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Glitz, Gambling, and Gold

Posted by tanushri podder

Feb 22, 2008 | 1411 views | Read 58 Comments | Forward to a Friend

Macau is all glitter and gloss. It is a city of dreams; a chimera and a gambler’s paradise. Millions of dollars are lost and won on the gaming tables of its glittering casinos, every night. Like gambling, the city is addictive. People return to it again and again, to experience the throb of adrenaline as they place their luck and their money at stake. It has a reputation to live up to and it does that very well. ‘Gambling brings in the tourists,’ says Sally Chung, a restaurant owner, with pride. It also props up their economy, she forgets to say.

Travel by Jetfoil from Hong Kong

A view of the sea coast

A-Ma Temple

Gambling is all about lucre – and with lucre come the gold and the glitz. The bright, blinking neons announcing the casinos, the musical fountains, and the string of Chow Tai Fook (One of the leading jewellery dealers) outlets are a confirmation of Macau’s love affair with glitter. The cute, fat, pig in gold sitting in the jewellery shop windows is another confirmation that the Year of the Pig has been very lucrative for Macau. Not surprisingly, the residents are obsessed with gold. No less than eighty eight gold bricks of one kilo each are embedded in the floor of Hotel Grand Emperor foyer. If that isn’t luxury, what is? Imagine stepping on gold! The fact is that the Chinese consider it good luck to walk over gold and the hotel obliges its guests by placing gold bricks under their feet. That the gold is well guarded is another matter.

The presence of umpteen pawn shops is no surprise either. In a city ruled by blackjack, roulette and baccarat, pawn shops are spawned like wild mushrooms in the monsoon.

From a humble fishing village on the silk route to a hot tourist destination, Macau has come a long way indeed. The place, then known as A Ma Gao, ‘Place of A Ma’, (Goddess of Seafarers) was a part of the Silk Route with ships bound for Rome, loading here. It soon found itself colonised by the Portuguese. The name was shortened to Macau and thus began a new era. Macau became the perfect crossroad between the Eastern and Western cultures. Portuguese customs, cuisine and culture flowered along with the Chinese ones.

After almost four centuries when the Portuguese left Macau it was brought under a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China. With the transfer of power, the Chinese government realised that they were sitting on a gold mine. All that needed to be done was to develop the place into a tourist attraction. It has the beaches, beauty, cultural variety and architectural attractions – the right ingredients to attract the tourists. They also realised that Macau suffered a reputation for gambling dens of a more sordid nature with a significant involvement of the underworld. The authorities turned this into an advantage by legalizing gambling and cashing on the craze for the gaming table.

Wynn Hotel

Macau became the only Chinese territory where gambling is legal. Today, gambling is a full fledged industry, bringing in more tourists than ever. About 50% of the arrivals come from mainland China and a significant number from the adjoining island of Hong Kong. Macau has already beaten Las Vegas as far as its earnings from casinos are concerned.

Well-heeled denizens of Hong Kong and China flock to the island on weekends to relax and gamble. It is no secret that the Chinese have always nursed a penchant for the gaming table and Macau, known as the Las Vegas of the East, provides them the opportunity to continue this passion.

Almost all big hotels have a floor dedicated to their casino. Sands Casino, which claims to be the largest casino in the world, is one of the popular ones. With its 740 table games and 1254 slot machines, spread over a vast area, it rules the roost. Billionaire Ho, who controlled Macau’s gaming market for four decades before it was liberalised, owns the Grand Lisboa, a luxury hotel with its glittering casino that resembles a giant psychedelic, flashing globe, at night.

Baccarat, blackjack, roulette, Macau casinos have it all. And if one is a greenhorn at these games, there are the slot machines to win or lose a few Macau patakas.

Grand plans are afoot to turn the Cotai strip into the biggest gambling area in the world. With several renowned hotel chains like the Four Seasons, Venetian, Wynn, Sheraton and Hilton, constructing hug casinos, the Island is set to draw record gambling crowds from all over the world. The grandiose plan is also giving shape to 77,000 hotel rooms to accommodate the crowds that are expected to make a beeline to the island.

