Foreigners in Taiwan - 外國人在臺灣
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私
  • Home 首頁
  • Blog 部落格
  • Taiwan FAQ 常見問題
  • Blog Index 部落格指南
  • Maps 地圖
  • About 關於我們
  • Contact Us 聯絡我們
  • Privacy 隱私

Blog Posts

How to Spend Two Days in Macau 澳門兩天一夜懶人包

9/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Share

Tweet
Picture
Macau is a small city and special autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, and the most densely populated place in the world. With a long history of Portuguese colonial rule mixed with Chinese culture, it is an interesting mix of east and west, with a unique cuisine and history. What is there to do when you only have two days in this urban paradise?

*cough*
After this pandemic is over of course.

Background:
The name Macau comes from the Sea Goddess Mazu. When Portuguese first came to the area, they asked for the name of the place, but the local Han Chinese fisherman though they were asking about the name of the nearby Mazu temple "Ma Kok 媽閣"
Macau had human settlements beginning six thousand years ago, and was part of China since 221 BC, but it was not really built as an established settlement until the Portuguese colonized it in 1557, via lease agreement with China.
I999, Portugal agreed to return Macau to China with the provision that it would retain its economic and political system for 50 years. After that time, Macau relied on the casino industry for growth, and now is one of the richest places in the world per capita.

How to get there:
By Plane: Daily flights are available from Macau International Airport. 
Routes from China: You can reach Macau by Ferry or Bus from Zhuhai or Hong Kong.

How to get around:
Bus: There are plenty of buses that go all over this small island.
Bikes: The area is small enough that you can get around by renting a bike.
Walking: You can walk around the most of Macau in a day, but it might get tiring.

​Map:
Please see below:
Please note Macao also extends to the south island with the airport.

Our Two Day Journey:

On this trip we visited the following places:
  • Senado Square  議事亭前地
  • Ruins of St. Paul 大三巴牌坊 (Ruínas de São Paulo)
  • Museum of Macau 澳門博物館 (Museu de Macau)
  • Mount Fortress 大砲台 (Fortaleza do Monte)
  • Historical District 歷史城市區
  • Saint Dominic's Church 板樟堂 (Igreja de São Domingos)
  • Sé Cathedral 澳門主敎座堂 (Sé Catedral da Natividade de Nossa Senhora)
  • Casino Tour 賭場旅行

Let's get started!
Picture
So what brought me to Macau like many Taiwan expats was a visa run. I had just started working at a cram school temporarily while I looked for other jobs, but the cram school was really slow and inexperienced at applying for ARCs, so I had to leave the country before my 90 day visa exemption expired. Macau was the cheapest destination out of the country from Kaohsiung, so we decided to spend a weekend there. ​
Picture
We ended up at a cheap hotel that was actually expensive compared to Taiwan. We had trouble riding the bus from the airport to our hotel, but we eventually found it somehow. 
It is kind of hard to navigate in Macau because most things are either in Chinese or Portuguese, there is not much English around in comparison.

​Senado Square  議事亭前地
Picture
Our first stop was Senado Square. It's like an outdoor mall, and so we spent most of the day here.
Picture
There are tons of shops here in the alleyways that spread out, and many international clothing shops and restaurant chains. ​

Ruins of St. Paul's 大三巴牌坊 (Ruínas de São Paulo)
Picture
Next we checked out the ruins of St. Paul. Senado Square links up with the ruins of St. Paul's, so it is hard to miss.
Picture
St. Paul's was once the largest church in Asia when it was built in1640, but was destroyed by a fire and Typhoon in 1835. Now only the front wall remains, and it just may be the most iconic part of Macau.
Picture
View of the side toward the sun. 
Picture
Closer view to the ruins.
Picture
Statue of Matteo Ricci, one of the first Jesuit missionaries to visit China and the first Westerner to catalouge the Chinese language and invent Chinese Romanization, which is the basis of the romanization systems we use today like Hanyu Pinyin. He is an interesting guy.

​​Museum of Macau 澳門博物館 (Museu de Macau)
Picture
Right next to the St. Paul Ruins is the Museum of Macao. This was one of the highlights of our trip and I highly recommend visiting. 
Picture
Writings of Confucius in display,
Picture
A representation of pre-historic peoples in Macau,
Picture
Chinese paintings.
Picture
Chinese pottery.
Picture
Chinese character printing press.
Picture
Fancy mural on a room divider.
Picture
Early Portuguese settlement on Macau.
Picture
Typical historic Macau living room.
Picture
Traditional Chinese bed. There were many many more artifacts in here, so if you are interested in seeing more, go check it our for yourself!

