Signs of Taipa in Macau

I now seem to have a somewhat functional VPN. It's not perfect, and I'm hoping to further improve the situation. But at least I can more reliably connect to the blocked-in-China world than previously.

For a sign that things have somewhat returned to normal, I will share a set of photos I took in and around Macau's Taipei Village the other day that all include... signs. I did not initially intend to take so many photos of signs, but after the first few I thought focusing on signs could serve as a way to capture sides of Macau that may otherwise be missed. And Macau presents a unique treat for sign aficionados. Where else is it common to see Traditional Chinese, Portuguese, and English together? As the following photos show, not all signs use all three languages and which languages appear can vary depending on the circumstances.

Koi Kei's billboard on the right side changed. The yellow sign is for another bakery.

The environment of the previously mentioned "no peeing" sign

Maybe I will see the snakes next time.

No flowers today

As requested, I refrained from climbing on the rocks.

I have noticed Macau's outdoor escalators often provide a number of riding tips.

At crowded bus stops in neighboring Zhuhai boarding a bus can feel like a sporting event.

Macau is concerned about dengue fever.

A street sign in Taipei Village

The Old Taipa Tavern (OTT) is in a great location for enjoying a drink, but don't be noisy or mention the rent.

As in Hong Kong, 7 Elevens are common in Macau.

The back of a McDonald's

Another sign of Macau's smoking regulations

Choose a sign to ponder

Traditional Bakery Advertising in Macau

I need to keep it simple today, so I will share a colorful scene of a Koi Kei bakery delivery truck near a Koi Kei billboard advertisement in Macau's Taipa Village.



As suggested by the design of the advertisements, Koi Kei is a traditional-style Macanese store. It sells a variety of food products, including cakes, candies, and meat jerky. One great aspect of Koi Kei's stores, at least the ones I have seen, is the large variety of free samples available for tasting. They have a number of locations in Macau, several more in Hong Kong, and one in Singapore. One of their stores is down the narrow street next to the sign. The street is also the location for a favorite Portuguese restaurant of mine in Macau--O Santos. Needless to say, I rarely leave this area feeling hungry.

Not-So-Smoky Smoking Sections in Macau

Looking down at The Venetian Macau's casino.

In an earlier post I described Macau's attempt to reduce the number of smoking areas in its many casinos, including requiring casinos to designate at least half of their public space as non-smoking. Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to take a look around two of Macau's larger casinos at The Venetian Macau and the Galaxy Macau. They had clearly marked non-smoking and smoking areas, and people could be found playing in both. I didn't notice a single person smoking in a non-smoking area, but it was the smoking-areas which most caught my eye, or actually my nose. Especially in the Galaxy Macau, I was impressed that as I walked through the smoking areas I rarely smelled any smoke at all, even when I was close to smokers. It was a very different experience from most other smoking areas I've been in. Plenty of people were smoking, so I surmised the casinos must have excellent ventilation systems.

It would be interesting to see air quality readings of the smoking areas, especially due to a thought that went through my mind while I meandered through them: "The air here seems better than an average day outside in Beijing or Shanghai."

Xi Jinping's Advice for New Zealand

Last year I shared the story of a young man I met who would regularly travel from mainland China to Macau to purchase baby formula produced in New Zealand. Like many others in China, he did not trust Chinese baby formula due to a number of milk-tainting scandals. He was also not confident that the foreign formula he could could purchase in mainland China would be genuine. In a later post, I commented on the creative approach taken by a Chinese baby formula company to garner the trust of Chinese consumers through advertisements placed on far-away London buses.

So I must admit my jaw dropped a bit when I saw the Chinese news agency Xinhua had this to say about a recent meeting between China President Xi Jinping and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key:

Xi stressed that food safety concerns people's health and urged New Zealand to take tough measures to ensure food quality and thus maintain the sound momentum of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

As Josh Chin reported in the China Real Time Report, I was not alone in my reaction:

In a country where authorities routinely accuse other governments of casting hypocritical stones, the notion of Mr. Xi berating another country’s leader over food safety proved too much to bear for many social media users [in China].

“He should be saying this to himself,” wrote one microblogger. “How does he have the gall to say this to the New Zealand prime minister?”

For more about what prompted Xi's recommendation to New Zealand and how Chinese responded online, see Chin's full article here.

