Besides visiting the historic sites, by venturing onto the streets outside the tourist areas you can experience the real Macao.  You can find small shops and cafes, some traditional, some trendy.  

There is a lot of greenery...

...and we are back in Hong Kong.

Largo do Senado, Senado Square.

At around 6 stories tall, this statue of Guanyin standing atop lotus leaves is one of the tallest in the world.

Macao has lots of yummy street food.

Little Bobo is a very friendly Macao resident.

The chapel is quite lovely and peaceful on the inside.  No pictures are allowed.

A-Ma is Tin Hau in Cantonese and Mazu to Mandarin speakers.  Besides her global and regional reverence as protector of people who make their living on the sea, in Macao local lore, the goddess saved a ship from a  a violent storm and returned to heaven from the spot where the temple was built.

Amy really liked this clothing store, with its minimalist exterior and cool style, operated by a young Macau entrepreneur.

A good example of more traditional Macao is Fat Sui Lao, opened in 1903, now with four locations serving Macau cuisine.

Macao has a wonderful local Portuguese/Chinese culture and history that is on display in the historic places, such as the oft-photographed Ruins of St. Paul's (which was never a cathedral, but is still erroneously referred to as such).  It was, however, one of the largest churches in Asia when it was completed in 1640 by the Jesuits and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Macau's most famous casual food is Choapa Bao, or pork chop bun..

This museum does a good job of telling the story of Macao from a seafaring point of view..

To come back to Hong Kong, we just get back on the boat...

Guia Fortress is enjoyable on many levels.

​In front of the temple is Largo de Barra, Barra Square.

Guia Lighthouse was the first lighthouse on the Chinese coast when it was built in 1865.

Macao isn't an island, but we take a boat to get there....

With cannons...

Macau


....and it really is a fort, built between 1622 and 1638

This courtly gentleman has been a waiter here for 60 years!.

About - Life in Asia

Though Macau is famous for gambling and casinos, that is not what makes it a special place.  

Macao actually gets its name from this temple, believed to have been originally built during the Ming Dynasty.  When the Portuguese arrived, they asked for the name of the place and the locals replied, "Maa-gok or A-maa-gok," which means,  "The Pavilion of the Mother," so the sailors named the land "Macao." 

Amy and I have a YouTube channel called Romancing Hong Kong and Macao.  It's about some of the history and special places of Hong Kong and Macao.  You can visit it by CLICKING HERE.

...and tunnels for the soldiers.

Right across the Square is another spot we really like, The Macao Maritime Museum.

A signature dish: African chicken.

St. Dominic's Church, originally built in 1587.