Macau, Macau — Overview
Macau is a fascinating dichotomy: a laid-back fusion of Mediterranean and Asian architecture, food, lifestyles and temperaments, and the pulsating 'Vegas of the East' where fortunes are regularly won and lost. Fortunately there's more to Macau than opulent gambling palaces. Macau's architectural and cultural legacy of four centuries as a Portuguese colony lives on, especially on the mainland. In 2005, UNESCO recognized the territory's wealth of historical attractions - churches, gardens, old cemeteries, colonial buildings and cobbled backstreets - by adding the 'Historic Center of Macau' to its World Heritage list. Add to this hill-top forts, cathedral ruins, Buddhist temples, atmospheric Portuguese cafés and Cantonese restaurants and you'll have a destination that never ceases to fascinate and surprise.
