NAME: HEIDIE Q. CASTILLOBSTM3Y1-6MRS. EVELYN VELASCO

I. BASIC FACTS

LANGUAGE•Portuguese and Cantonese

CURRENCY• Macanese pataca

CAPITAL•Capital City: None, as Macau is a Special Administrative "Region" of China.

FLAG

Macau Flag Description:The flag of Macau has a green base with a white lotus flower in the center of it. The flower sits atop a white stylized bridge and waves. Above the flower are five, five-pointed gold stars that appear in an arced design. The star in the middle is larger than the other four.

GOVERNMENT TRIVIA

• Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north.

• Majority of the people living in Macau are Buddhists, while one can also find Roman Catholics and Protestants here.

• Macau was known by the name ‘Haojing’ (meaning Oyster Mirror) or Jinghai (which literally means Mirror Sea), before Portuguese immigrated to the place way back in 16th century.

Interesting And Fun Facts About Macau

• It is believed that the name ‘Macau’ was derived from the A-Ma Temple, a place of worship that was built in 1448, with Matsu (the goddess of seafarers and fishermen) as its deity.• Chinese form as much as 95% of the total

population of Macau, whereas the rest of the 5% comprise of people belonging to Portugal, Europe and other countries.• The economy of Macau largely depends

upon the revenue generated by tourism. Gambling is also a money-generating affair in the region

• Though Macau is a part of China but it has its own currency. The currency of Macau is called Macanese Pataca.

• After Las Vegas, Macau is one of the biggest gambling areas in the world. In fact, gambling is even legalized in Macau.

• Rink hockey is one of the most popular sports in Macau.

• Macau is one of the richest and most densely populated cities in the world.

• The tourists coming to Macau should know that tipping is a very popular as well as important tradition followed in the region. Nearly 10% of the bill is given as tip in most of the restaurants and hotels of Macau.

• The flights between Macau and Mainland China are considered to be international flights.

• The head of the government of Macau is the chief executive. The candidate for the chief executive of Macau is recommended by an election committee and is appointed officially appointed by the government of China.

• The legislative body of Macau is called Legislative Assembly. It comprises of 29 members of whom 12 are directly elected members, ten are elected indirectly who represent the functional constituencies and seven members are appointed by the chief executive.

• Macau is an offshore financial center and is considered to be a tax haven. It has a free port and there is no regulation to control foreign exchange.

• Macau was the first and last European colony in China.

• Macau is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

• Macau ranks amongst the top 10 regions in the world, with a quite high life expectancy at birth.

• The infant mortality rate of Macau ranks amongst the lowest in the world.

• Macau is a highly humid region, with the humidity ranging anywhere between 75% and 90%. It receives fairly heavy rainfall as well.

• The Historic Centre of Macau, including twenty-five historic monuments and public squares, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

II. ACCESS ROUTES

AIR• Located on the east side of the outlying island of

Taipa, Macau International Airport (MFM) has convenient transfers between the air and ferry services in the region. Its runway is on a narrow strip of reclaimed land and is connected to Taipa by two bridges.

• Flights leaving this airport take passengers directly to most destinations in this region and there are scheduled airlines between it and cities in mainland China including Beijing, Shanghai, Haikou, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Fuzhou and Chengdu and Taipei and Gaoxiong in Taiwan as well as Seoul and Inchon in Korean, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Travelers can also catch connecting flights to other parts of Asia, Europe and America.

• The airport is a fifteen-minute drive from the city's Ferry Terminal and a twenty-minute drive from the Barrier Gate. It is quite easy for travelers to either catch a ferry service to Hong Kong or take a land trip by bus to Guangzhou. For travelers who wish to enter Shenzhen, a five minute car drive from the airport via the Lotus Bridge will reach the border of Guangdong Province.

SEA• There are three ferry terminals providing

schedule ferry serivices to Shenzhen (Shekou Port, Fu Yong Ferry Terminal in Shenzhen Airport) and Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui, Sheung Wan, HK Airport).

• Macau Marine Ferry terminal, also knwn as Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal, New Macau Ferry Terminal and Terminal Marítimo do Porto Exterior in Portuguese, is located in Porto Exterior, east coast of Macau Peninsula, near the reservoir on Avenida da Amizade. It is the principle ferry terminal of the city. Many hotels have free shuttle buses waiting at the bus terminus outside the ferry terminal. It can be reached by city bus API, 10, 10A, 10B and 12 from Barrer Gare to Gongbei Custom, Macau Airport, Macau Tower and other places in the city.

• Macau Inner Harbor Ferry Terminal in the west coast of Macau Peninsula near A Ma Temple, is an old dock area mainy dealing with cargo, fishing and inland waterway shipping. Now it has ferry to Wan Zai Pier of Zhuhai every half a hour from 8:30 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30.

• Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal, Terminal Marítimo Provisório da Taipa in Portuguese, is currently solely served by Cotai jet, located on the north side of Taipa island, a short distance from the Macau Airport. The Venetain has free shuttle bus to this terminal and it can also be reached from Colpane by city bus 21, 26, Praça de Ferreira do Amaral by MT1 and MT2, from Border Gate of Gongbei by AP1. Most of the buses are available at Macau Ferry Terminal too. Ferry to Shenzhen and Hong Kong are both available here.

