Las Vegas in China. Macau: New Vegas

On your own to China. Travel from Hong Kong to Macau. How to get there, what to see, where to go. Photos and videos from the travel diary. Reviews about trips to Macau, recommendations

Keywords: What to see in Hong Kong, attractions, interesting places in Hong Kong, excursions.

Having toured Hong Kong's sights and seen enough of the local beauties, we decided to take a short break from Hong Kong and plunge into the world where His Majesty Chance and Her Majesty Luck rule, where in the evenings it is as bright as during the day, where there are no limits of decency and secret desires come true. And all this is available to the most ordinary worker of the most ordinary Chinese factory, where day and night for 50 cents a day he rivets cheap Chinese toys for the children of the damned imperialists who own Las Vegas. And do you know where an ordinary Chinese worker can spin the roulette wheel and try his luck? Right in socialist China! Or rather, in one of its provinces, in the city of Macau. This is a sparkling holiday, this is the ultimate dream! This is a breath of musty capitalist exhaust, this is a cherished piece of the poisoned bourgeois pie! That's what Macau is!

Well, now a little more seriously :) As you already know, Russian tourists do not require a visa to visit Hong Kong. But to visit the rest of China, a visa is already required. But there is an exception and that exception is Macau. Plus, Macau is just an hour away from Hong Kong by speedboat, which makes visiting Macau almost a must-do for every self-respecting tourist while staying in Hong Kong. Some even set aside a couple of days to explore this city, but if you are not an avid gamer, then I would not recommend planning such a long visit to this “City of Sin” in the Chinese style. Then you will understand why. And let’s agree right away: I am expressing my point of view and it is in no way the only correct one. This is me just in case, since the network is full of rave reviews about staying in Macau. I can only explain this by the fact that most of these people simply have not visited the hot spots of European capitals. I won’t say anything about Las Vegas at all; Macau can only be compared to it from a car window, and even then only at first.

But, nevertheless, if you have not been to Vegas, then it is still worth going to Macau. And first, a few words about how to get from Hong Kong to Macau. As I already said, the most convenient way is by ferry. Speedboats depart from Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal every 15 minutes; schedules and prices can be found on the TurboJet website

Just 45 minutes and you are in the arms of vice! :)

By the way, during a boat trip the views from the window are not great, but you can “hang out tightly” in the Economy Class of the TurboJet and watch the Chinese. It's worth it! :)

We laughed heartily honestly. And just as everything seemed to have calmed down, from somewhere behind there was a sharp smell (here I’m putting it very mildly now) of food and an incredibly loud slurping sound was heard. Damn, I've never heard anything like this in my life! I read somewhere in passing that in China it is even customary to slurp, so as not to hide the pleasure that a person experiences from the pleasure. But, damn, this slurping sound was at least like a prolonged orgasm of a Chinese fast food fan. It was somehow not very convenient to turn around, I had to enjoy the sounds and smells blindly, but then I remembered the technical tricks and decided to pretend that I was taking a portrait of myself with my mobile phone. I only lasted a few seconds as soon as I saw this chewing character and how fast food left his thirsty lips. In short, what is there :)))

Just remember that you are leaving Hong Kong and you will need a passport to be allowed to cross the border! For example, we remembered about our passports on the way to the pier, so we had to go back, waste time and change plans. Instead of getting to Macau around lunchtime and starting to explore the city with monuments of medieval Portuguese culture, we got to Macau when it got dark and saw “traces of the Portuguese colony” when it got dark. However, this did not greatly affect the overall impression.

Upon arrival, we immediately got into a taxi and headed to the historical center. The trip costs 8 Hong Kong dollars, a taxi in Macau is as inexpensive as in Hong Kong. By the time we got to the center, the impression was “Wow!” The same "extravaganza" as in Vegas, honestly. It was even a bit of a pity that we rushed to buy return tickets and our boat departed in three hours.

But first, about the center and Portuguese architecture. The entire historical center occupies one very small block, and even then almost all the ancient buildings have been turned into outlets. It’s cute, I don’t argue, but there’s nothing special to study, much less admire, here. May history buffs and fans of Portuguese culture forgive me. Therefore, a few photos and let’s close the “historical topic”:

I looked behind the church, and there...

But first we need to overcome the obstacle course :)

Here comes "City of Sin"! A sea of ​​lights and alluring glances of beauties! However, from the car window everything looked a little more tempting...

Well, a little video from a mobile phone :)

Let me say right away: the Lisbow Casino and Hotel is the most impressive and impressive sight in Macau. Truly worthy of Las Vegas. Everything else is pop. But there are no rickshaws in Vegas :)

And there is no such area in Vegas either...

It's True There Is a Twin Brother to the Wynn Hotel in Vegas

But there is definitely no such bridge in Vegas!

And such a glamorous horse can only be met in Macau!

