Steven and I observed that the young people we encountered on the trains and metro in Hong Kong seemed to show little regard for older people or those using canes. Eating at fast-food restaurants was also a revelation: no customers cleaned up after themselves, and they expected staff to put away their trays and dispose of their leftovers. People wore disposable gloves to eat slices of pizza and used food wrappers to hold their sandwiches.
After taking the metro to Shun Tak Centre, we purchased the last remaining tickets on the Macau Ferry. However, there was an issue with my passport, which delayed things. Steven had luckily sailed through immigration! What a relief to make the 10:30 sailing to Macau, a site that many people automatically associate with gambling, especially since gaming revenues are three times higher than in Las Vegas. But, since Steven didn't ever like to gamble more than at the 10-cent slots way back when we'd spent time in Sin City, we'd come to view Macau's top historic attractions.
We were surprised by the almost insignificant number of Westerners we'd noticed since touring Hong Kong Island and a good swath of Kowloon and the Northern Territories. Steven had visited Hong Kong decades ago, before we met, but I had long looked forward to touring the city, which seemed to hold such allure and mystery for me. I know we hadn't seen much of the vast city yet, but so far, its drabness and unimaginative architecture have failed to excite me. We didn't think that the dreary weather was solely attributable, either!
Our first glimpse of the Macau shoreline:
Macau is a special administrative region known for its sprawling casino resorts and Portuguese colonial architecture. It has grown into a major tourism and gaming hub, often referred to as the Las Vegas of Asia.
On arrival in Macau, several drivers approached us in the terminal, offering their services to take us around the city, something we'd normally have said no to. We quickly realized we needed to change our plan to visit the city independently because the weather was horrendous. We chose Alexander, a 46-year-old from Bucharest, Romania, who had spent many years in Macau, to be our driver and guide.
Fisherman's Wharf, a 133,000-square-meter themed entertainment and retail complex on the Macau Peninsula, featuring European-style architecture, a Roman-style amphitheater, restaurants, and hotels, was our first stop. Though Macau's population of 650,000 people is 95% ethnic Chinese, there were pockets of Portuguese and Filipino expats. In addition, there were thousands of Eurasians who considered themselves neither Portuguese nor Chinese, but somewhere in the middle because of intermarriage between their ancestors a century or so earlier.
Alexander pointed out the Macao Science Center, a prominent landmark.
On the waterfront was the 65-ft.-tall Goddess of Mercy statue constructed from special bronze.
Alexander let us loose to wander around the historic pedestrian plaza in the center of Macau called Largo do Senado, or Senado Square. Renowned for its pastel-colored, Portuguese-style colonial buildings, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its iconic wave-patterned stone tiling brought back many fond memories of walking through Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro.
Alexander referred to this building as the White House, probably meaning the seat of power. But it was officially called the Leal Senado, or Loyal Senate, and it was the seat of Portuguese Macau's government. It was built in 1784 as a municipal chamber.
The exquisite blue-and-white tile work on its long interior staircase also reminded us of Portugal.
On the lovely square was the Macau General Post Office, completed in 1931.
Also present on the square was the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Macau, or the Macau Holy House of Mercy, which had been originally established in 1569 by Macau's first Bishop, Don Belchior Carneiro. The neo-classical building was constructed in the mid-18th century and modeled after one of the most prominent and oldest charitable organizations in Portugal. The institution was responsible for founding the first Western-style hospital in Macau, as well as a lepers' clinic, an orphanage, and several other social welfare agencies that still operate today. One of the Holy House of Mercy's main roles was to assist orphans and widows of sailors who perished at sea.
Originally built in wood, it was called Pan Cheong Tong, or the Church of Wooden Planks. It integrated the worship of Our Lady of Fatima into its religious service after the account of the miraculous sighting by the three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal.
Even though it was pouring cats and dogs, we still enjoyed strolling through the historic center.
On a side street was the Centro Comercial Teatro, or Capitol Theater, which opened in the city center in 1931. At its peak, the cinema had a seating capacity of 837. It was later abandoned, but screens movies and plays since it was modernized in 2019.
In Cathedral Square stood the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady, an influential Roman Catholic site dedicated to the Virgin Mary and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Macao. It served as the seat of the Diocese of Macau and was originally built in 1622 as a wooden chapel. The current structure was reconstructed in 1937.
Alexander took us next to the gaunt Ruins of St. Paul's, another famous historic landmark in the city. Only the magnificent, towering facade of a 17th-century Portuguese church, Mater Dei, dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle, remained. Originally built between 1602 and 1640, it was destroyed by a fire in 1835, leaving only the six flights of 11 stairs each and this front wall with its intricate carvings and bronze statues. The UNESCO World Heritage Site blended Western Baroque architecture with Eastern influences. The sanctuary, an adjacent college, and Mt. Fortress once formed Asia's Western-style university. The ruins have become Macau's widely adopted symbol and are considered one of the greatest monuments to Christianity in Asia.