LAND• There are two gateways to the Guangdong Province from Macau. One is

Barrier Gate on the borders on Zhuhai and other is the COTAI Frontier Post at the end of the Lotus Bridge on the island of Taipa.

• Barrier Gate, located at the northern end of the Macau is the main entry gate to Zhuhai in Guangdong Province. It is the gate by which travelers enter mainland China. Actually all bus services operating between Macau and Guangzhou pass through this gate. All travelers are required to have the same travel documents (for example your valid passport and Chinese visa ) which are required when entering China via other cities such as Beijing, Shanghai or others. Its operating hours is from 7:00 to 24:00.

• Gongbei Border, nine kilometers away from Zhuhai city's government center, is a Chinese border immigration checkpoint. It connects Macau to the south and several hundred meters from its counterpart, the Barrier Gate. The operating hours is from 7:00 to 24:00.

• There are air-conditioned buses operating between Macau and Guangzhou, which should pass the Barrier Gate and Gongbei Border. The place to board these buses is the Kee Kwan's Company bus stop, close to Master Hotel in Macau. However, the bus company is not responsible for Chinese tourist visa which travelers have to hold in order to cross the border from Macau to Zhuhai. Make sure to get all your documents well prepared for border crossing. For travelers who have not yet applied for their Chinese visa, the alternative is to firstly exit Macau from the Barrier Gate and take immigration formalities at Gongbei Border, and then catch the buses at Gongbei to Guangzhou.

• In addition to the Barrier Gate, COTAI Frontier Post at the end of the Lotus Bridge in Cotai on the causeway between the islands Taipa and Coloane is the second entry to China's mainland. Their working hours is from 9:00 to 20:00.

III. GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

MOST VISITED TOURIST

ATTRACTIONS

RUINS OF ST. PAUL CATHEDRAL

• The Ruins of St. Paul’s refer to the façade of what was originally the Church of Mater Dei built in 1602-1640 and the ruins of St. Paul’s College, which stood adjacent to the Church, both destroyed by fire in 1835. As a whole, the old Church of Mater Dei, St. Paul’s College and Mount Fortress were all Jesuit constructions and formed what can be perceived as the Macao’s “acropolis”.

MACAU TOWER

• Macau Tower, the tenth tallest sightseeing tower in the world, is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers . Macau Tower is host to a spectacular array of extreme activities which draw adrenalin junkies from around the world. The flagship project is the Skywalk X, which lets you take a stroll around the edge of the 300m plus tower, while mast climbing and the world’s highest bungee jump from the Macau Tower are also on offer.

VENETIAN MACAU

• Venetian Macau is the World’s Largest Casino.• It is a luxury hotel and casino resort in Macau,

China, owned by Las Vegas Sands. The Venetian is a 39-story,[1] $2.4 billion anchor for the seven hotels on the Cotai Strip in Macau. The 10,500,000-square-foot (980,000 m2) Venetian Macao is modeled on its sister casino resort The Venetian Las Vegas, and is the seventh-largest building in the world by floor area. The Venetian Macao is the largest casino in the world, and the largest single structure hotel building in Asia.

KUN IAM STATUE

• “Beautiful, iconic statue on Macau island”• Before the days of Casinos and skyline hotels in Macau (5 years ago), the 20 meter tall, bronze Kun Lam (Goddess of Mercy) Statue was one of the must see attractions when visiting Macau. This statue and stop seems to be mentioned much less these days but it is still nice to see if you've some time in Macau.

ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH

• Built by the Jesuits in the mid-16th century, this is one of the three oldest churches in Macao. Its present appearance and scale was acquired in 1846. Situated on the southern coastline of Macao overlooking the sea, families of Portuguese sailors used to gather on the front steps of the church to pray and wait for their return, hence it was given the name: Feng Shun Tang (Hall of the Soothing Winds). The neighborhood where the church is located used to be fairly wealthy, thus explaining the building's scale and wealth of architectural treatment. It is a neo-classical structure, with subtle Baroque decorative inspirations.

IV. DISTINCT CULTURAL

ATTRIBUTES

UNIQUE CULTURE

• Chinese culture emphasizes family integrity, lineage solidarity, reserved public behavior toward the powerful, and respect for parents and elder persons (that is, filial piety, or xiao ). These values are also largely maintained in Macau's urban culture. The Portuguese and the Macanese form relatively cohesive subsocieties of Catholics with their distinct values and preferences.

RELIGION• Religious Beliefs. According to 1996 census figures, a majority of the

population (some 60 percent) claimed to have no religion. Buddhism is adhered to by some 17 to 20 percent of the population. There are minorities of Roman Catholics (7 percent), and of followers of Taoism and Confucianism (14 percent). There were also several popular Chinese spirit cults in Macau. Other religions such as Islam and Hinduism are adhered to by tiny minorities. In the late 1990s there also emerged a small but growing group of Falun Gong practitioners (although this is not considered a religion).

