hkskyline's 2011 MACAU Photo Collection

[hkskyline]

This past winter, the skies over southern China were greeted with ample sunshine. So I spent some time exploring and photographing Macau. Change is in the air. Gambling has transformed Macau but the history and world heritage remains strongly intact.



New hotels have sprung up.





Casino Lisboa used to be Macau's grand casino before the industry was deregulated and international gambling companies rushed in. Now, a brand new Grand Lisboa has opened next door, shaped like a lotus flower.















Heading further down Av. do Infante Dom Henrique, I joined the other hordes of tourists destined for Largo do Senado.













Edificio do Leal Senado was Macau's first municipal chamber, with the original structure built in 1784. It includes a ceremonial meeting room, library, and courtyard.













































Largo do Senado is city's main square. It is surrounded by pastel-coloured buildings and has become the ultimate tourist trap.



























Having overlooked this gem in past visits, I ventured inside the General Post Office to take a look. The interior architecture is disappointing, but their philatelic counter is wonderful.







At first I thought this was a church, but Santa Casa da Misericordia is actually a social welfare organization that was established in 1569. The museum consists of a ceramics collection and a classical meeting room on display.



























This meeting room screams history, with photos of important people from eras past hung along the walls.





















The view from the balcony was quite good though - the entire square was at your feet.









Igreja de S. Domingos













































The Full Set : http://www.globalphotos.org/macau.htm
More in the next part!

[NuncaPior]

Superb! Fantástico!

[pietro-rj]

Fantastic thread, great pictures. As a Brazilian from Rio, the colonial architecture in Macau feels warmly familiar (along with Portuguese pavements - "calçadas portuguesas" - which are plentiful here).

I am visiting Macau in late December and I hope I will be able to get some sunshine as well!

[hkskyline]

Pawn shops were a popular form of banking in the old days. People could drop off valuable items and collect them later at an additional fee, or deposit money and earn interest. Casa de Penhores Tradicional served their needs.





The client-facing area was obviously well-fortified.









Once the customer's items have been collected, they are stored in the adjacent building, locked behind metal bars. Larger objects are placed in racks upstairs.



My ultimate destination was the Jardim de Luis de Camoes, which was quite a distance beyond. I passed by some gritty neighbourhoods along the way.



















Alfresco dining - traditional style. Try some warm desserts on a cold day!

[johnny_machine]

Amazing photo collection! Loved it, keep going!

[hkskyline]

The streets around Largo do Senado have a mix of traditional and more gritty architecture.







There are plenty of ointments to choose from at the local pharmacy.





















Built in 1889, Casa de Lou Kau is a 2-storey traditional grey-brick courtyard house, typical of a Xiguan style residential building.





















































The exterior facade is quite plain and humble given this was the home of a prominent merchant.

[hkskyline]

Igreja da Se is one of many churches scattered around the historic Macau city centre.























I ventured out to another side street back downhill, and soon emerged at Largo do Senado once again.









I started a gentle ascent after crossing the street from the square. It got a lot grittier as the pretty pastel-coloured buildings gave way to more humble residential towers.

















Along the way there were tiny alleys that were free of vehicles and full of everyday life. This was a good example of a living neighbourhood.





Restored historic homes are brought back to life along Rua da Felicidade although not all shops were open despite being the weekend. Then there are narrow alleys like this one that yield interesting surprises.

[hkskyline]

Macau's side streets yield surprises every now and then. They've done a fairly good job at preserving its colonial heritage, and hence UNESCO has recognized the historic centre as a World Heritage Site.







However, the same side streets can get very gritty at times, but still very safe to wander about.













These neighbourhoods are alive with many shops at street-level.







Try some warm dessert on a cold day!

























Noodles for sale.







There are quite a lot of working churches in the historic centre, legacy of the colonial period. Here's Igreja de Santo Antonio :









Smaller buses ply these narrow and sometimes hilly streets.

[hkskyline]

Located in a historic building, 10Fantasia is a place for artists to exhibit their creativity.























The balcony was a good place to enjoy a drink under the shade.





Another yellow-coloured historic building lies across the staircase, but this one is not open to the public.







Further down the steps, there were more exhibitions, although this section was far quieter. The tall trees gave a spooky yet serene setting.









The staircase led to a street that emptied into the main road. Historic buildings lined both sides, which made it a very photogenic corner of the city. Strangely, there weren't that many tourists.

[CaioSports]

Lindas fotos de MACAU !

[ntpv]

Excelente tread

[hkskyline]

[hkskyline]

Mercado Vermelho - Built in 1936, the "red" market is a traditional Chinese-style wet market where residents buy their fresh foods.









The market spills out to the side streets as well.























