Regions & prefectures
ChinaRegions & prefectures
Macau
Four and a half centuries of Portuguese presence, and the world’s largest gambling revenue.
- Capital
- Macau
- Status
- Special administrative region
- Region
- Special administrative regions
- Must-see
- The ruins of St Paul’s
- Local specialty
- Egg tarts, minchi, Macanese pork
The Portuguese settled in Macau in 1557, making it the oldest European trading post in East Asia; the territory returned to China in 1999. What remains is a listed old town, pastel façades, baroque churches and a Macanese cuisine crossing Portugal, China, India and Africa, often described as the world’s first fusion cooking. Since licences were liberalised in 2002, its casinos have generated several times the revenue of Las Vegas.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.