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An Asian Holiday: Part 7 – Historic Sites, Street Food & a Show in Macau

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    Emily Jablon:  Daraius and I celebrated Christmas in Macau and Hong Kong with his family for ~8 days.  It was our 1st time to Macau and Hong Kong and we were very excited to visit!
    The House of Dancing Water – An Amazing Vegas-Style Show

    An Asian Holiday – Trip Report Index:

    This post highlights a number of activities most notably:

    An Asian Holiday: Part 7 – Walking Tour and Other Adventures in Macau

    Emily Jablon:   We really enjoyed walking around the city, so we decided to go to Old Macau for another historical self-guided walk from the Frommer’s Hong Kong guide book.  This walk is for the UNESCO World Heritage sites around St. Paul’s, which includes Senado Square, St Paul’s, the Macau Museum and the fortress, old churches, and gardens. Our Frommers Hong Kong guide book had descriptions of the sites.  Plan on each walk taking ~3 to 4 hours, depending how long you visit sites and shops along the way. There’s much to do in Macau.  You can either go to the casinos…
    Macau Has So Many Casinos, It’s Known as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient”
    …or explore the old city.  Exploring the city was a blast!

    Self-Guided Walk #2 – Around St. Paul’s

    Our first stop was Senado Square, which is a large plaza surrounded by pastel colored neoclassical buildings.

    Colorful Buildings and Wave Patterned Stone Streets of Senado Square

    The square was beautifully decorated for Christmas.

    A Vibrant and Festive Christmas Display in the Square

    Behind the square was a wide pedestrian street with garlands strung from either side.

    Christmas in Macau Mixes Portuguese and Chinese Traditions

    The festive decorations really got me in the holiday spirit.  I didn’t even miss having snow on Christmas!

    Daraius Is Full of Holiday Cheer

    There’s a tourist center in the square with English pamphlets on what to see and do in Macau, along with maps.

    Guidebooks and Maps in English, Chinese, and Portuguese

    Next was St. Dominic’s church which was founded in 1587.  The current structure dates from the early 17th century.

    St. Dominic’s Church is the Oldest Church in Macau
    The Church Is Dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary

    We walked up to the Macau Cathedral.

    The Cathedral Was Plain Compared to Other Macau Churches

    On our way walking down the streets, we decided to stop for bubble tea.

    The Bubble Tea Shop Seemed Very Popular With Locals

    We stopped at Comebuy, which had a large selection of drinks.

    Comebuy Is an International Chain Specializing in Teas and Fresh Juices

    I ordered a lychee juice with lychee jelly.  Lychees are a fruit from Asia with a sweet grape-like appearance and taste.  They are 1 of my favorite fruits outside the US!

    Emily’s Lychee Drink Was Sweet and Refreshing

    There was a lot of street food, including meat on a stick that was then put into soup bowls…

    Anything You Can Imagine on a Stick
    …Daraius ordered a bun with meat filling.
    Daraius Enjoyed His Portable Snack

    We walked through crowded streets to find a local specialty food.  There were shops selling bak kwa, which are sheets of dried, preserved meat.  The flavor is sweet and salty, with a texture like beef jerky.  

    Sheets of Dried Meat or “Bak Kwa” Are a Macanese Delicacy

    The Macau Museum was a recommended site by our guidebook, so we decided to take a peek.

    The Macau Museum is Located on a Hill
    Admission Was 15 Macanese Patacas (~$2)

    There were reproductions of life in old Macau, along with an exhibit on Macau today.

    The Old Macau Exhibits Were Detailed and Colorful

    However, the highlight for me was the rooftop, where you can see the old fortress.  Daraius didn’t care much for the museum, but loved the rooftop!

    The Fortress Was Originally Built From 1617 to 1626

    There are gorgeous sweeping views of the city…

    Lots of Buildings, Old and New
    The Biggest Buildings Were the Casinos
    …as well as cannons from another era.
    The Fortress Protected Macau From Attacks
    The Jesuits Originally Built the Fort to Protect Their Property, but Then the Government Took It Over

    After touring the museum and fortress, we went to see the ruins of St. Paul’s church.

