| The hand-over in 1999 signaled
the surrender of the final piece of Asian soil under European
colonial control. In Macau itself, this colonial historical
legacy is nowhere more obvious than at the site of the Bella
Vista hotel. Once a glorious colonial style hotel, it is
now the residence of the Portuguese consul. The Chinese
government has promised to allow Macau to continue as it
was before under the "one country two systems"
policy. Macau has been made a designated Special Administrative
Region (SAR) and the Chief Executive of the region is chosen
by an electoral college consisting of local representatives.
In practice the hand-over was surrounded by less pomp and
circumstance than Hong Kong's hand- over in 1997 and day
to day life in the region appears to have continued pretty
much as before.
Situated only 65 km from Hong Kong, Macau is a tiny island
with a big population (420,000 and growing) and a booming
economy. This is an area with a fantastic mix of culture.
The majority of the population is Chinese and the common
language is Cantonese although Mandarin Chinese, English
and Portuguese are all spoken too. The financial success
of the region is due largely to the influx of tourists
who come here to visit and to play in Macau's most famous
sites; the Casinos.
But casinos are not all that Macau is about. Until December
1999, Macau was Europe's oldest colony. As such, this
is a city of amazing and fascinating cultural wealth.
The unique blend of European and Oriental cultures existing
here creates a pleasurable and laid back atmosphere in
a truly beautiful city. Palm trees line the Portuguese
named streets, Churches, Cathedrals and forts sit tight
with ancient Chinese temples and buildings. The parks
here are quaint and there are some great beaches and restaurants
too. The most prosperous and impressive area of the city
is around the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, itself a
symbol of the fusion of cultures existing in Macau.
Visas
Visas are not required for those holding passports from
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France,
Greece, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Britain,
USA, South Korea, Singapore, Luxembourg, Ireland, Brazil,
South Africa, India, Mexico and Germany. Visitors from
these nations may stay for up to 20 days.
Hong Kong residents with 3-star ID cards may stay for
up to 90 days.
Taiwan residents do not require a visa but do however,
require a valid passport and entry permission for Hong
Kong. Taiwan residents are permitted to stay in Macau
for up to 20 days.
Customs
With the exception of routine inspections, customs declaration
is not required for entering or leaving Macau. Imported
electric appliances should have a 5% tax paid. Duty free
articles include gold objects, antiques and cameras. Foreign
tourists are permitted to take one liter of spirits and
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars.
Language
Most people in Macau speak Cantonese. Mandarin is becoming
more popular and many people speak Portuguese and English
too.
Currency
Macau's currency is the pataca. This is written as M$.
One pataca is divided into 100 avos. There are no exchange
control regulations and money can be transferred in and
out. HK$ are also widely used in Macau. The only currencies
used in the casinos are M$ and HK$. |
