, an exact replica of the Wynn Las Vegas. The Wynn has dancing fountains (Performance Lake they call it), thumping rock music in the driveway, ruby red Murano chandeliers in the lobby, beautiful artwork all around, guest rooms ranging in size from 56 to 278 square meters, three fine-dining restaurants, three casual dining restaurants, three bars and lounges, a spa and a salon, a gallery of high-end shops and, of course, acres of casino.
Not too far from the Wynn is the Sands. The opposite of Wynn’s gentility (if one can call it that), the Sands is all no-nonsense, industrial-strength gambling. Its one and only aim is to separate you from your money. It is now ranked the biggest casino in the world in terms of number of gaming tables (740). The Sands’ main casino floor boasts a 65-foot-high ceiling; two 60-foot-high water walls; a 260-foot-wide, 50-foot-high window wall; and a 120-foot-long, 25-foot-wide, 50-foot-high chandelier. For the high rollers, there are 51 premium suites ranging in size from 92 to 743 square meters, equipped with in-room massage areas, in-room saunas, karaoke rooms, multiple plasma TVs, butler service and panoramic views. There are seven restaurants, bars and entertainment areas, one of which features a groaning buffet table 100 meters long. I can only describe the Wynn and the Sands as a litany of wretched excess. What fun!
There is more to come. The Sands is rumored to have made back its investment in eight months and has propelled its owner, Sheldon Adelson, to the rank of third richest man in the world. This is no doubt why Adelson has taken up a large area of the Cotai strip which links the islands of Coloane and Taipa (hence the name Cotai). His development will feature the Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Traders, Sheraton, St. Regis, Hilton, Conrad and Fairmont hotels. It will be anchored by the 3,000-room Venetian Macau Resort hotel. Not to be outdone, Steve Wynn will be building a Ferrari hotel across the street. Once completed, the Cotai strip will have 25 hotel developments and over 60,000 rooms! Best of all, by the spring of 2008, Cirque de Soleil will be creating a one-of-a-kind show for the Venetian Macau.
Macau currently has 18 million tourist arrivals a year. Imagine what it will be like when the Cotai development is completed. Meanwhile, over here in the good old Philippines, we are shitting bricks (and fudging figures) trying to pump up our tourist arrivals to 3 million.
On our last night in Macau, our group drove over to the island of Coloane. This island provides a real counterpoint to the neon-lit development that is the rest of Macau. Coloane is still isolated, silent and sleepy. We ate in a small but romantic Portuguese restaurant called the Espaco Lisboa. All around us, the homes were dark and quiet, their windows shuttered. My mind drifted back to Thomas van Mierop, the 24-year-old English trader. He went on to become a successful businessman with a decidedly anti-opium bent. He also got himself a Chinese mistress named Martha. She had been abandoned at 13 but overcame all obstacles to become an international trader in her own right, the richest woman on the China coast, and Macau’s greatest public benefactress. As echoes of the past reverberated all around me, I could just imagine them sheltered from the searing midday sun by their shuttered windows. There, amidst the lengthening shadows, in an opulent room filled with camphor wood and sandalwood, they would make love in an opiate haze.
For more information about Macau, contact the Macau Government Tourist Office at Ste. 11-D, The Valero Tower, 122 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati. Call 812-2595 and 813-0947 or fax number 892-5232. Visit www.macautourism.gov.mo or e-mail mgtophil@info.com.ph.
Air Macau offers four flights a week from Manila (on a share-coding basis with PAL). Flights from Davao began in November this year, twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. Call 243-3111 or fax 243-3580.
Tiger Air flies daily to Macau from Clark. Website: www.tigerairways.com.
Wynn Macau — Tel. (853) 986 99 66. Fax (853) 986 99 00. Website: www.wynnmacau.com. E-mail: roomreservations@wynnmacau.com.
Sands Macau and Venetian Macau Resort Hotel — Call center hotline (853) 88 33 88. Fax (853) 88 33 77. Sands website: www.sands.com.mo. Venetian website: www.venetianmacao.com.
For those seeking more affordable accommodation, Macau has a range of two- to five-star hotels, a list of which one can get at the Macau Tourist Office. A recommended three-star hotel is the Sintra Hotel. It is centrally located and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. Tel. (853) 71 01 11. Fax no. (853) 51 05 27. Email: rsvn@hotelsintra.com. Website: www.hotelsintra.com.
Recommended restaurants: The Restaurante Litoral for Macanese food (Tel. 853-967878. Fax 853-967996). For Portuguese food, try Manoel Cozinha Portuguesa (Tel. 853-827571. Fax 853-811362. Reserve ahead of time, this is a tiny restaurant), the Camoes Portuguese Restaurant inside the Fisherman’s Wharf (Call/Fax 853-728818), and the Restaurante Espaco Lisboa in Coloane (Call 853-882226). For a panoramic view of the city, try the revolving restaurant atop the Macau Tower which offers an international buffet.
For information and booking for Mast Climbing, the Sky Walk and the Skyjump at the Macau Tower, call tel. (853) 9888-656. E-mail ajhackett@macautower.com.mo. Website: www.macautower.com.mo.
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