Fascinating Facts about Macau

'Feeding the dragon' is the term used here for playing the slot machines, a popular past time, with many people travelling from Hong Kong to gamble in Macau's casinos. Other people call the machines 'hungry tigers'. In fact Macau is known as the "Monte Carlo" of the Far East, but some people called it the "Sin City" of Asia for the same reason.

Macau adds words to your vocabulary. The Pataca is the local unit of currency, and Macau is an SAR or Special Administrative Region of China

It is hard to believe that what are now priceless Ming bowls were once used as ballast in 17th century Portuguese sailing ships.

Macau is tiny – just a peninsula and two islands, the total area just 23.5 square kilometres.

On Monte or Guia hills, you may see men 'walking' their caged birds. These song birds are highly prized and well cared for.

Kibitz is a sort of Chinese chess, and you will see groups of people gathered around boards all over the city – in parks or on footpaths.

The delightful Lou Lim Ieoc garden, built last century by a wealthy Chinese merchant, has a fascinating zigzag bridge. Why? It's to frustrate the evil spirits which can only move in straight lines!

Even if you miss the annual Grand Prix, held in Macau each November, you can get a little of the spirit by visiting the Grand Prix Museum at the Tourism Activities Centre. Top it off with a visit to the Wine Museum next door.

The Dom Pedro V Theatre was the first western-style theatre in China and it was here that saw Asian premieres of works by Western composers such as Verdi, Puccini and Rossini.

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