Well, if we take into account that on the way back we weren’t bored either and again enjoyed scenes from Chinese life, then the trip can be called successful :) This time we came across a fashionable, glamorous Chinese family:

But this is nonsense, it’s a pity that I was paralyzed on the way out of the boat when we saw the head of the family dressed in exactly the same style, only in pink trousers. I didn’t even have the strength to look at his shoes, let alone take out my phone and take this picture :) My son still claims that he was wearing the same mother-of-pearl shoes of a male model :)

Yes, I want to warn you right away: if you return from Macau after nine in the evening, don’t really expect to find a working cafe in the marine terminal building or any entertainment around the boat. The most you can count on is Chinese TV on the screen of an antediluvian 100-kilogram TV in the waiting room, which, if it breaks off its mounts, will fall to the first floor and continue to broadcast on Chinese funny Chinese news.

And God forbid you have to go to the toilet! In the men's, you can be knocked off your feet by a stream of hot air from a fan heater standing on the floor at the entrance and working at full blast on a fairly warm spring evening.

This is......hard, in short!

This is China, baby! :)

It's time to return to Hong Kong, perhaps. Enough extreme for today :)

Although... Tomorrow we are going to sunny Hainan! Well, what happens, it’s also... tough?

We will find out this a little later, to be continued!

One of the world's most underrated travel destinations. Traditionally, foreigners are much more attracted to neighboring Hong Kong with its skyscrapers, shops and amusement parks, while Macau has to make do with rare domestic tourists and gambling enthusiasts. But in fact, Macau is much more than the “Las Vegas of China”; this former Portuguese colony has something to offer even the most sophisticated travelers.

Macau is the most European city in China, where Chinese and Portuguese traditions and architecture are amazingly combined. Here, colonial mansions coexist perfectly with skyscrapers, Catholic churches- with Buddhist shrines, all the signs on the signs are duplicated in Portuguese, and in the restaurants, Chinese delicacies coexist with popular European dishes. After visiting the central square of the city, paved with black and white paving stones and surrounded by colonial buildings, you get the feeling that you are in Portugal, conquered by the Chinese: the range of shops consists mainly of green tea, dried sea reptiles and counterfeit antiques, Chinese and Cantonese speech can be heard everywhere, and Chinese newspapers are sold in kiosks.

Casinos, skyscrapers and multi-lane highways are gradually replacing European architecture and the luxurious parks of Macau. But, fortunately, the residents of this city remember its history and honor its traditions, so the main attractions are still there. The most important of them is the ruins of the Church of St. Paul, built in the 17th century and burned down in the 19th century. After the fire, all that remained of Macau's main cathedral was its five-story facade, decorated with Chinese and European ornaments, which looks especially impressive in sunny weather against the backdrop of a bright blue sky. The oldest active church in the city is the Cathedral of St. Dominic, an outstanding Baroque architectural monument founded by Spanish Dominican friars.

One of the most ancient buildings in Macau is the Taoist temple of A-Ma, dedicated to the goddess of fishermen and seafarers Mazu. This temple is much older than the city itself; it was built in 1488, and it was here that Macau was leased to Portugal in the 16th century.
The Portuguese had to build not only churches on the peninsula, but also a couple of fortresses to protect themselves from attacks by pirates and others who wanted to recapture the port from them. Both of them are located on green hills with views great view to the city. Monte Fortress was once Macau's main military installation. Along its perimeter there are ancient cannons and two observation towers, and inside is the Macau Museum. The road to the fortress starts directly from the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral; the climb is not difficult.

You can also climb to the Guia fortress, located in the eastern part of the city, on foot, but you will have to work hard, so if you are not a fan of trekking, we recommend using the cable car. On Guiya Hill, in addition to the fortress itself, there is a small chapel and a Portuguese lighthouse, built in the mid-19th century and becoming the first Western-style lighthouse in China. And at the foot of the hill, next to the lower cable car station, there is a beautiful European-style garden.

To get into the spirit of old Macau, head to the nearby islands of Taipa or Coloane. Both are interesting in their own way, the main difference between them is that on Coloane real old mansions, churches, and temples have been preserved (not all of them are in good condition), while on Taipa most of the buildings are either recently built or restored beyond recognition. The islands are connected by an artificial isthmus called Cotai, which is home to many hotels and gambling houses, including the largest casino in the world, The Venetian Macao.

The symbol of Macau is the 20-meter bronze statue of the goddess of mercy Kun Yam (aka Guanyin or A-Ma), located on a small artificial island. This is the first thing tourists visiting Macau by water see. At the foot of the statue, made in the form white flower lotus, there is a small museum and library. Opposite the statue is Dr. Sun Yat-sen Street, the main drinking area of ​​Macau, completely lined with bars and good restaurants. Many establishments here operate around the clock, which is generally atypical for China, where restaurants close at 10 o'clock at the latest.

