This document provides information about Macau, including: - The official languages are Portuguese and Cantonese, and the currency is the Macanese pataca. There is no capital city as Macau is a special administrative region of China. - Some of the most visited tourist attractions are the Ruins of St. Paul Cathedral, Macau Tower, and the Venetian Macau casino resort. - The culture is influenced by Chinese traditions as well as Portuguese colonialism, and the majority religion is Buddhism with minorities of Catholics and Taoists. Popular festivals include Chinese New Year and the A-Ma Festival honoring the goddess of seafarers. - Representative foods include the Portuguese egg tart and

1. NAME: HEIDIE Q. CASTILLO
BSTM3Y1-6
MRS. EVELYN VELASCO

2. I. BASIC
FACTS

3. LANGUAGE
•Portuguese and
Cantonese

4. CURRENCY
• Macanese pataca

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

6. FLAG

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. • 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.

11. • 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.

12. • 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.

13. II. ACCESS
ROUTES

14. 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.

15. • 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.

17. 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.

18. • 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.

20. 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.

21. • 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.

23. III.
GEOGRAPHIC
AL FEATURES

24. MOST VISITED
TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS

25. RUINS OF ST. PAUL
CATHEDRAL

26. • 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”.

27. MACAU TOWER

28. • 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.

29. VENETIAN
MACAU

30. • 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.

31. KUN IAM STATUE

32. • “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.

33. ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH

34. • 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.

35. IV. DISTINCT
CULTURAL
ATTRIBUTES

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. • 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.

39. 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.

41. 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.

43. 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.

45. V.
GASTRONOM
Y

46. CUISINES

47. 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.

49. 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.

51. 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.

53. 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.

55. 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.