Historic Macau - East meets West fusion

The Ruins of St. Paul's

This is the first blog I have of a place outside of our native Philippines which I intend to share with you for the remaining half of this month. Let me retrace our steps and lead you to a journey to MACAU…

“Ou Mun” is Macau’s former name which means ‘trading gate’ due mainly to its location at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta. During ancient times, the port city was part of the Silk Road with ships loading their wares with silk for Rome.

Today, Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Like Hongkong, it benefits from the principle of “one country, two systems”. It is made up of the Macau peninsula, the islands of Taipa and the reclaimed area Cotai.

Upon arrival at the airport, you can see that Macau is a city where eastern and western influences have met and continue to coexist in harmony. The legacy of those glorious bygone days can be seen in pastel coloured palaces, baroque churches and exotic temples, imposing fortresses with silent canons, the Portuguese and the Chinese influences.

Mt. Fortress canon details..which date back in the 1800s

The Leal Senado, Portuguese for Loyal Senate, was the seat of Macau's government (Legislative Assembly of Macau) during its time as a Portuguese colony.

Macau is a blend of cultures, people, aromas, flavours and styles, unique characteristics that distinguish it from its neighbors. In our evening walk around the hotel looking for a good restaurant, we came upon a quaint little Chinese restaurant serving exotic oriental food as well as McDonald’s and Starbucks. The choices for food alone are endless.

Outside facade of The Venetian Macao Hotel

Macau is a city where eastern and western influences have met and continue to coexist in harmony. The bequest of those glorious bygone days can be seen in the pastel colored palaces, baroque churches and exotic temples, imposing fortresses with silent cannons, winding narrow streets and the people. People who created a unique blend of two cultures, the Portugese and the Chinese.

Join us as we unravel the historic beauty and fusion that is uniquely MACAU...

The Pinay travelogue blogger and photographer at the St. Augustine's Church