The statue of Italian Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci was located near the Ruins of St. Paul's. Ricci was honored for his pioneering missionary and scholarly work, bringing Christianity to China in the late 16th century.
The five-tiered church was built by Japanese Christian exiles and Chinese craftsmen, but was occupied by a military battalion after the Jesuits were expelled. The Virgin Mary stood in the center of the third tier between angels and two flowers: the peony representing China, and the chrysanthemum representing Japan.
A view of downtown, not to be confused with Macau's historic center, from the ruins:
Nearby was Ricci College, named after the priest.
As schoolchildren, we all learned about the Portuguese expansion that began in 1415, and was promoted by Prince Henry the Navigator, 1394-1460. During the reign of his successor, King John II (1455-1495), Portuguese explorers reached the east coast of Africa and the Cape of Good Hope.
At the Museum of Macau, we learned that the Portuguese were the earliest Europeans to arrive in China by sea, with Jorge Álvares coming in 1513, followed by Tomé Pires in 1517. But it wasn't until 1553-1557 that the Portuguese set foot on Macau and soon established a settlement there. The arrival of the Portuguese was the beginning of the convergence between Chinese and Western civilizations.
In 1980, two huge bronze chariots, about half the size of a real human and horse, and probably made before 210 B.C., were excavated in a funerary pit near Chengdu in Shanxi Province. A replica of a Bronze Chariot of the First Qin Emperor was donated in 2016 by the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China during his visit to the museum.
A Fuzhou Pole Junk was the major ship type used in Southern China during the Song Dynasty, 960-1279. Its square or rounded stern with three masts allowed the 100-ft.-long junk to sail to distant waters, including Korea and Japan.
The West's fascination with Chinese culture is evident not only in the import of paintings, porcelain, mother-of-pearl, enamel, and lacquered precious wood created for European and American clients, but also in the imitation of these items by Western craftsmen and factories.
Portuguese ceramics at the end of the 18th century imitated spider-like motifs with ribbons and tendrils, and pharmacy jars with the precise shapes and motifs of Ming Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain. Imitations of imported china were produced in large numbers by Western factories and reached the homes of people across all social levels in the West.
The 17th- or 18th-century Chinese Screen was made of gilded lacquer, painted with a scene of Portuguese hunters against a background of exotic trees and celestial mountains. It was a replica of the original housed in the Palace of Queluz in Portugal.
This was a recreation of a block of homes in Macau. The pink home was one of the oldest types of houses found in Macau and was described as a humble home used by farmers. Most of the homes in the second photo exhibited almost purely Chinese characteristics, like a well, the use of Chinese bricks, and refined woodcarvings.
The covered gallery in the second block was designed to evoke Portuguese neo-classical verandas, arcades, and balustrades. The strong and contrasting colors were typical of Macau.
The firecracker industry played a significant role in Macau's economy for several decades beginning in 1880. Thirty years later, there were seven factories, which provided work for thousands of employees. Note the sign was in Portuguese and English!
By the early 1960s, though there were still ten factories operating, the industry began to decline due to market problems, and young people were no longer interested in learning the trade. After Macau stopped producing fireworks in the early 1990s, they were imported from various parts of China.
Different forms of Chinese opera were already quite well established by the 12th century. Over the next 800 years, they continued to develop and amalgamate, so that there are now 300 forms of Chinese opera still being performed throughout China! The most popular form performed near Macau is Cantonese Opera.
We had just a quick glimpse of Igreja de Santo Agostinho, Macau's oldest church, dating to 1591. All Portuguese weddings in the city were celebrated at the church. If we'd been able to enter, I'd have loved to have taken a peek at a statue of Christ on his knees, holding a cross, with small crucifixes on the hill behind him.
Alexander referred to this building as Mandarin House, but Google Lens identified the photo as The House of Macau Literature, built in 1921.
The Orient Arch:
The MGM Hotel, built in 2007, operates under an agreement with the Macau government.
Across the bay was Zhuhai Province in mainland China.
If you've been following my posts for a while, you likely remember how fond Steven and I both are of searching out murals when we travel. However, until we reached the Barra neighborhood on the south side of Macau, I hadn't seen any public street art in China that I recall.
Peace, prosperity, and happiness - nothing to dispute there!
Although the street art was colorful and a revelation, we had come to visit what is locally called the Templo de A-Ma, which is also officially known as Tin Hou, the Heavenly Empress, and the Goddess of Seafarers. The temple already existed before the city of Macau came into being. Its various pavilions were constructed at different times, with the current configuration dating to 1828. The historical site, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu.
Imagine the reaction of the Portuguese explorers when they came upon the temple, built on many levels into a large hill! The temple site is famous for being the location where the Portuguese landed and subsequently named the region Macau.
One level above us, large conical incense coils hanging from the temple ceiling could burn for weeks, symbolizing continuous prayers and wishes. This practice is deeply rooted in Taoist and Buddhist traditions, where the smoke is believed to carry messages to the deities.