    Emily on the Steps of St. Paul’s Church

    This is 1 of the most famous (and most photographed) sites in Macau.  A fire destroyed most of the church in 1835 and only the facade remains.

    The Stone Facade Was Almost Eerie

    While almost the whole church was destroyed, the statues of the saints survived.

    The Church Ruins Were a Highlight of Our Walking Tour

    Behind the ruins, are a small temple and the remains of an old wall of the city dating back to 1569.  Unfortunately, there’s only a small section left of the wall.

    The view from steps…

    Tourists Everywhere!  Looking Down From St. Paul’s Church
    City Wall Ruins and Na Tcha Taoist Temple

    On the way to the next site on our walk, we were surprised to see a Sesame Street car.

    Where’s Bert?

    We also saw some interesting exercise equipment in a public park, so I decided to try it out.

    This Sure Isn’t Like the Nautilus Equipment at the Gym Back Home!

    Some of them I didn’t know how to use, but it was fun trying!  Some locals were looking at me quite funny.

    I Felt Just Like a Kid Again!

    The walks were interesting because you got to see real life Macau…

    We Enjoyed Seeing Day-to-Day Macanese Life
    Locals Worshipping in the Church
    Laundry Hanging in the Alleys

    Next, we went to the Camoes Garden.  It’s named after the Portuguese poet Luis de Camoes, and is the largest park in Macau.  Every year on June 10, the day Camoes died, locals come to the park to celebrate Portugal Day.

    Camoes Garden Had Many Walkways, Flowering Trees, and Sculptures

    The garden has a charming fountain, and if you walk up the stairs, there are tree filled pathways with beautiful views.

    You Could See the Mountains Across Macau’s Inner Harbor

    We saw old men playing table games and one practicing tai chi.

    Playing Games in the Garden is a Favorite Local Pastime
    Graves From the 18th and 19th Century in the Protestant Cemetery.  Protestants Weren’t Allowed to Be Buried on Catholic Soil.
    Macau’s Streets Can Be Very Narrow
    There’s Not a Lot of Room for New Construction
    Apartment Buildings Crammed Together
    Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at a Local Market
    I Never Knew Fish Could Parallel Park!

    Our last stop was the Mercado de Sao Domingos which is filled with street stalls selling inexpensive clothes, Chinese jackets, and hosiery.

    You Could Find Most Anything at Mercado de Sao Domingos (St. Dominic’s Market)

    The kids’ clothes were cute.  And cheap!

    Adorable and Inexpensive Clothes for Babies and Children

    The Best Stage Show I’ve Ever Seen!

    One evening, Daraius informed us of another surprise, and we had 20 minutes to get ready.  He took us to the Dancing Water Theatre, where we had tickets for the House of Dancing Water.  It was a Las Vegas style show with a water stage.  He had emailed the Hyatt Concierge and asked them to buy the tickets.

    Daraius Surprised Us With VIP Tickets

    The show featured several different acts, all built around a love story.

    The Water and Lights Were Magical

    The show was gorgeous, and was the best I’ve seen.

    The Backdrops Were So Detailed and Colorful

    I loved all of the acts.

    The Performers Did Incredible Stunts

    There were trapeze artists…

    The Trapeze Artists Had an Amazing Routine
    …a motor race show…
    There Were Even Motorbikes!
    …and more.
    All the Elements of a Las Vegas Production and More

    Towards the end of the show, it was interrupted with technical difficulties which forced a 10 minute break.  However, the issue was fixed and we continued watching.  This show far surpasses the best Las Vegas show I have seen, La Reve.

    Bottom Line

    One of the best ways to experience Macau is with a self-guided walking tour.  We saw churches, gardens, historical sites, and museums.

    The House of Dancing Water show was amazing – even better than my favorite show in Las Vegas!

    Sampling street food is a must in Macau.  There are so many interesting things to eat!  It was a good thing we brought our appetites, because we had a lot more eating ahead of us.

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