Culture and casinos up Macau’s ante
By Dawna L. Robertson
When Macau’s 40-year gambling monopoly was liberated from the grips of a local entrepreneur in 2002, it opened the gates to anyone with enough financial clout and confidence to play the game. The result has been a flood of ritzy casino hotels from the likes of Las Vegas Sands Corp., Steve Wynn and MGM Grand.
Clearly, the casino resorts have altered the complexion of this tiny, former Portugese territory on the South China coast. Today, its cobblestone streets lined with pastel colonial buildings and UNESCO-listed heritage sites stand side by side with a glossy new Macau Las Vegas of the East, if you will.
On this particular morning, I dive into old Macau. It’s 8:30 a.m. and the city's Red Market is buzzing with locals who shop as a daily ritual. Erected from red bricks in 1936, the architectural heritage site still houses a vigorous trade. Stalls are stuffed with colorful produce from the nearby delta of the Pearl River, fresh fish hauled in from the sea and a global collection of exotic spices.
I’m taking part in a cooking class with a small group of U.S. chef wannabes. Mingling among the regulars, we scrutinize Thai chili peppers, capsicum, ginger, king prawns and whole chickens. Armed with 400 patacas (roughly US$50) and limited on haggling time, we purchase provisions for prepping African Chicken and Portuguese Seafood Rice with Chef David Holliday at The Westin Resort.
Nowhere does Macau’s role as a gateway for cultural exchange play itself out more splendidly than in its cuisine. When Portuguese seafarers settled along China’s southeastern coast in the 1550s, they infused local dishes with culinary influences from Europe and their outposts in India, Africa and South America.
This eclectic epicurean stew resulted in distinctive Macanese fare, with our African Chicken recipe considered a signature.
Atop the tower
Thankfully, the only activity on our next stop is to soak in scenery. Celebrated as the destination’s ultimate thrill option, Macau Tower goes on record as the 10th tallest freestanding tower in the world. This marvel is tricked out with a slew of shopping and dining options, plus views sweeping into Mainland China.
The prominent skyscraper is most celebrated, however, by adrenaline junkies who bungee jump from a platform perched outside the 764-foot observation deck. Those less daring can downshift by harnessing up for a handrail-free “skywalk” circumnavigating a 6-foot ledge or mast climb to the tower’s 1,110-foot peak. We were perfectly content catching the action from the revolving 360° Café.
Celebrated as Macau’s picture-postcard landmark, the Ruins of St. Paul's is the facade of what was originally a 17th century Portuguese cathedral dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle. Officially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, it today consists of the intricately carved southern stone facade dating back to 1620, and the crypts of the Jesuits who established and maintained the cathedral.
Big names with big games
With the opening of the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel Macao on the high energy Cotai Strip, Las Vegas Sands Corp. made a Guinness-worthy footprint. Not only did the company develop the largest single hotel complex in Asia, but it’s also the third largest building on earth – roomy enough to hold 90 Boeing 747 jumbo jets.
Physically linked by a walkway of designer boutiques, these two hotels are as different as night and day. Featuring opulence that’s just short of intimidation, the 360-room Four Seasons pairs neoclassical elegance with modern Asian chic.
As for the 3,000-suite Venetian, this $2.4 billion flagship actually dwarfs its Vegas counterpart in size and foot traffic as it welcomes up to 86,000 visitors daily.
Other stats are downright staggering as well -- 350 international retail options within the one-million-square-foot Grand Canal Shoppes, more than 30 restaurants and lounges, an 1,800-seat theater staging Asia’s only Cirque du Soleil production, the 15,000-seat CotaiArena, and a 550,000-square-foot casino.
Set against a backdrop of Renaissance Venice, the integrated resort is adorned with stunning landmark replicas of St. Mark’s Square, Doge’s Palace, Campanile Tower and canals with opera singing gondoliers.
There are three additional outdoor pools, the 85,000-square-foot MALO CLINIC Spa wellness center with 58 spa suites and an 18-hole rooftop mini-golf course.
Among Macau Peninsula’s glittering newbies, the polished $1.25 billion, 593-room MGM Grand Macau is a waterfront collaboration between MGM Mirage and local businesswoman Pansy Ho.
Dramatic yet airy, the sophisticated lobby sparkles with an original Salvador Dali sculpture and a 42-panel Dale Chihuly glass abstract serving as a vibrant backdrop to the reception desk. Its focal point, however, looms just beyond in the architecturally stunning 11,700-square-foot Grand Praca. The glass-domed conservatory mirrors a Portuguese square with European facades inspired by Lisbon’s Rossio train station.
Sure, Vegas is closer. But with its rich history, intriguing culture, and springboard proximity to Hong Kong and Mainland China, Macau delivers much more than typical fun and games.
Getting there
It's typically a trip of at least 20 hours from U.S. gateways on the west coast to Macau's modern jetport by way of a flight connection at Asian hubs such as Taipei, Seoul or Peking. Most visitors to Macau arrive by jet-powered water taxis from Hong Kong and other cities on the Chinese mainland.
More info: Visit the Macau Government Tourist Office at www.macautourism.gov.mo.
Cover photo courtesy of the Macau Government Tourist Office.
