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Macau is on the west side of Pearl River mouth in the southeast of China, 20 km southwest to Hong Kong. Macau consists of Macau Peninsula, Taipa Island and Coloane. Macau covers an area of 16.92 km2, and has a population of around 435 thousand, of which 97% are Chinese. Portuguese is the official language of Macau, but residents mainly speak Cantonese.
Macau has a history of over 400 years and a prime geographical location. It has traditional temples, solemn Catholic churches in ancient fashion, many protected antiques and a beautiful scenery along the sea.
The Ruins of St. Paul is located on the hill near Macau’s Daba Street. St. Paul’s Church was built in 1637, and it mixed together the style of the European Renaissance period and that of eastern architecture. It was the biggest Catholic Church in the East at that time. In 1835, St. Paul’s Church was destroyed in a fire, leaving only the front part. As it looks like a traditional Chinese memorial archway, it is called “St. Paul’s Memorial Archway” in Chinese. The exquisite and artistic carving decorates the front side of the church with antiquity and elegance. Whether it is the cross standing tall on top of the ruins, or the Holy Baby sculpture under the copper dove and the Holy Mather sculpture surrounded by angels and flowers, everything is colored with strong sense of religion and endows visitors with the enjoyment of beauty. Now, St Paul’s Ruins has become a symbol of Macau and a must-see for visitors in Macau. After seeing the Ruins of St. Paul, visitors can also go to the ancient fort closely nearby. After mounting the majestic fort which looks like an ancient European castle, visitors can not only see a dozen of giant ancient cast steel cannons and reminisce the bygone days, but can also enjoy a bird view of Macau.
A-Ma Temple is located at the foot of Ma Kok Hill in the south of Macau. Built in the Ming Dynasty 500 years ago, it is the oldest temple in Macau. A-Ma Temple was built for Ma Kok, the sea goddess who protects sailors. In Southern Min dialect, “ma kok” means “mother.” March 23rd of the lunar calendar is the birthday of Ma Kok. Every year, grand homage activities will be held on this day. Believers will also come in groups to burn incense and ask for peace, safety and happiness. A-Ma Temple is an ancient architecture with rich Chinese characteristics. The two stone lions in front of the temple are solemn and vivid. Inside the temple, there are the Main Hall, the Stone Hall, the Hall of Advocating Benevolence, and Marattiales Pavilion. All buildings have flying eaves and majestic momentum. There is an eye-catching stone with carving of foreign ships on it. It is said to have a history of 400 years. With a hill at its back, the sea in front and many ancient trees inside, A-Ma temple has a beautiful scenery and a quiet environment. Men of letters have left numerous words and stone carvings during the past, which further add some elegance to this ancient temple.
The Marine Museum is beside the A-Ma Temple. It boasts rich and interesting marine materials, models of ships used when early Portuguese arrived at Macau, traditional Chinese fishing boats and fishing equipments, as well as various transportation facilities on water used in today’s Macau. Opposite the museum berth a fancifully decorated ship and a dragon boat for visitors to enjoy.
Macau enjoys world fame for its gambling entertainment, and is one of the world’s three gambling capitals. Currently there are altogether six casinos in Macau, which are set inside Hotel Lisboa, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Macau Palace inside the harbor, Casino Kam Pek and Jai Alai. Inside the casinos there are all kinds of gambling games. The completeness of the varieties, the luxury of the equipments and the strictness of management are all of the world’s top standards.
CUP has established the acceptance of CUP card in Macau since September, 2004. CUP’s Macau customer service hotline is 0800-801. Currently, 2,091 POS terminals with CUP logos and 162 ATMs accept CUP card, basically covering all major tourist areas and shopping areas in Macau. Some shops or ATMs may not have CUP logo on them, but you may ask whether CUP card is accepted. CUP card cannot supprot bank counter transferring and counter cash withdrawing in Hong Kong and Macau, nor cash withdrawal through POS terminals.
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