davidmetraux.com: Macau

davidmetraux.com: Macau Macau presents the visitor with an unlikely mix of two drastically different cultures: Portugal and China. The Portuguese settled this 16km peninsula of China (near Hong Kong) almost 450 years ago, and over time the two cultures have joined together as one. I've had the opportunity to visit Macau twice, once in 1999 and once in January 2000, only three weeks after control of the enclave returned to China. On my first visit to Macau I was impressed with the strange beauty of Portuguese architecture mixed with ancient Chinese. The food is spectacular and the city is quaint and charming. Sadly, when I returned in 2000, I surprised to see that the city had already lost a lot of its Portuguese "color". I talked to a local merchant who said that about 90% of the Portuguese citizens had been repatriated. Also, continued reclamation of the ocean by the Chinese is ruining the quaintness that Macau once had, as it is rapidly being developed for commercial reasons, without regard to Macau's uniquely historic atmosphere. Visit this jewel before it is too late!