Macao

Macao was under Portuguese administration for more than four centuries, until 1999, longer than any other European colonial holding in Asia, and the Historic Centre of Macao, a UNESCO World Heritage site, still carries that layered history in stone: baroque church facades standing beside Chinese temples, Portuguese calçada pavement underfoot throughout the old town. The Ruins of St. Paul's, a single soaring facade left standing after an 1835 fire, has become the territory's defining image, dramatic against the night sky and considerably more evocative than a fully intact building would be.

Macao's food reflects the same four centuries of exchange: Macanese cuisine blends Portuguese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian technique into dishes found nowhere else, and the territory's egg tarts, adapted from Portuguese pastéis de nata, have become a genuine culinary export in their own right. Beyond the old town, Macao's casino resorts draw tens of millions of visitors a year, a modern layer sitting a short walk from four-centuries-old churches.

We walk the historic centre after the day-trip crowds from Hong Kong and mainland China have departed, when the Ruins of St. Paul's are lit against an empty square, and arrange a Macanese food tour with a local guide whose family has cooked the territory's fusion cuisine for three generations.

The historic centre is compact and easy to walk. Senado Square, with its wave-patterned cobblestones and pastel colonial buildings, is the heart of the old town. From there, lanes lead up to the Ruins of St Paul's and the Mount Fortress, whose cannons once defended the city against a Dutch attack in 1622. The Macao Museum, inside the fortress, tells the story of the territory's mix of cultures. Further south, the A-Ma Temple, one of the oldest in the city, is dedicated to the goddess of seafarers, from whom Macao is thought to take its name.

The Guia Fortress, on the highest point of the peninsula, has a lighthouse and a small chapel with frescoes that combine Chinese and Western motifs. Lilau Square and the Mandarin's House, a large traditional Chinese residence, show another side of the old city. The Lou Kau Mansion, a restored merchant house, is free to visit.

Taipa and Coloane, the two islands to the south, now joined by reclaimed land known as Cotai, offer a contrast. Taipa Village has narrow streets, Portuguese restaurants and the Taipa Houses Museum, a row of colonial villas by the former waterfront. Coloane Village is quieter still, with a small chapel, seafood restaurants and the famous bakery that made Macao's egg tarts famous. Cotai itself is home to the large casino resorts, with shopping, shows and restaurants.

Macanese dishes include minchi, minced meat with potatoes and soy sauce; African chicken, grilled with a spicy sauce; and serradura, a dessert of cream and crushed biscuits. Portuguese restaurants serve bacalhau, grilled sardines and wines from Portugal at reasonable prices. The pork chop bun, a simple sandwich, is a local favourite.

The best time to visit is from October to December, when the weather is dry and mild. Spring is often foggy and humid, and summer is hot, wet and prone to typhoons. The Macau Grand Prix, held in November, fills the city's streets with racing cars.

Macao is around an hour from Hong Kong by ferry, or by bus across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Macao International Airport has regional connections. Two days is enough for the historic centre and the islands at an easy pace.