• Notable in Macau's history is the great degree of tolerance and relaxed coexistence of the various religious communities. This is also reflected in the mixed architecture of the town, showing churches, temples, and other places of worship close to each other. The 1998 Religious Freedom Ordinance, which codified freedom of religion, is still in force after the handover to China.

• Religious Practitioners. Macau has a Roman Catholic bishop and Buddhist dignitaries. The other religions do not have notable community leaders. Catholic and Buddhist officials often appear together at public functions in the city. Among the Chinese, many geomancers (i.e., diviners interpreting the [in]auspiciousness of lines and figures on the ground) are found.

• Rituals and Holy Places. There are many churches and temples in Macau. The oldest religious structure is probably the Ma Kok Miu temple, dating back to a thirteenth century shrine. The most important churches are the Macau Cathedral, the Saint Joseph Seminary, and the Saint Laurence. Saint Paul's Church, of which only the facade remains, was built in the seventeenth century and was the largest church.

• Death and the Afterlife. Attitudes toward death and belief in an afterlife differ according to the various religious doctrines. Many Chinese have domestic shrines for ancestor worship.

FESTIVAL

• CHINESE NEW YEAR the Chinese festival marking the start of the new year, beginning on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ending on the full moon fifteen days later. It is marked by visits to family and friends, special meals, fireworks, and gift giving.

A-MA FESTIVAL

• A-Ma is a Taoist goddess and is particularly revered in Macau. Also known as Tin Hau, she is the deity of fisher folk and other seafarers. Legend told of the story where a junk, while sailing across the South China Sea, was caught in a tremendous storm and was about to sink. All aboard were terrified but at the last minute, a beautiful young woman stood up and ordered the elements to calm down. It did and the junk reached land safely. This mysterious woman is none other than the Goddess A-Ma. A temple was built on the spot where she landed and it is still there to this day, on the Inner Harbor. The name Macau came to be when many centuries later, when Portuguese soldiers asked for the name of the place, the locals replied "A-Ma-Gao" (Bay of A-Ma). It was eventually shortened to Macau. In recent times, a statue of A-Ma was erected on the highest point of Coloane Island. During the A-Ma Festival, offerings are made. There are also performances of Chinese opera.

FEAST OF THE DRUNKEN DRAGON

• This is an unusual local festival that is observed by fish traders on the eighth day of the fourth moon. The festive occasion starts from Kwan Tai Temple (near Leal Senado square) where groups of intoxicated men will dance their way through markets and lanes while waving wooden dragons' heads and tails. The performance has also been interpreted as an exorcism or a fertility rite.

V. GASTRONO

MY

CUISINES

Portuguese egg tarts

• The Portuguese egg tart is Macau’s most famous food. It consists of a flaky pastry shell, with a rich, sweet egg custard filling with a consistency similar to creme brulee. A caramelized top plays an integral role in the taste. It's best eaten warm. Everywhere from restaurants and hotels to street food vendors sell them. Among many good choices, Lord Stow’s (several outlets) and Grand Hyatt hotel rate highly with foodies.

Pork chop bun

• Another well-known Macau street snack, the pork chop bun is literally a seasoned pork chop on a bun.At Tai Lei Lok Kei in Taipa, the bone-in, incredibly tender and flavorful pork chop rests in a piggy bun, which has a crunchy exterior, soft center and good chew. Simple but satisfying.In operation since 1968, this humble establishment serves the buns only in the afternoon, while stocks last.If you miss out, street food vendors around popular areas such as Ruin of St. Paul’s serve their own version.

Mashed potatoes

• With three Michelin stars, everything is good at Robuchon au Dôme. However, the mashed potato side dish is beyond compare -- it takes skill to give greatness to something so simple.The dish is velvety and rich with a 2-to-1 ratio of potatoes to butter (a lot), and made with ratte potatoes (cooked with skins on for extra flavor) and French butter that's added cold.All of it is vigorously stirred and passed several times through a drum sieve to achieve an ultra-smooth texture.

Portuguese seafood rice

• Portuguese seafood rice is the soupier cousin of its Spanish and Italian counter parts.The highlight is not the succulent mussels nor the giant prawns but the comforting soupy rice stewed with a bunch of other ingredients in the tomato seafood broth. Newly reopened restaurant Temptations treads the border carefully with its Portuguese seafood rice -- stewing it long enough that the flavorful seafood juice is locked into the rice without losing its distinctive texture. It's topped off with a spoonful of seasoned Portuguese olive oil, home-made by Joe Chan, the restaurant's Macanese executive chef.

Prawn tartar• Serving contemporary Spanish cuisine, Casa de

Tapas opened in September, bringing new life to an old house with a charming terrace. A standout is the prawn tartar -- succulent, sweet prawns briefly marinated in lemon juice and combined with olive oil, which gives them a roundness in the mouth. There's nowhere to hide with the dish, the prawns have to be the very best and a deft hand is required to add seasoning that elevates the natural taste of the seafood.