Hong Kong and Macau are both popular international tourist destinations, but Macau is very small, except for gambling, Hong Kong will rarely lose Macau, but the latest data shows that 28.23 million tourists will go to Macau in 2023, while Hong Kong is 34 million, considering that Macau is only 3% of Hong Kong's area, in comparison, Macau's popularity is obviously much more prosperous than Hong Kong, why do people prefer to go to Macau to play?
Of the three places, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are the only ones that are World Heritage sites. Macao has more than 400 years of historical accumulation, the old buildings throughout the city are a fusion of Chinese and Western architectural styles, built from the Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China, the time span is as long as 400 years, recording the past and present life of Macao, Macao also provides good protection for these historical buildings, in 2005, Macao historic district was listed as a world cultural heritage list, Hong Kong has no world heritage so far, and there is no excellent human resources is an important reason.
Macau has a better travel experience. Macau has a strong style, there is Lingnan culture and European style, the urban area is not big, there are many alleys full of historical characteristics, the streets are very clean, not impatient, the life is slow-paced, there is a quiet atmosphere of life, unlike the Hong Kong street oil chirping, the sidewalks are very crowded and narrow, the pace is too fast and too noisy, walking on the road rubbing shoulders, the same high-rise buildings are really not as wonderful as the fireworks in the market.
Macau people are more humane, Macau locals are very friendly, it is rare to see cold words to mainlanders, and Macau people's Mandarin is really much better than Hong Kong people, in contrast, speaking Mandarin in Hong Kong will be snubbed by the clerk, and greet foreigners with a smile, taxi speaking Mandarin drivers are fierce with you, Macau is a place you have been to and want to go.
Prices in Macau are low. Although Hong Kong and Macao are places to spend money, Hong Kong shopping used to be an advantage, now it is not attractive, and the price of Macau is lower than Hong Kong, the brand-name cosmetics, skin care products, electronic products here are very cheap, but the food is definitely more expensive than the country, beef offal on the ice cream size of a bowl will cost 50 yuan, a bowl of cheap noodles also cost 40 yuan, no wonder there are many Macau elderly people push a cart to Zhuhai every day to buy vegetables.
Macau is a holiday paradise. Macau's Parisian, Venetian, Galaxy Macau and other hotels are not only magnificent on the outside, but also resplendent on the inside, and they are very good at will, but also are absolutely five-star hotel service quality, shopping, entertainment, dining, gambling as a whole, as well as world-class performances such as The House of Dancing Water and Cirque du Soleil, you can enjoy a different travel time without leaving the hotel, which is very suitable for couples and families.
Gambling is a hallmark of Macau. The gaming industry is the backbone of Macau's economy, contributing most of its GDP, and Macau's GDP will reach 331.6 billion yuan in 2023, which is about the same as Shantou's total economic output, but Macau has a population of just over 600,000 and a per capita GDP of 560,000 patacas, ranking first in the country.
Many people may not have the opportunity to go to Las Vegas in the United States in their lives, but they can go to Macau, which is known as the Las Vegas of the East, with the world's top casinos and entertainment venues, which is no worse than the United States.
It is very convenient to pay for shopping in Macau. In Macau, whether it is a big hotel or a small shop, you can use WeChat and Alipay to solve, you only need to exchange some pataca change for taking the bus, while in Hong Kong, it is mainly cash-based, and the penetration rate of electronic payments such as WeChat and Alipay is worse than that of Macau.
Rua da Guanqian, the most atmospheric street in Macao, is known as the three oldest streets in Macau, along with Rua de Caodui and Avenida Yingying, and there are many cultural and creative shops selling Italian handicrafts and accessories, which are full of nostalgia.
Caodui Street, a typical old street in Macau, is paved with small pieces of granite on the ground, there are Chinese buildings, more Western buildings, and a short street can feel the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures.
Three lights, the most popular place in Macau, for Macau people, this is the city center, and there are many food shops around it, and there are all kinds of food.
Macau's cuisine. Macau is the world's gastronomic capital, where Chinese and Western food cultures blend, so that Macao's cuisine is rich and colorful, in addition to egg tarts, Portuguese chicken, African chicken are all worth trying Portuguese cuisine, many food shops on the street can be tasted, the shopkeepers are also very generous, cut off a piece of dried meat and taste it casually.
Portuguese tart is a famous traditional dim sum in Macau. Go to Guangzhou for morning tea, go to Chongqing for hot pot, and go to Macau to eat egg tarts, which have crispy crusts and rich fillings.
Margaret and Andrew, these are the two best egg tarts in Macau, it is said that they originally opened a husband and wife stall, and later divorced before running their own businesses.
Margaret Egg Tart, 17B Ma Tong Ling Street; Andrew's Egg Tart, Address: G/F, Rua de Tart, 1 Rua de la Tart, Coloane City Centre.
The best of Macau. Although Macau is small, it is a very tasteful place, and it is worth spending a day walking around the A-Ma Pavilion, the Ruins of St. Paul's, St. Paul's College Square, the Fortress and other attractions to feel the city's historical imprint.
A-Ma Temple, built in the Ming Dynasty, is ranked first among Macau's World Heritage Sites and is the oldest surviving temple in Macau.
The Ruins of St. Paul's, a landmark of Macau and the site of St. Paul's Cathedral, the earliest Catholic church in China, was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, witnessing the history of Macau and a must-see check-in point for tourists.
The Fortress, which is the central fort of Macao, has 42 cannons, built by Portugal in the 45th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, and is the core of Macao's defense system at that time.
Senado Square, the center of Macau, is known as the "fountain" by local residents, and the buildings on both sides were built at the end of the 19th century, with black and white wavy gravel floors, with a strong southern European style.
Macau Tower, the 10th tallest observation tower in the world, has surpassed the Eiffel Tower in height and has the world's tallest urban bungee jump.
The Rose Hall, located in the center of Macau, was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and has a baroque gate, cream-colored exterior walls and striking green shutters.