Mount Fortress 大砲台 (Fortaleza do Monte)
Picture
On top of the museum (or one could say that the museum was built into it) is the Mount Fortress, which was built in 1617 to protect the Jesuits living in Macau from pirates.
​The space here was converted into the Museum on Macau in 1998.
Picture
View of the old Macau neighborhoods with huge high rises in China across the river.
Picture
Another view from the top of the fort. Up here you can really get your bearings and understand how big Macau is.
Picture
Another view looking across the river.
Picture
One of the canons on display pointing at the Grand Libosa Tower and Casino.
Picture
After looking at the museum, we explored more of the ruins of St. Paul from behind.

​Historical District 歷史城市區
Picture
The historical district of Macau is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is a pedestrian zone with many historical landmarks and buildings. There is lots here to explore. 
We also had lots of great street food in the historical district, but I don't have any photos of that. The historical district has lots of food stalls and clothing stores, much as you would expect from a Taiwanese night market, except Macau has the added bonus of having traditional historical European architecture in an East Asian context, creating an Asian fusion kind of feel. 
​
Above is a statue of Bernardino De Senna Fernandes, a famous writer of mixed descent that captured the aura of his time in the early 1900s in Macau. 
Picture
Many tourists walking through the streets of the historical district.

​Saint Dominic's Church 板樟堂 (Igreja de São Domingos) 
Picture
With its distinct yellow exterior, one of the most iconic buildings in the old district is the Saint Dominic's Church. This was built by Mexican priests in 1587 using baroque style, when Portugal and Spain were joined. Recently it has been renovated and there is a museum next to it.
Picture
View of the main altar inside.
Picture
View of the main chapel.

Sé Cathedral 澳門主敎座堂 (Sé Catedral da Natividade de Nossa Senhora)
Picture
The Se Cathedral, also known as the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, was originally built as a wooden chapel in 1623. In 1937, it was rebuilt with concrete.

Casino Tour 賭場旅行
Picture
Coming to Macau, I wanted to check out the cansios, even though I had no intention to gamble. First I checked out the Grand Libosa Tower and Casino seen above. It is 261 stories tall and 200 meters tall.
Picture
In the lobby area of the casino are a ton of gold intricate sculptures, that were given as gifts of good luck and fortune when the building was built.
Picture
Giant gold dragon boat on display.
Picture
What looks like an intricate wood carving of a traditional Chinese scene,.
Picture
Looking up at the Grand Libosa.
Picture
Casino Libosa across the street.
Picture
The libosa hotel with different lights, as well as other casinos.
Picture
Gold clock in another casino nearby.
Picture
After all that fun, we walked back to our hotel. The streets of Macau have their own charm.
Picture
Near our hotel we tried the local food, and I had the best plate of fried rice I have ever tasted. It was fish fried rice, but I can't remember what type of fish. I am guessing Spanish Mackerel. 
Picture
Also we had some delicious curry and noodles. 
Again, we also had lots of great street food in the historical district, but I don't have any photos of that. 

After that it was time to pack up and leave. Not understanding Portuguese, we took the wrong bus and did not end up at the airport. We ended up walking about 2KM from the bus stop to the airport. We didn't take a taxi because we were literally out of cash. Luckily Macau is small.

Things we missed:
  • Macau Tower 澳門塔 Torre de Macau (which has bungee jumping)
  • Guia Fortress 東望洋炮台 (Fortaleza da Guia)
  • A-Ma Mazu Temple 媽祖閣
  • Mandarin's House 鄭家大屋 (Casa Do Mandarim)
  • Seac Pai Van Park 石排灣郊野公園 (Parque de Seac Pai Van)
  • Hac Sa Beach​ 黑沙海灘 (Praia de Hác Sá)
  • And much more.

Thanks for reading, and check out our website to find out why Taiwan is the best vacation destination in Asia!
Share

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

     Author 作家

    We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. ​Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country.

    ​​我們是在台灣的外國人!我們透過額部落格想要幫助外國人了解台灣生活,旅遊,和商業的環境!我們不代表所有在台灣的外國人, 我們只是想要幫助世界各地的人了解台灣美好的一切! (美國人在管理)

