středa 20. srpna 2008

Macau (July 18, 2008)

We visited by ferry also Macau which was both the first and the last European colony in Asia. Since 16th century it was administred by Portugal for 442 years until handover to China in Dec 1999 to become its other Special Administrative Region. The wide range of expensive hotels and casinos makes it one of the richest cities in the world. It is also the most densely populated region in the world, with a population density of 18500 persons per square kilometre. The overall population is about half million. It has mixed Chinese and European as well as Buddhistic and Christian genius loci.

On the ferry from Hong Kong to Macau. It takes about 45 min
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Typical street in modern Macau on reclaimed area
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Grand Lisboa Hotel & Casino is new landmark in Macau
.Exhibit in Grand Lisboa Casino
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Old Portuguese architecture in the centre of the city
.St. Dominic church square
. Chinese delicacy - dry sweet meat
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Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral
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On the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral
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View of the Old Town and reclaimed district from St. Paul
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Mount Fortress which guarded Portuguese colony
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View from Mount Fortress to norther part of Macau and Zhuhai city, China
. Macau's Taipa island, residential quarters