Just a few cable lengths from the China Sea, Macao in all its pastel shades will bewitch you. Experience the contrast of languorous days of colonial streets and shady beaches and the feverish party atmosphere of its nights.

Geography

Due to land reclamation along its coastline, Macao has grown in area from 10.28km2 in the 19th century to 27.3km2 today, which equals to one-forty of Hong Kong and one twenty-third of Singapore. It consists of the Macao peninsula and the two islands of Taipa and Coloane. Two bridges, Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and Friendship Bridge (Ponte da Amizade), link the peninsula to Taipa, while the two islands are inked by the Taipa-Coloane Causeway which is a six-lane highway 2.2km long.

Climate
The Climate is subtropical, hot and humid in the summer (from 25° to 33° C) and cooler in winter (13/20° C). The dry season extends from October to December and the rainy season from April to September. Typhoons are possible from June to October. Late autumn or early spring are the most pleasant times to visit Macao.

General Information

Capital
Beijing

Political System
special administrative region of China

Language
Macao has 455,000 inhabitants, with a population density of 21,000/km2. The ethnic composition is 95% Chinese and 5% European (mostly Portuguese.) The official languages are Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese. English is widely spoken in the business, tourism and commercial sectors.

Culture

As a former Portuguese colony (the country's last), Macao is characterized by its colonial architecture. You can discover Portuguese churches, a fort and a basilica. However there are also Chinese temples and ancient villages on the small islands.

Religion
Buddhism is the major Religion, followed by Confucianism and Taoism. There is also a sizeable Catholic community.

Habits & Customs
Great importance is attached to Feng shui, an ancient Chinese geomancy, that lays down rules on how to position buildings and their interior arrangements, based on the movement of energy between various elements such as water, wind, mountains, fire… It also plays a role in the activities of everyday life, offering predictions on favorable or unfavorable days for making important decisions.

As in Hong Kong, superstition and Religion exist side by side with a race for material gain. The casinos are filled with good-luck figurines and statues of Buddha, while in the temples fake bills are burned to symbolize devotion to the gods. Within temple enclosures divination is practiced using little bamboo sticks. A pot containing numbered sticks is shaken until one of them falls out. You are then given a paper matching the number with a fortune in Chinese. Another typical display of popular Chinese culture is the practice of tai chi. Early in the morning, in parks and gardens, young and old gather to take part in these slow graceful gymnastics before heading for their offices.


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