The local cuisine deserves a special mention; This is a unique and sometimes quite surprising combination of European and Cantonese cooking techniques and products. Indian and African spices, which were brought here by Portuguese sailors, are often used in cooking. Macau is one of the few places in the world where fusion food is not a forced attempt to follow fashion, but something spontaneously born and therefore natural. culinary tradition. Be sure to try minchi (minced pork with rice and egg), Portuguese chicken and curried crab stir-fry. And don't forget the famous egg tarts!

And if you have time and desire, you can also look into the casino, of course.

Macau - East and West in one place: architecture and language of China and Portugal. Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia, which has already overtaken the American casino city in terms of the number of tourists. The Macau Special Administrative Region was established on December 20, 1999 as a result of the liquidation of the Portuguese colony of Macau and became one of two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China (the other being Hong Kong). Before that, for 442 years, from 1557, Macau was ruled by Portugal, it was the oldest European colony in East Asia. As part of the PRC, Macau has significant autonomy: its own laws, legal, monetary, customs and emigration systems, as well as the right to participate in international organizations. The central government of the People's Republic of China is responsible for defense and diplomatic relations. Macau is located in Guangdong Province on the coast of the South China Sea, in the delta of the Pearl River. Includes the territory of the Macau Peninsula, the islands of Taipa and Coloane, as well as the Cotai region. Macau borders the Chinese metropolis Zhuhai across the strait.

History of Macau, China

In the past, Macau was known as Ou Mun, meaning "gate of trade", due to its advantageous location at the mouth of the Pearl River downstream from the city of Guangzhou (Canton). In ancient times, this port city was part of the Great Silk Road - from here ships with silk departed for Rome. In the early 1550s, the Portuguese reached the shores of Ou Mun, which the locals called A Ma Gao (place of A-Ma) in honor of the patron goddess of seafarers. The Portuguese borrowed this name, reinterpreting it in their own manner as “Macau”. They built a city here, which in a short time became the main port between China, Japan, India and Europe. European temples and fortresses were built. The golden age of the Portuguese in China passed when their rivals, the Dutch and the British, seized the initiative in trade. Following the Opium War of 1841, the British opened Hong Kong and most foreign traders left Macau. Today Macau is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. Country: China. Here, as in Hong Kong, the policy of “one country, two systems” is pursued.

Visa, language and currency in Macau

There is an agreement between the Russian Federation and Macau on the mutual cancellation of visa requirements. This is due to the fact that Macau is an island territory of China with special autonomy, where it has its own legislative norms. The visa-free regime was introduced in order to increase the level of interest in the area and attract a large number of tourists. Therefore, Russians will not need a visa to Macau if the trip lasts no more than 30 days. Be careful, if you are entering mainland China from Macau, you will need a Chinese visa.

Official languages are Chinese and Portuguese. The official currency of Macau is the pataca (MOP$) divided into 100 avos. The pataca is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar. Currency can be changed at banks and exchange offices at the airport and ferry terminal. Most hotels, shops and restaurants accept bank cards.

How to get to Macau

By ferry from Hong Kong

The airport is located on Taipa Island.

On foot from mainland China

You can also get to Macau from the neighboring Chinese city of Zhuhai via a pedestrian border crossing.

Historical center and attractions of Macau, map

The historical center of Macau is a symbiosis of Western and eastern cultures and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2005. The main attractions are shown on the map:

If you're exploring Macau from the ferry terminal, you can ask for directions to points of interest at the Tourist Information Center in the terminal building. The girls there are very nice and they even give you leaflets with bus numbers and the name of the stop you need to go to.

Macau has a developed bus network. The stops are written in Chinese and Portuguese. Payment upon entry to the driver in a special box. He doesn't give change, so have some change ready. If you want to move around Macau for free, use the hotel shuttle buses. But they depart from the ferry terminal to the corresponding hotel.

Ruins of St. Paul's Church

The ruins of St. Paul's Church are the most recognizable landmark of the historical center of Macau. The ruins refer to the surviving facade of the old Church of Our Lady of 1602-1640, destroyed by fire in 1835, and the ruins of St. Paul's College, which adjoined this church. This is a kind of “acropolis” of Macau. In January, there were New Year's decorations near the ruins.

It was on the stairs to these ruins that I imagined myself in a red flowing dress. But the reality turned out to be a little different. As with other popular attractions, it is better to come here very early or at dawn, as during the day there were already crowds of tourists here. Not only was it impossible to remove them from the frame, they started lining up to take a selfie with me and Seryozha couldn’t drive them away!

Therefore, the best shot was with a crowd of tourists.

The Museum of Sacred Art is located in the basement of the church. It contains silver altarpieces, gilded statues and paintings from the 17th century. Nearby in the crypt are the remains of Christians killed in the 17th century.

Na Cha Temple

Literally a stone's throw from the ruins of St. Paul, on the left, is the Na Cha Temple, and no one was there! The temple was built in 1888 to worship the deity Na Cha, who is also known as Nata or Na Zha. He is depicted as a boy flying in the sky. He has fiery wheels on his feet, and in his hands is a golden hoop and a spear. This is a small building in traditional Chinese style.

