Macau is the casino capital of the world, but beyond the tables there's 400 years of cultural heritage from East and West to see
For a small, quiet island, Macau has one big reputation. Sharp-eyed businessmen have been quick to spot the opportunities of an island just an hour or so by ferry away from Hong Kong or southern China, turning the Chinese enclave into a gambler's paradise.
But behind the large, mysterious-looking casinos, there are more sedate but equally impressive sources of entertainment to be found in the traditional temples and old Portuguese cathedrals scattered around the island.
The Portuguese ruled Macau for about 400 years, and a lot of its architecture reflects European influences. Even now, many of the signs in front of stores are written in Portuguese. The kinds of food and souvenirs on offer all over the island also betray the mixed Chinese and Portuguese heritage. And alongside the Macau-born and Chinese inhabitants lives a core Macanese population of mixed Chinese and Portuguese nationality.
For the visitor seeking an insight into this rich cultural melting pot, the A-Ma temple is a good place to start. Built around 1488, it's the oldest temple on Macau and was also the first thing to meet the eyes of the original Portuguese adventurers who landed in 1553. Meaning to ask the locals what name they used for the island, legend has it that the Portuguese sailors pointed to the temple. "Ma Ge" came the answer - the locals' name for the temple then - which in time became "Macau". The many shrines on its hillside location give visitors the chance to pay their respects to the Chinese Buddha images on their way to the top. Another thing to look out for is the incense in a swinging burner, which smoulders continually for three months.
In sharp contrast, the Cathedral of Saint Paul sitting on a small hill with stone steps leading up to it displays the Western side of the island's heritage. But examine its Catholic statuary and you'll find that it's also tinged with Chinese themes. More evidence of Portuguese rule can be detected at the hillside fort, Fortaleza do Monte, in whose garden a cannonball fired to protect Macau from subsequent invaders still lies.
The most popular spot for shoppers has to be Senado Square, a paved area in the centre of town lined with European-style buildings and shops with brand-name clothing at bargain prices.
Thrill-seekers bored with the casinos can try bungee jumping off the Macau Tower, the island's tallest building. Those less enamoured at the thought of plunging 233 metres at the end of an elastic band can get their kicks just watching.
Slot-machine fatigue is also what leads many visitors to Fisherman's Wharf, a Las Vegas-style entertainment complex built by Stanley Ho, the richest man in Macau and owner of a number of casinos including the Casino Lisboa. At this collection of buildings in the outer harbour area you can shop, visit the Roman Amphitheatre or try the volcano-themed amusement park, complete with a replica of a live volcano.
At the time I visited, the island was quiet - outside the casinos, at least. But Roel Sedano, a teenager who works in a local souvenir shop, says that even youngsters like him are getting tired of the mushrooming population of gambling dens.
"I don't think it's a good idea, it's all casinos, they should have shops too."
But it seems there's no stopping them. In 2006 Macau overtook Las Vegas to become the world's biggest gaming market, with at least 24 casinos operating. Big names include the Grand Lisboa casino, Steve Wynn's casino, Galaxy and the Las Vegas Sands.
I decide to chance my arm at the last one, where some of the most frequent visitors are from China and Hong Kong. The gamblers inside say they come for fun, but there's obviously some serious winning and losing going on. Though the most popular game here is baccarat, as a casino newcomer I reckoned the roulette would be an easier challenge so I headed towards the wheels.
I got chatting with a man from China, who told me he visited Macau twice a week by ferry. Confiding that his T-shirt factory was on the slide, he nevertheless seemed eager to pump coins into one of the automatic roulette machines.
"It's easy, you don't need chips or a dealer," he enthused, advising me to bet big, but stay within a budget. Another Chinese man joined us, and reported that he had just lost HK$6,000 (Bt25,300) in 10 minutes.
"You have to put big bets down. If you do it in dribs and drabs, there's no use," he told me.
The Las Vegas Sands Corp is expanding its empire on the island with the Venetian Macao casino resort on the Cotai Strip, a complex which will encompass 300 shops and 3,000 suites. Manchester United will be the first guests at the resort's hotel when they arrive for the Venetian Macao Cup on July 23.
The influx of big money has brought its own problems, though. Counterfeit currency cases, illegal immigrants, document forgery and organised crime have all made the news on the Macau recently. Earlier this year, a man jumped from the third floor of a casino after losing all his money. And after a 16-year-old girl managed to make it to the tables and win a small fortune, the casino agreed to pay out to the under-aged youth's mother.
My tour guide in Macau, Emily Ho, is not alone in believing that the crime situation can only get worse if more casinos are opened.
It will be interesting to visit again in a few years to see what's changed. I'm crossing my fingers that at least the delicious Portuguese egg tarts will stay the same.
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