The scene was emblematic of historical temples in Macau, representing a blend of Chinese spiritual practices.
An example of the ancient cliff inscriptions built into the temple's cliff face:
How I'd have loved to know the meanings and ages of these figures!
Some panoramic views of Macau's skyline, including the Grand Lisboa Hotel on the left.
The Macau Tower, built in 2002, is the 10th-tallest freestanding tower in the world. Steven's not much of a fan of visiting the world's tallest buildings, but I'd have enjoyed taking the elevator to the outdoor observation deck on the 61st floor to catch some stunning panoramic views. If it had been a clear day, we would have been able to even see Hong Kong! The tower is celebrated by thrill-seekers who like to bungee jump from atop the observation deck, the world's highest! Other adrenaline-pumping activities included skywalking, skyjumping, and tower climbing.
In its early years, Macau's history and landscape under Portuguese leadership were rooted in religion, as we had already witnessed in the historic center. Penha Hill was another example, with the presence of Augustinian missionaries who came mainly from Spain and Portugal. The church, named after Our Lady of Penha, was also named after the hill not far from the A-Ma Temple. The first chapel was built in 1622 by the crew and passengers of a ship that had narrowly escpaed capture by the Dutch. It became a point of pilgrimage for sailors embarking on dangerous voyages.
With Macau surrounded by water, the Barra and Inner Harbor areas were home to fishing boats and the men who fished with them. That was why there were several monuments in the city to give good luck to the fishermen. A statue on Penha Hill is described as looking toward the sea with a peaceful expression, as if she were protecting the fishermen.
Just visible behind the arch was the Sai Van Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that connected the Macau Peninsula and Taipa Island. Opened in 2004 to alleviate traffic on existing bridges, its unique double-deck design allowed traffic to continue during typhoon seasons. Alexander told us that neither earthquakes nor tsunamis are problems, but typhoons are a constant concern in Macau.
A view of Penha Hill from the bridge:
A closer view of the Grand Lisboa Hotel, which we'd viewed from afar earlier:
The almost three-mile-long Bridge of Friendship, built in 1994, connected the Macau Peninsula and Taipa Island, which is where Alexander drove us next. The island in the Chinese administrative region of Macau, located almost two miles south of the Macau Peninsula, is part of the People's Republic of China and was historically separate but is no longer.
Taipa, also colonized in 1573 by the Portuguese, is a draw for gamblers, as it is home to many of Macau's massive casinos, including Galaxy Macau.
The Venetian Macao Casino:
We had come to Taipa, however, to see a different side of Macau and to step back in time. During the first half of the 17th century, both Macau and Taipa prospered economically. But, as the Portuguese colonial empire declined, so did Macau and Taipa’s roles as vital trade centers. With Hong Kong under British rule and becoming a more important place for investment, Macau's harbor was relatively abandoned. Macau and Taipa remained economically afloat thanks to the burgeoning gambling industry. I hadn't realized that Portugal also returned Macau, along with Taipa, to the Chinese government in 1999.
Alexander mentioned that none of these buildings existed in Taipa three years ago.
The five pastel-green restored Taipa Houses, built in 1921, represent the charming Portuguese architectural style and were the residences of senior officials in Macau and Taipa, as well as Macanese families.
One of the homes was open for us to tour, giving us a sense of what life was like in the early years of the 20th century.
Thank goodness the rain 'forced' us to hire a driver and guide, as Alexander showed us many areas of Macau we could never have reached by public transportation. If we had been left to our own devices in Macau, we certainly would never have known about the Wetlands Terrestrial Area in Taipa. In 2013, Macau received over 1,000,000 online votes to be selected as one of China's top 10 wetlands.
A section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which officially opened in October 2018.
After a full day exploring Macau, Alexander dropped us off at the Macau Bus Terminal, which was bigger than many airports we've been to! It must have had about 80 lanes for immigration, but only a dozen appeared open. We were extremely fortunate to have only waited a few minutes for the bus to fill up for the 45-minute ride across a bay to a second bus terminal in the middle of nowhere, with no signage, the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities. Luckily, a security guard came to our rescue and pointed out which bus we needed to take to reach the nearest metro station in Hong Kong.
After hopping on the first metro, we changed to another line at the central station and traveled its entire length to a station near our hotel. From the time Alexander had dropped us off in Macau, the return journey took three hours. We could have returned by ferry, but we like to change things up a bit. Sometimes, traveling independently as we do isn't for the faint of heart! If you go to Hong Kong, try to set aside a day to explore Macau with an experienced driver and guide. It will make all the difference, as we found out.
Next post: What a breeze by comparison, exploring Hong Kong's Central District!
Posted on March 14th, 2026, from our home in the Foothills west of Denver. Amidst the turmoil taking place throughout so much of the world, please take care of yourself and your loved ones.