Near the temple, a fragment of the city wall, built at the beginning of the 16th century, has been preserved. It is made from a special building material, chunambo, which is a mixture of clay, sand, rice straw, earth, stones and oyster shells.

Senado Square

For many centuries, Senado Square was the city center and now all holidays are held here. The square is an open pedestrian area with fountains, carefully planted trees, benches and seating areas. The historical part of the city with the main attractions and municipal buildings extends around the square.

From Senado Square you can walk through the undulating streets of typical Portuguese pavement to the ruins of St. Paul.

Holy House of Mercy

The Holy House of Mercy was built in 1569 on the initiative of the first bishop of Macau, as a medical clinic that, with the assistance of the church, provided services to various categories of the population. There was an orphanage and a center for helping widows of sailors who died at sea, a rehabilitation center and a free hospital that anyone could go to.

The Holy House of Mercy still performs its charitable function. But most of it is occupied by a museum that houses historical artifacts and memorabilia associated with the house, as well as a collection of antique Chinese porcelain and some church relics. In addition, the center building itself is a historical monument, which is included in the list World Heritage UNESCO. Located in Senado Square.

Church of St. Dominic

The Church of St. Dominic is located in Senado Square. It is considered one of the most beautiful and spectacular temples of baroque architecture in Macau and was built in the 17th century by Spanish Dominican friars who arrived here from Mexico. IN Lately, St. Dominic's Church is often used for music festivals Macau.

Cathedral

Construction of the cathedral began in 1622 and they used local building materials - clay and straw.

Some kind of film or commercial was being filmed near the cathedral.

On the way to the cathedral, you can see traditional Portuguese azulejos - blue patterned tiles.

Macau Mountain Fortress and Museum

The mountain fortress was built by the Jesuits at the same time as St. Paul's Church and served as their headquarters. It subsequently became the governor's residence and is now the Macau Museum. The museum is open from 10-00 to 18-00. Entrance fee 15 MOP. Entry to the museum is free on the 15th of every month.

A-Ma Temple

A-Ma Temple is the most famous and picturesque temple in Macau. The temple is dedicated to the goddess A-Ma, or Mazu, the patroness of fishermen, sailors and sea traders, widely revered in China. According to legend, she was born a human in an ordinary family, but endowed with unusual abilities from birth: to help in a storm and command the winds and sea waters. After her death, she began to be revered as the deity of salvation on the water. Opening hours: daily from 7-00 to 18-00. The entrance is free.

Macau Tower

Macau Tower, opened in 2001, is the tallest building in Macau. There is an observation deck, a cinema and a restaurant. For the most daring visitors, the Skywalk X attraction is available - a walk under open air along the outer rim of the tower ($788HK), as well as the world's highest bungee and sky jumping sites. Macau Tower website.

Macau Hotels

There are plenty of places to stay in Macau, from luxury 5* hotels to small Portuguese-style inns and cheap guest houses. Macau hotels.

But if you come to Asian Las Vegas, stay in casino hotels! There are discounts and quite reasonable prices.

Casino Hotels and Gambling in Macau, Where is the Best Casino?

Macau hotels are not only accommodation facilities, but also a place where you can try your luck at the casino or just come and see them as attractions. There is so much to see in Macau! These are the canals of Venice, the Eiffel Tower and the ruins of Ancient Rome and the fountain show! Since gambling is prohibited in mainland China, a huge number of Chinese flock to Macau and all these huge casino hotels are not empty. Gambling in Macau was officially permitted already in 1847 in order to be able to replenish the state budget. Now there are more than 30 casinos in Macau, including the world’s largest casino, the Venetian Macau. It’s difficult to say exactly how many casinos there are; new ones are built every year. They are located on the Macau Peninsula and on the island of Taipa. They play such popular games as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, sic-bo and fan-tan. Naturally, every casino has a lot slot machines with any games and bets. Locals call slot machines “hungry tigers.” Photography is not allowed in the casino. Many films have been made about Macau, as well as about Las Vegas; the themes of inveterate swindlers who are planning to deceive the casinos haunt the directors. I advise you to watch the Hong Kong film “From Vegas to Macau” (2014).

Our impressions of Macau casino hotels can be seen in the video Casino Macau.

Casinos try to outdo each other in the luxury of their decoration and the shows they offer.

Harborview Hotel Macau Casino Review

We stayed at the Harborview Hotel Macau 4*. We chose this hotel for its beauty and because it was next to the ferry terminal, literally 10 minutes on foot. But as it turned out, there was no need to bother, this hotel also had a free shuttle bus to the terminal. When we left the hotel, we drove it. Harborview Hotel Macau in Macau.

And this turned out to be the hotel of our dreams, especially after the crypt hotel in Hong Kong. The hotel represents a certain mix of Prague buildings; you can see paintings on the walls, balconies and bas-reliefs. The cost of living is 735.72 MOP (5320 rubles). We paid an additional 110 MOP per person for breakfast (local Macau currency). The hotel required a deposit of 1000 MOP.