    Archives 檔案

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    Categories
    ​類目

    All
    2006120221
    Aboriginal Culture 原住民文化
    Alishan-384633732423665
    Alishan-384633732423665
    Amusement Parks 娛樂園
    Aquariums 海洋館
    Art 藝術
    Basic Info 基本資訊
    Beaches 海灘
    Blogroll 部落格名單
    Bridges 橋梁
    Buddhism 佛教
    Buddhism 佛教
    Business 商業
    Business 商業
    Camping 露營
    Car Driving Test 考汽車駕照
    Car Rental 租氣車
    Caves 山洞
    Changhua 彰化
    Chiayi 嘉義
    Children Activities 小孩活動
    Chinese Film 中文電影
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Language 中文
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Literature 中文文學
    Chinese Pollution 中國污染
    City Parks 都市公園
    Click Bait 點擊誘餌
    Coal Mining 煤礦
    Confucius Temples 孔廟
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Cycling 騎腳踏車
    Daily Life 日常生活
    Daoism 道教
    Driving In Taiwan 開車
    Drone Flying 飛空拍機
    East Taiwan 東部
    Ershui 二水
    Events 活動
    Festivals 節日
    Fish Foot Massage 溫泉魚
    Floral Sea 花海
    Food
    Food 食物
    Forts 堡壘
    Fruit 水果
    Geography 地理
    Geography 地理
    Geology 地質
    Golf 高爾夫球
    Green Energy 綠色能源
    Growing Bananas 種香蕉日記
    Guest Blog Posts 客人部落格
    Hakka Culture 客家文化
    Hiking
    Hiking 爬山
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Historical Buildings 歷史建築
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hot Springs 溫泉
    Hsinchu 新竹
    Hualien 花蓮
    Immigration/Visa 移民/簽證
    Japanese Era 日治時期
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Jiaoxi 礁溪
    Kaohsiung 高雄
    Keelung 基隆
    Kenting 墾丁
    Kinmen 金門
    Lakes And Reservoirs 湖及水庫
    Lighthouses 燈塔
    Longdong 龍洞
    Lukang 鹿港
    Luodong Night Market 羅東夜市
    Maolin 茂林
    Matsu Islands 馬祖列島
    Miaoli 苗栗
    Migrant Workers 外籍勞動
    Monkeys 猴子
    Monkeys 猴子
    Mountain Biking 越野
    Mountain Biking 越野
    Museums 博物館
    Nangang 南港
    Nantou 南投
    National Forest Recreation Areas 國家森林游樂區
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    National Palace Museum 故宮
    National Parks 國家公園
    Natural Scenery 自然風景
    New Taipei 新北市
    Night Market 夜市
    Northern Coast 北海岸
    Not Taiwan 台灣以外的地方
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Nuclear Power 核能
    Offroading 越野
    Old City Gates 古城門
    Old Streets 老街
    Old Trails 古道
    Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼)
    Outer Islands 外島
    Pathos And Logos 情與理
    Penghu Islands 澎湖群島
    Pingtung 屏東
    Pingxi Railway 平息火車綫
    Politics 政治
    Politics 政治
    Qing Dynasty Era 清朝時代
    Railways 鐵路
    Recreational Farms 休閑農場
    River Tracing 朔溪
    Rock Climbing 攀岩
    Sailing 帆船
    Scooter Driving Test 考機車駕照
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Scooter Rental 租機車
    Seafood Markets 海鮮市場
    Shiding 石碇
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
    Shopping 購物
    Sicao Green Tunnel 四草綠色隧道
    Smokestacks 烟囪
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Snorkeling 浮潛
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Starting A Taiwan Business 創業
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
    Surfing 3490928010
    Taichung 臺中
    Tainan 3327421335
    Tainan-3327421335
    Taipei 101 101
    Taipei 101 2148821271 101
    Taipei-101-2148821271-101
    Taipei 2148821271
    Taipei-2148821271
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei Zoo 台北動物園
    Taipei 臺北
    Taipei 臺北
    Taitung 臺東
    Taiwanese Spouse 台灣配偶
    Taiwan FAQ 臺灣常見問題
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan History 台灣的歷史
    Taiwan's Economy 台灣經濟
    Taiwan's Economy 台灣經濟
    Taiwan Temples 臺灣的廟
    Tamsui 淡水
    Taoyuan 桃園
    Taroko Gorge 太魯閣
    Tax 稅
    Top 10 前十名
    Top 10 前十名
    Top 5 前5名
    Transportation 交通
    Tsai Yingwen 蔡英文
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Turtle Island 龜山島
    Typhoons 颱風
    Ultimate Guide 極限指南
    Urbex 城市探險
    Waterfalls 瀑布
    Weather 天氣
    White Terror 白色恐怖
    Wildlife 野生動物
    Women In Chinese Society 女士們在中國社會
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Working In Taiwan 在台灣工作
    Wulai Hot Springs 烏來溫泉
    Xiaoliuqiu 小琉球
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xitou 溪頭
    Xizhi 汐止
    Yangmingshan 陽明山
    Yilan 宜蘭
    Yunlin 雲林
    Yushan (Jade Mt.) 玉山
    Zhongtaishan 中台山
    Zoos 動物園

    RSS Feed



Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotels deals in Taiwan here.

Follow us on social media:


Follow @foreignersinTW