Avenida de Horta e Costa is a busy thoroughfare full of shoppers on this particular Sunday. The streets that empty into here were also full of life.





Rotunda de Carlos da Maia - The "three lamps" district lives up to its name.

[johnny_machine]

You have here one of the best visual collections of Macau available online hkskyline!

I am going to the Delta region in August and if you could help me with some questions. how is Macau's cultural life lately? Are there only casinos or can you find art exibits, live performances, good bars? A friend that returned from Macau recently told me the new giant casinos made everything else seem barren, in HK I can always go to Lan Kwai Fong.

I really liked the Fantasia10 space that you showed. Are there more art centres like this in Macau as well as HK?

Originally Posted by hkskyline

If I am not mistaken it was in this rotunda that a Portuguese police officer was shot by the 14k triad in 1999, it was a big deal in Macau and I remember that even people in Portugal were shocked and talking about it, as well as the world media.

Violent clashes between triads, and with the police were spinning out of control and stained Portugal's image as the last European country to leave Asia.

Hope that the "pacification" of Macau in the very late 1990s and the 2000s didn't wipe the territory of it's seedy (albeit relatively safe) charm.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by johnny_machine

You have here one of the best visual collections of Macau available online hkskyline!

I am going to the Delta region in August and if you could help me with some questions. how is Macau's cultural life lately? Are there only casinos or can you find art exibits, live performances, good bars? A friend that returned from Macau recently told me the new giant casinos made everything else seem barren, in HK I can always go to Lan Kwai Fong.

I really liked the Fantasia10 space that you showed. Are there more art centres like this in Macau as well as HK?

I wasn't even aware of Fantasia10 until I walked past it. I'm not so knowledgeable of the cultural scene in Macau. There used to be a Cirque du Soleil in one of the casinos but it closed shop and the show was not good anyway. In Hong Kong there are a few spaces such as the Jockey Club centre in Shek Kip Mei, the artist studio open-house in Fotan (January), and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong architectural biennale (it may have ended for this year's event already).

Originally Posted by johnny_machine

If I am not mistaken it was in this rotunda that a Portuguese police officer was shot by the 14k triad in 1999, it was a big deal in Macau and I remember that even people in Portugal were shocked and talking about it, as well as the world media.

Violent clashes between triads, and with the police were spinning out of control and stained Portugal's image as the last European country to leave Asia.

Hope that the "pacification" of Macau in the very late 1990s and the 2000s didn't wipe the territory of it's seedy (albeit relatively safe) charm.

The violent clashes are long gone and Macau is very safe to roam about even at night. The triads are likely still there but have disappeared back into the underworld.

[Darkthekiller]

Amazing pics !!

[hkskyline]

Wing Lok Theatre has a 60s vibe to it, all the way down to the weight machine and the ticket counters.









Across the street, there was a traditional Chinese temple and an alley that turns into a lively street market at night.







Located a bit out of the way from the other tourist sites, the Fire Services Museum is housed inside a historic building and free to visit.

[hkskyline]

A number of new buildings have appeared along the north and east sides of Nam Van, notably Grand Lisboa, Wynn, and MGM Grand.







Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho hugs the coast at first, then rises and falls as it crosses the sea.







MGM Grand is not a typical casino. There is a covered open space with European-style buildings and some vegetation - a piece of serenity amidst the gambling in the hall next door.









Outside, the MGM icon stands proud.







One Central Residences is a high-end residential complex and hotel managed by Mandarin Oriental. Units have a sea view towards the bridge and the hills beyond.









While English is not an official language, it is included in this sign that also features Chinese and Portuguese.

[hkskyline]

Hong Kong businessman Sir Robert Ho Tung purchased this residence in 1918. Following hi death in 1955, the building was given to the government and currently serves as a library - Biblioteca Sir Robert Ho Tung.









Igreja de Santo Agostinho









Teatro D. Pedro V















Dating from the mid-16th century, Igreja de S. Lourenco is one of the oldest churches in the city. Families of Portuguese salors used to gather on the front steps to pray for their safe return. The current appearance dates from the mid-1800s.















There are no shortage of churches in Macau. It wasn't too long before I encountered the next big church.









With a very low-profile entrance, I walked up the steps hearing a sports game rumbling by on the left, and arrived at Igreja de S. Jose.

[hkskyline]

Government Headquarters







Heading back uphill, I passed by more residential neighbourhoods heading southwest.







This area was one of the first Portuguese residential areas in the city. Ground water from here once was the main source of spring water in Macau.













Casa do Mandarim is a traditional Chinese residential with courtyards, grey bricks, and timber windows, dating from over a hundred years ago. It's a big residence, and best of all, it's free admission!