The entrance to the hotel immediately strikes you with its luxury.

Every self-respecting hotel in Macau must have a luxurious Rolls-Royce for its most valuable guests.

At the reception you can also see views of Prague.

Everything around glitters and sparkles.

When we arrived on our floor, we were even amazed by the hotel corridors!

And as soon as we entered the room, we were simply amazed! This was our best hotel during our entire trip to China. What can I say, this is one of the best hotels in our experience; in terms of luxury, such hotels as the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg, for example, can “compete” with it.

Again we encountered a glass wall between the bathroom and the bedroom.

In good hotels in Macau and Hong Kong you can find such a service as a rented smartphone with a network connection. The service was called Handy. The service is free for hotel guests; telephones are installed in clients' rooms. Users have access to an unlimited number of calls (both local and foreign), as well as an unlimited Internet package. SIM cards installed in Handy smartphones do not work with other devices. And the smartphones themselves are not compatible with third-party SIM cards. After checkout, the device is blocked. In addition to access to communication services, Handy also informs the temporary owner about nearby establishments and events. In addition, Handy smartphones provide access to information about hotel services and offers. In particular, a guest can order room service or contact support regarding any issue.

Branded cosmetics in the rooms.

View from the room window.

The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and when we went there in the evening there was no one there! In the morning we met only one person there.

Luxurious fitness center.

The breakfasts at this hotel made us fall in love with Chinese food! It turns out that you can eat not only dumplings!

We would love to come to this hotel again.

Wynn Palace Casino Hotel

The Wynn Palace 5* hotel is one of the most spectacular in Macau. Wynn Palace Hotel in Macau.

Shows are held here dancing fountains and you can take a free cable car ride around the fountains and get off right at the hotel.

Escalator from the cable car at the hotel.

Everything inside the hotel amazes with luxury and splendor. Even the toilets are gorgeous.

Various installations are located inside the halls.

Windmill made of fresh flowers.

It would not have been possible without a guard, the celestial lion Buddha.

A Chinese tourist arrived at the casino.

As for the casino, they say that they do the most high stakes in Macau.

The world's largest hotel-casino "Venice". The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel 5*

The largest casino in the world is Venice in Macau. The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau.

Inside this entertainment center is the largest in the entire region shopping mall, a luxury hotel with three thousand rooms and canals with gondolas.

There is also the Rialto Bridge, canals and gondolas.

Shopping mall.

In the evening there is a light music show.

The Venetian Macao sports arena hosted NBA matches, the world's leading tennis players and world boxing champions. Film award ceremonies, beauty contests and great shows are held here.

Hotel-casino Hotel Sands

The Sands Macau was the first American-style casino on the island of Macau. Sands Macao Hotel in Macau.

It features an outdoor pool and spa centre.

Legend Palace Hotel Casino

Legend Palace Hotel is located in Macau, next to the ferry terminal. Guests can work out at the fitness center or relax at the spa and wellness center. There is a casino and a shopping center with numerous brand stores on site. Legend Palace Hotel in Macau.

The hotel is reminiscent of the tale of the Arabian Nights and next to it there is an imitation of the ruins of ancient Rome.

MGM Cotai and MGM Macau Casino Hotels

Located on Macau's Cotai Strip, MGM COTAI Resort features approximately 1,400 diverse unique rooms and suites, meeting facilities, a luxury spa, shopping and dining options. MGM Hotel - the only place in the world except Las Vegas, where you can book luxury rooms like Skyloft.

The luxurious MGM Macau Hotel is housed in a 154 meter high building. This 5-star hotel is directly connected to the fashionable shops of One Central. It features Tria Spa and an outdoor swimming pool. MGM Macau Hotel in Macau.

Galaxy Macau Casino Hotel with Tropical Gardens and Beach

Guests of the Galaxy Hotel can visit the casino and various Retail Stores, which are part of the Galaxy Macau resort infrastructure. There is also a tropical garden and beachside wave pool for a relaxing, relaxing day. It features the world's largest rooftop pool, the Sky Wave Pool. Galaxy Macau Hotel in Macau.

Hotel-casino Paris. The Parisian Macao

Hotel with a replica of the Eiffel Tower. The Parisian Macao hotel in Macau.

Grand Lisboa Casino Hotel

Casino Grand Lisboa is the oldest casino in Macau. It is made in the shape of a lotus flower. Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macau.

Is it worth going to Macau?

You can have different attitudes towards Macau and perhaps those who have already visited Las Vegas will not be so curious, but for us, who were in such a city for the first time, the casino was very interesting! Even without being a fan of gambling, the spirit of excitement captured our imagination, and the luxury of the interiors amazed us. In addition, Macau offers many free activities and replicas of many famous attractions. Of course, it won’t be real Venice or Paris, but you don’t need to expect this from Macau; rather, you can perceive all this as a show and theater scenery. And for lovers of antiquity, we suggest taking a walk through the historical center of Macau and seeing this curious mixture of European Portugal and Asian China.

