An original title

"Sino-Lusitanian Las Vegas" an original title for my hometown after Monaco of the Orient and Las Vegas of East.
http://www.globorati.com/macau-gambling-on-gambling/

Peninsula of Macau, Taipa & Coloane Islands

Macau economy depends on tourism and gambling. The latter has had and has a primary role. Macau has become known for many years as the Monte Carlo of the Orient, and now the Las Vegas of the East.

The monopoly of gambling began in 1962 with the company, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), first, with the Casino Estoril and then, the Casino Lisboa in 1970. That monopoly ended in 2002.

New casinos and other complementary infrastructures came into operation in Macau and in the Cotai Strip of Taipa. Macau has seen a very rapid development, so much so that local people are struggling to keep up the pace.
However, in my opinion, if Macau knows how to maintain its culture, its historical legacy, modernize without entering the global homogenization, it is by itself special in the world, the pearl of the orient.

Lisboa Hotel

Bank of China and Grand Lisboa

Nobre de Carvalho (Macau-Taipa) Bridge

Macau International Airport in Taipa Island
Lotus Bridge that connects Taipa to mainland China

Macau Jockey Club (Taipa)

Taipa

Macau Dome, Venetian at the Cotai Strip and the bushes that egrets love

Venetian under construction

More hotel casinos under construction and the old village of Taipa

Venetian

Another hotel casino at Cotai Strip

Some fun time and mainland China just across the river (Taipa)

Macau hosted the 4th East Asian Games. 3 sport facilities in Taipa: Macau Dome, Macau Stadium (by the way, the British team trained here right before participating in the Olympics in Beijing and stayed in the Westin Resort, Coloane) and Macau's Olympic Aquatic Center

Westin Resort with its golf course, Hac-Sa beach in Coloane Island

Hac-Sa Beach (Black sand beach)

Cheoc-Van Beach (bamboo beach) where, quite often, I had my breakfasts on the weekends, accompanied by a good book or the iPod and of course some dives in the beach or the pool close by.
A whale and a white dolphin that died off the coast of Taipa

A house in the old village of Coloane

Seafood in a bucket

I would like to recommend this site for more pictures of Macau http://www.fotoc.com/studio/dado/macau/welovemacau/
Enjoy!

Macau

Keeping, rebuilding and transforming the old, a work begun by the Portuguese and followed by the Chinese. This is one factor that keeps Macau as a special city in China and in the world. The Historic Center of Macau has , as of 15th July 2005, been officially listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

Central Post Office at downtown

Garden view of Macau Government Headquarters

A government building that shows how the old is kept and the new is added.

On top, Chapel of Penha
On the right, actual residence of Portuguese Consul (once a hospital, school and then a hotel)


Macau Tower and Sai Van Bridge
For the aventurers there's the bungy jump of 233 meters/764.44ft to try or take a stroll around the outer-rim , a walkway of 1.8m/5.91ft that encircles the tower.

Macau night view from Taipa Island
Yearly held Macau International Fireworks Display Contest

Macau

My great-great-grandparents lived in this house. Now it's the Institute of European Studies of Macau.

Police Squad

Monetary Authority of Macau (once was a convent) and a high school at the background

St. Michael Catholic Cemetery

Neighborhood of Tap Seac and along the Ave. of Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida the houses are of same style, where I used to have private tuition when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I think it was more of a case of babysitting hehe.

Guia Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse of the coast of China

An old Portuguese anchor in the Guia Fort and Lighthouse

Typhoon signals that will be hoisted next to the Guia Lighthouse to warn people that a tropical cyclone is heading towards Macau.

Luís Vaz de Camões is considered Portugal's greatest poet. And it's said that he lived somewhere in this garden and there completed his masterpiece, Os Lusíadas. In tribute to the poet, the garden was christened with his name and placed a bust in his cave. Since then, every year, on June 10 there is held a ceremony of homage, The Day of Portugal, Camões and Portuguese Communities.