China Guide
Macau
Macau peninsula
Macau's older core is centred around Largo do Senado, a large cobbled square north off Avenida Almeida Ribeiro and surrounded by unmistakeably European-influenced buildings, with their stucco mouldings, colonnades and shuttered windows, the most impressive of which is the Leal Senado. Many of Macau's most interesting sights are concentrated around here and in the contiguous neighbourhoods of the southern headland: in among the pastel-painted Baroque churches and century-old homes various small museums and temples add cultural interest, while parks like the Jardim Luís de Camões provide shady respite. In the eastern neighbourhoods, especially along Avenida da Amizade, casinos are the main draw, while the northern part of the peninsula up to the border with China is largely residential.
The casino district
Address: Around Avenida da Amizade and the eastern waterfront
The eastern waterfront district is the site of many of Macau's 29 casinos (with several more under way). They are all open around the clock, though you must be at least 18 years of age and may have to show your passport at the door. Once inside, many games have a minimum bet of MOP$10–100. Signs in tiny print at the entrances politely suggest that punters should engage in betting for fun only, and not as a means of making money.
Each casino has its own atmosphere and (almost exclusively Chinese) clientele, and a casino crawl will provide a wide scope for people-watching, even if you're not interested in gambling. The Casino Jai Alai on Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues is dark and verging on sleazy, with the feel of a hardcore den; the nearby floating casino, the Macau Palace, is surprisingly dull, though full of overblown, red good-luck signs and carved golden dragons; the gold-windowed Sands on Avenida de Amizade has a Las Vegas slickness and colossal, open interior; the Wynn offers a sophisticated and elegant atmosphere; while the Galaxy – despite a smart exterior and bright lighting – is another low-end deal specializing in tacky carpets and an ocean of slot machines (known here as "hungry tigers"). Save time, too, for a look around the old Lisboa, the orange- and white- tiled building at the junction of Avenida de Amizade and Avenida Infante D. Henrique, still Macau's best-known casino despite being upstaged by more modern counterparts – not to mention its own new incarnation over the road, whose soaring, gold-topped tower proves that Stanley Ho, despite losing his gaming monopoly, still has no peer when it comes to ostentation.
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