Here, looking at the typical Portuguese pavement tiles, you feel like you are in Europe, but when you go around the corner, you see Asian buildings and Chinese characters and again you realize that you are in Asia. In fact, we would come again to enjoy the service of luxury hotels and see what we couldn’t. Two incomplete days for Macau is extremely short, but if you have a choice whether to go to Macau for at least one day, go for it! On our second day in Macau, we had breakfast at the hotel, explored the historical center of Macau, and in the afternoon boarded the ferry to Hong Kong. After lunch in Hong Kong, we went to the border with mainland China, and in the evening took the train in Shenzhen to Shanghai. So in one day we visited almost 3 countries! How do I book hotels and buy a plane ticket?, .

Macau has long been given a second name - “Oriental” or “Asian” Las Vegas, and this name fully justifies itself.

Macau is the only place in China where gambling is officially permitted, and the players here are mainly Chinese from the mainland and.

In total, there are thirty-three casinos operating in Macau, twenty-three of which are on the peninsula, and ten on the Cotai Isthmus and Taipa Island.

When we were in February 2013, we met with relatives from Odessa and visited the casino ship on which they work

Let’s make a reservation right away that we are absolutely indifferent to gambling, the only bet was placed in a slot machine at the Las Vegas airport - $2, and even then, simply because there was some change in my pocket =) The buildings themselves are of interest - luxury hotels, casinos, interior and exterior decoration and, of course, the show


We saw with what scope and luxury everything was tripled on the Strip, and, I must say, original version seemed, after all, more respectable, so we were very surprised to learn that Macau, with its casinos, makes more profit than all of Las Vegas and Atlantic City combined. It turned out that all this is thanks to the Chinese moneybags, they are the ones who leave their millions here, and the profit from gambling foreigners is not so significant.

Just like in the Vegas casinos, there is no face control, there is also no dress code, the only restriction at the entrance to some casinos is metal detectors (weapons are not allowed, they say there were cases when losers were shot in the forehead).

There is also an age limit, the casino is open to people over 18, but the Chinese, apparently, do not understand much about the age of Europeans, so they once asked us for our passports (or do we look that young?) :) You can’t take photographs in the casino, although some shots This is exactly what we were asking ourselves - when the Chinese get into a frenzy, they are quite emotional :)


Casino revenues in Macau, although higher than in Las Vegas, are less than 5% from the non-gaming component. In Vegas, all kinds of shows, exhibitions, symposiums, cafes and restaurants bring in more than half of the revenue. So Macau has grandiose plans for the development of this segment, and we have seen with our own eyes how they are gradually beginning to be implemented - in the next article we will talk about the fantastic show “House of Dancing Water”.

Despite the existing industry here - fishing, textiles and tobacco production, about 70% of the population is involved in the gambling business, and for good reason - the same 70% of Macau's state budget is formed precisely from casino profits. Taxes on the gambling business here are very high, up to 40% (for comparison, tax on other types of activities, as well as income tax individuals fluctuates between 5-12%).

By the way, thanks high level development of such business, Macau has a very low unemployment rate (one of the lowest in China). (ours) also confirmed this - his students easily find part-time work during non-classroom hours. Croupiers and other casino employees, salespeople in numerous boutiques, waiters in restaurants, assistants in various shows, maids and receptionists in hotels, drivers, tour guides and guides in the tourism sector are widely in demand.

Casinos in Macau are a relatively new business; the construction of new American-style casinos began only in 2004, and in three years a million were built square meters land. The cost of the project is staggering - $2.4 billion, its main investor, American businessman Sheldon Adelson, is the largest tycoon in the gaming business, director of the largest gaming corporation in the world, Las Vegas Sands.

From that moment on, the old Portuguese casinos adopted a new style both in design and in service, not to mention the variety of games; Western ones were added to the popular Eastern games - poker and roulette, so that after reconstruction, some of them are no longer inferior American neighbors. A good example is the Lisbon casino (Grand Lisboa) - this is one of the oldest casinos in Macau, now one of the largest on the mainland.

