Macau is a territory in southeast China. It is 60 kilometres southwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres from Guangzhou. It consists of a peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. The peninsula is formed by the Zhujiang (Pearl River) estuary to the east and the Xijiang (West River) to the west. It neighbours the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone of mainland China. The peninsula was originally an island, but a connecting sandbar turned into a narrow isthmus. Land reclamation in the seventeenth century expanded the isthmus, turning that part of Macau into a peninsula.
The Portuguese first arrived there in 1535, and established a settlement in 1557. Portugal leased Macau from China in 1670, without a transfer of sovereignty, until 1887, when China ceded it to Portugal for perpetual occupation, and Portugal pledged to seek China's approval should it wish to transfer Macau to another country.
In 1928, when the Kuomintang government and the Portuguese government signed the Sino-Portuguese Friendship and Trade Treaty, they did not mention the position of Macau. As a result, the government of Macau remained unchanged.
In 1966, residents tried to obtain a license to build a private school in Taipa. After being rejected many times, they proceeded to build the school building without necessary permits. The Portuguese authorities sent in the police to arrest the school officials and beat up the construction workers. This resulted in a riot with Chinese teachers and students rampaging into the Governor's Palace citing quotations of Mao Zedong. The rampage left 11 people dead and 200 injured.
The Chinese continued their protest through the "three no's" approach - no taxes, no service and no selling to the Portuguese. The boycott was successful, and it led to an apology from the Portuguese government of Macau, on 29 January, 1967.
Subsequent to a leftist military coup in 1974, a democratic government was ushered into power in Portugal. The new government was keen to relinquish all its overseas territories. At that time, however, the government of the People's Republic of China was not ready for Macau's immediate return to Chinese sovereignty, and requested for Portugal to continue administering it. A new agreement was signed in Lisbon in 1976, defining Macau as a "Chinese territory under Portuguese administration". This agreement gave Macau greater administrative, financial and economic autonomy. A subsequent agreement between Portugal and China in 1979 regarded Macau as "a Chinese territory under (temporary) Portuguese administration".
Further negotiation on the future of Macau was started in June 1986. This led to the international treaty, known as the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration, in 1987, to make Macau a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. In 1998, the Cantonese dialect was given official status and the same legal power as Portuguese, the official language. The sovereignty of Macau finally reverted to the Chinese government on 20 December 1999, ending 329 years of Portuguese rule on the last European colony in Asia.
When to visit Macau
Macau experiences a humid subtropical climate. The hottest month is July, with the average temperature reaching 28.6°C and daytime temperature well above 30°C. The coldest month is January, with average monthly temperature of 14.5°C, and on occasion going below 10°C. Winter time is usually dry, due to the monsoon wind blowing from mainland China. The best time to visit Macau is during autumn, from October to December, for the days are sunny and warm and the humidity is low. Winter is cold but sunny. Spring, from April, sees humidity rising and summer, from May to September, is characterised by warm to hot weather, rain, and the occasional typhoon.
What to wear in Macau
Lightweight clothing is suitable for summers. For the rest of the year, medium weight clothing is recommended.
Getting into Macau
By Flight
The Macau International Airport (MFM) is inventing itself as the low-cost travel hub, and many low-cost carriers fly into Macau including AirAsia (from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru), Cebu Pacific Air (from Manila), Tiger Airways (from Singapore and Clark Airbase, Manila), and Viva Macau (from Jakarta and Male). Also flying from the airport are Air Macau and Shanghai Air.
Bus AP1 plies the route between the airport and the Barrier Gate, at the frontier with mainland China, passing through the sights in the Macau city centre including Macau Tower, Hotel Lisboa, the Macau Art Museum, the Sands and the Ferry Terminal. The fare is MOP 3.30.
Macau Entry Requirements
Nationals of US, Australia and Canada do not need a visa for stays of up to 30 days. Nationals of EU countries may stay visa-free for up to 90 days while nationals of UK may stay up to six months.
View of Na Tcha Temple and the ruins of the Cathedral of St Paul, from the old city wall available in the public domain
Where to stay in Macau
Click on the name of the towns listed below to view hostels and budget accommodation available for booking there.
User Feedback on Accommodation
We compile the accommodation listing above with the good faith that it will be useful to you. If you have used any of the accommodation listed above, please write to us with your feedback, whether you enjoyed your stay there or not, and we will share it with others. Your feedback will benefit others when they choose their accommodation. We will not de-list any of the accommodation just because of a negative feedback from anybody, but will let you decide for yourself based on the feedback you read. User feedback is listed in http://www.earthdocumentary.com/hostel_feedback.htm
Getting around in Macau
Most places within the Macau peninsula are within walking distance.
Money matters in Macau
The currency used in Macau is the Pataca (MOP, symbol MOP$). MOP 1 = 100 avos. Banknotes come in denominations of MOP$ 10, MOP$ 20, MOP$ 50, MOP$ 100, MOP$ 500 and MOP$ 1000 while coins are in denominations of 10 avos, 20 avos, 50 avos, MOP$ 1, MOP$ 2, MOP$ 5, MOP$ 10. At time of writing (Oct 2007), USD1.00 = MOP8.14, €1.00 = MOP11.55. For the latest exchange go to the Oanda Currency Converter. Banking hours are from9:00am to 5:00pm Mondays to Fridays, and 9:00am to 12:00noon Saturdays.
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