Ruins of St. Paul

But a city doesn’t live by gambling alone. It needs something more to keep the tourists occupied, especially after they’ve had a winning streak and need to celebrate. And so, a vibrant night life created to hook the most reticent customer. Macau comes to life after sunset when even the drabbest buildings turn into vivacious neon palaces. Bars, discotheques and casinos begin to draw the tourists like bears to honey. For night owls this is a city that never sleeps since most of the bars, shops and casinos are open through the night. If you want to go dancing in the middle of the night, this is the place to do so. There are bars with live bands, which oblige you with the song of your choice; be it from any part of the world – Brazil, Africa, Asia, Portugal and, of course, Asia.

The Golden Lotus

If it is the pole dancers that accelerate your adrenaline, you’ll find them at MP3, one of the hippest joints in town, or if it is Elvis who made your heartbeat faster, there is a copycat version of the star in the nearby Jaloco. And if you are looking for some cabaret style entertainment, there is the “Crazy Paris Show” at the Hotel Lisboa. Whether you are looking for dance, music, drinking or gambling, you will find it all at Macau.

This is one city that doesn’t sleep. But wait! There is more to the place. Macau is like a multi faceted crystal with a facet for every palate. It has its nightclubs, gaming tables, but there is also the range of architectural wonders with a confluence of the Chinese and Portuguese design elements to draw the ordinary tourist. Parks, martial arts, temples, churches and museums, they are all there for the folks who would rather keep away from the evil goings on of the casinos and the nightclubs. Modern wonders like the Macau Tower, with its heart-in –the-mouth skywalk, and the highest bungee jumping station are a part of the many tourist attractions created to lure the adventurous souls.

Macau also has a fusion cuisine that tempts the taste buds of the epicurean tourists. A delectable blend of the Portuguese and Chinese cuisine, responding to the lyrical call of Macanese cuisine, guaranteed to tickle the taste buds of the most discriminating gourmand, the island has something for everyone.

It is a hot destination alright. Whether you gamble or not, a trip to Macau will introduce you to the different elements of a throbbing and pulsating life that can’t fail to pump up the adrenaline.

Lou Lim Leoc Garden

Reaching There – take the sleek speed boats called Turbojet Sea Express, from Hong Kong piers for an hour long ride on the sea to Macau. If you prefer the air, take a helicopter ride from Hong Kong to Macau, and enjoy the fantastic view.

Staying There – Macau has a host of hotels right from the budget hotels to the top class ones, to choose from. For a luxurious experience you could opt for the Wynn or Lisboa or the Grand Emperor. Most of them also have their own casinos.

Cuisine – Macau is a gourmand’s delight. It offers all kinds of food experiences from the Portuguese to the Chinese, Malay and Thai. While on food, don’t forget to sample the Portuguese wine and the Macanese fare, which is a confluence of Portuguese and Chinese food. Try out the African Chicken (grilled in piri piri peppers), Tacho (a stew of Chinese vegetables and different kinds of meats), Galinha Portuguesea (Chicken cooked in the oven with potatoes, onions, egg and saffron), Minchi (minced beef with fried potatoes, soya sauce, onions and fried egg). Down it all with Portuguese red wine, ending with the delectable dessert called Serradurra. The Macau food experience is never complete without the taste of dim sums so indulge and enjoy.

Shopping– the shopping experience at Macau is designed to gladden every heart. You can buy electronic items, porcelain and ceramic ware, clothes and jewellery from the hundreds of shops all around the downtown area. Chinese antiques are a must buy and so is the reasonably priced Portuguese wine. The flea market and night markets located around Hong Kung Temple and the square beside the Cinema Alegria on Estrada do Repouso on a weekend evening.

Must Experience – the night life at Macau is a must experience. With its many discotheques, night clubs, casinos and bars, it offers a host of opportunities to dance away the blues.

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