This casino appears in the form of a giant flower, on a pedestal; the flower is visible from almost anywhere on the peninsula (see ours)


In, one of the most memorable casinos for us was certainly. As for Macau, Adelson’s idea was to build an enlarged copy of The Venetian casino, the size of seven football fields


The Venetian Casino in Macau is the most... large casino in the world and is among the top five large buildings on the planet


The Venetian Masao can be characterized by three succinct words - luxury, respectability and extravagance


Not only gamblers come here with the goal of losing another million, but also newlyweds for a wedding photo shoot


Photos against the backdrop of the main entrance to the casino hotel look especially advantageous


To implement such a large-scale project, the Cotai Spit (between the islands of Taipa and Coloane) was drained and covered with earth, on which the famous The Venetian Masao now flaunts,


which is a huge city block with squares, palaces with carved arches, bridges


The Venetian under one roof has collected 4 thousand slot machines, 850 gaming tables in spacious halls, a gigantic luxury hotel with 3 thousand rooms, a gallery with 350 shops,


In addition to well-known brand boutiques, there are also unusual shops, such as a store selling bird’s nests (remember, we already wrote about this once)


Also in the gallery there are 30 world-class restaurants, hundreds of cafes and bars,


and also venues for performances, for example, an angel cellist plays, for some reason, in a cage


There are also conference rooms with a capacity of 1,800 people and a cinema and concert hall for 15 thousand spectators, where until recently you could watch the show of the famous Cirque du Soleil (the American production did not catch on in Macau; the Chinese preferred the show “House of Dancing Water” ", made taking into account the specifics of the Asian mentality).

Italian artists worked on the interior and exterior design of the complex; St. Mark's Square is embodied here,

The Bridge of Sighs, with Venetian fountains, golden statues, gilded arches, colorful houses in the Venetian style, with painted ceilings, embankments, and even the sky with clouds


and of course canals with gondolas,


More precisely, a whole network of channels


It’s like a piece of Venice has been transferred here to Macau :)


We rarely saw the gondolas empty,


A ride on them costs HK$ 120 per person or HK$ 470 for the entire gondola. The entertainment, of course, is dubious, but the walk also includes an opera concert - singers from opera houses, they are offered very lucrative contracts here


And on this square we suddenly heard Pugacheva’s song “Million Red roses“At first they didn’t even believe their ears


The interior decoration of the casino is amazing, and the Christmas tree lifts your spirits


Room rates in – from USD$ 250 (if booked several months in advance). If the amount does not scare you, and you are eager to visit Macau and stay in such a hotel, choose rooms on the top floors, in the southern building, overlooking the Galaxy Casino


It is from them that every evening, through a panoramic window, you can watch the laser-light musical “Ice Fountain Show” in Galaxy (this advice was shared with us by a Russian couple whom we accidentally met at the “House of Dancing Water” show).

By the way, we saw the Galaxy casino first - it’s hard not to notice such a huge thing, even walking in the old town of Taipa, here it is, peeking out

As soon as you turn the corner, it’s Galaxy again, but with a new backlight


In general, casinos look especially advantageous when illuminated in the evening


But during the day they don’t look so impressive

Looks more like a residential area


Besides the Venetian and Galaxy, there are other interesting casino hotels in Macau.
MGM Grand is a building with an interesting design on the outside and a luxurious lobby inside, which is decorated with an exquisite sculpture by Salvador Dali and a banyan tree. Every evening here you can watch a light and music show projected onto the walls of the hall.

We can’t help but mention the luxurious The City of Dreams complex; it includes three hotels: Crown Towers, Hard Rock Hotel and Grand Hyatt, as well as a casino with 500 gaming tables


The interior decoration of its galleries is also impressive


This complex is famous for its boutiques, night bars and clubs, cafes and restaurants.

The budget of this project is $2.1 billion, its construction began during the economic crisis (2008), but, as it turned out, the crisis was not an obstacle to the gambling business, so the project was successfully completed on time. By the way, it is in The City of Dreams that the famous circus show, with a budget of $250 million - “House of Dancing Water”, we will talk about it in the next article.

The Hard Rock Hotel is famous for the fact that in the design of some, especially expensive rooms, personal belongings of rock-n-rolla stars were used - guitars, drum sets, concert microphones and even a snow-white piano.

The Wynn Casino surprises with its shows: “Tree of Prosperity” is a masterpiece of choreography and sculptural skill, all accompanied by music, video and light. And the “Lake of Fountains” show is a vibrant performance of dancing water columns in the air, to the tunes of Broadway musicals, as well as the sounds of classical and popular music.

In addition to the show, you can also visit the antiques and jewelry exhibition owned by billionaire Stanley Ho. Among the exhibits are incredible gems: 218-carat diamond and 210-carat emerald, as well as an imperial chair, a mammoth tusk with filigree carvings and 150 kg of pure gold, in the shape of a dragon ship.

So, in Macau it is definitely difficult to surprise anyone with the size and scope of gold jewelry and gold-plated accessories.


Macau is undoubtedly a city of celebration, thanks not only to the night lights of colorful casinos, but also to various exciting shows and other entertainment for the soul and body, so the city attracts not only gamblers, but also ordinary tourists thirsty for impressions and lovers of unusual attractions.

Here in Macau one of the most amazing metropolises I have ever seen. From the former Portuguese colony, the region inherited narrow European streets with unusual names. For more than four hundred years, the invaders of the Old World owned this piece of Chinese land - and only in 1999 Macau was returned to China and received a special status, like Hong Kong. If the latter is at least a little understandable with its English bottom, then Macau turned out to be a completely surreal place for me, where seemingly incompatible cultures, languages ​​and traditions are intertwined. I can’t wrap my head around how civilizations originally located on different sides of the globe coexisted for several hundred years in this warm corner of Southeast Asia. Tourism is one of the city's most important sources of income and accounts for almost forty percent of GDP. Today Macau is growing by leaps and bounds and is famous mainly for its legal gambling business. In America, casinos were given to the Indians so that they would not be offended by typhoid gifts. In China, the same method was used to retain power in a non-native, newly acquired region. Now owners of numerous factories and ships come here from all over the country to spend their money. The scale of the business is inhuman. Not so long ago, the fees from one gaming table in Macau were five times higher than the income in Las Vegas. There are ten times more hotels in the city. It took not a hundred years to create all this, as in Nevada, but just ten years. Super casino tycoon Steve Wynn decided to move his headquarters to Macau in the spring of 2010. As usual in Asia, the contrast between luxury and poverty is great. In general, I don’t think that people live in poverty and need in the former Portuguese colony, however, at the entrance to the glowing forty-story casino in the shape of an open flower bud, you can easily meet a fruit seller with a cart. China is China. One of the main problems of the city is overpopulation. To live in the center, I had to live in a “closet”: a large room divided into rooms by high partitions that did not reach the ceiling. Audibility, I'll tell you... The narrow streets, inherited from the medieval conquerors, are still used up and down to this day. The main means of transportation along them is a moped a la Vespa. For some reason, bicycles are not in fashion, cars are stuck in traffic jams. I spent three days in Macau, wandered around, climbed a hill, walked down to the waterfront, ate weird octopus in a restaurant and almost bought a stupid Chinese dog. I'll definitely go back there. By the way, from Russia, from Moscow in particular, you can fly there and back for only five hundred euros, which, in my opinion, is not very expensive. If you look, look for flights to Hong Kong, from there you can take a high-speed ferry to Macau in about an hour. Keep in mind, they have their own money and their own visas. They do not accept visa fees at the border. credit cards, you need to have cash with you. I didn’t have it, I had to go “negotiate” on a wild course with the officer in the back room. From Macao (the Cantonese name of the city) you can either return to Hong Kong or “to the mainland” - to China. I left by bus for Nanning, so that from there I could immediately get to Vietnam, and a day later I was already in Hanoi, bustling and completely rustic compared to Macau. The ferry arrives at the northern part of Macau. Buses take you to the nearest casino - a gigantic building in the background - for free.
But at the casino I had to look for the local transport schedule.
We take a regular bus across a huge bridge into old Macau. Through the windshield, if you click on the photo, you can see the city.
The skyscrapers are taller and more wonderful than each other.
View of the city center.
The main street of the old part of Macau.
The city is on hills, as you can see.
New building on the coastal part.
Large-scale construction in a slum area. After wandering around the hills, I came down and headed there to see what the difference was with the clear center.
One of the city squares. There are Chinese inscriptions in the foreground, Portuguese inscriptions on a white building further away.
Cozy courtyard with benches. The best cafes and restaurants are usually hidden in such nooks and crannies.
Curly balconies with flowers.
Twisting back streets and mokiki mopeds.
Composition with a window, a staircase and a tropical plant.
A very European piece of China, it seems to me.
The walls of many houses are lined with small ceramic tiles.
Old lady at the entrance to the store. So I walked to the area that you saw at the beginning of the post in the photo with the construction site.
A stranger in a red T-shirt sleeps after lunch in a tavern.
A small piece of street art.
Banana man.
Chinese room on the first floor.
Typical residents of such Chinese nooks and crannies.
Moped repair workshop.
The boy is resting at the marshalling yard.
Contrast, contrast, contrast... Think of the shiny glass concrete buildings in the center and the space tower.
Narrow streets, wires, cramped conditions - this part is similar to Hong Kong.
Barred balconies. It can be assumed that this was done for security reasons. However, it may turn out that it is simply customary, as in Vietnam they like to frame the roofs with decorative balconies.

Honor board near the local school. Rainbow and happy faces of children. For some reason, rice and fish are drying on the ground. On your own, without supervision.
The walls of the school are tiled. But this red cat didn’t know how to get down, was afraid to jump and meowed pitifully for a long time.
Schoolgirls go home, it’s getting dark.
Signs and jewelry displays light up. Unlike Hong Kong, there are fewer charlatans pulling at the sleeve and offering fake Rolexes or electrical equipment.
One of the space casino buildings.
I hope you will fully feel the difference from simple proletarian areas when looking at these inhuman structures.
Historic building a couple of blocks from Lisboa Casino.
You saw this building in the photographs at the beginning of the post. It's VERY big. Images of cards, suits and easy money run along the lower spherical part.
Night cafes offer fish from aquariums and other simple entertainment. The Chinese love to eat at night.

In the center everything is very expensive, rich and gigantic.


The same photo as at the beginning, only in blue.