"No Spitting" and "No Peeing" in Hong Kong and Macau

Today Beijing Cream shared a photo of a mother from mainland China helping her boy urinate into a trashcan. The mother's and boy's actions would not be highly unusual except for the fact they occurred in a Hong Kong subway station. In short, in my experience kids publicly urinating is not common in Hong Kong or nearby Macau. I have seen numerous examples elsewhere in China though. If you look closely at a set of photos I took at Nanmen Square in Yinchuan, Ningxia, you can see a case of public urination I felt comfortable including with other "everyday scenes".

At least for now, I'll refrain from further discussion about public urination in China, but I would like to address a possibility Beijing Cream raised regarding the photo they shared:

This was taken inside a subway station in Hong Kong right in front of a sign that appears to say “No Peeing.” (I can’t tell for certain, but wouldn’t it be great if really was a “No Peeing” sign?)

Some signs in the Hong Kong subway have caught my attention before, and I'm pretty sure a "no peeing" sign would have made that list. I appreciate that the lack of detail for the sign in question can make it look like a warning against public urination, but I strongly suspect the photo captures one of the Hong Kong MTR's "no spitting" signs:

From Cory Doctorow, some rights reserved

However, Beijing Cream may instead be heartened by a sign I recently saw in Macau. I must say it is my favorite "no peeing" sign to date:

It seems somewhat just though.

The sign appeared to be effective during my brief time in front of it. I didn't spot any public urinators nearby. Maybe the Hong Kong MTR should take note.

Scenes from Two More Temples on the Macau Peninsula

Over a year ago I shared some scenes from the Kun Iam Temple, A-Ma Temple, and the Lin Fung Temple -- all located on the Macau Peninsula. I recently stopped by two other temples on the Macau Peninsula, so I will share a few more scenes.

On the eastern side of the Macau Peninsula I visited the Tin Hau Ancient Temple (天後古廟):

On the western side I visited the Hong Kung Temple (康公廟):

Both temples were very quiet. And I suppose I must have been quiet too. Someone at the Tin Hau Temple closed the gate while I was inside. I thought a repeat of the experience I had at a Macau cemetery last year might be in store. But this time the gate was not locked, and I was able to slip out without disturbing anyone.

For more Macanese temple scenes, see the earlier post here.

Macau Wants "No Smoking" to Mean "No Smoking"

At Posto Fronteiriço Das Portas Do Cerco, the immigration check point at Macau's border with mainland China, I saw a large sign with a message for visitors arriving in Macau.

400 Macau Patacas (MOP) equals approximately 50 U.S. Dollars

That one could be fined for smoking in a non-smoking area seemed like useful information. That smoking is prohibited in a non-smoking area seemed rather obvious to me though. But then I recalled examples of people ignoring "no smoking" signs in China. So maybe the added emphasis is worthwhile.

Earlier this year, Macau enacted new regulations requiring casinos to designate at least half of their public space as non-smoking areas. Some wrinkles need to be ironed out though. For example, in one case a casino was reported to have surrounded an air monitoring device with air purifiers. And a review found more than half of the evaluated casinos were not fully complying with the requirements. Even when casinos follow the regulations, creative strategies can defeat some of their purpose -- for example, placing most of the popular games in smoking areas. Not surprisingly, Macau's government plans on revising the regulations.

Casinos are big part of Macau's economy, and some worry that the no-smoking rules will hurt business. But Macau's government seems committed to improving the indoor air quality for more people, even if it means telling people they can't smoke where they can't smoke.

The News That Matters in Macau

The gambling industry's large presence in Macau is unmistakable. So I was not greatly surprised by the choice of the Macau Daily Times for its front page headline several days ago:

As reported in Bloomberg, Japan being awarded the 2020 Olympics has:

... fueled speculation Japan will approve casino gambling since the development would add hotel capacity and entertainment venues that could be used during the games.

However, the online version of the Macau Daily Times article with the above red headline reports the suggestions made by Takashi Kiso, "CEO of International Casino Institute and consultant to the Japanese government on gaming". He thinks Japan should wait until after it hosts the 2020 Olympics before developing casinos because:

Japan would need resources and large numbers of construction workers over a short time span [for the Olympics], and building the [integrated casino resorts] with the aim of opening at that point would mean competition for those resources and potential duplication of infrastructure.

If eventual approval for the casinos is likely, many in Macau may have other reasons to support Kiso's recommendation and would welcome any delays. Casinos in Japan could possibly attract gamblers who would otherwise spend their time (money) in Macau. Of course, owners of Macau's casinos who desire to open other casinos in Japan would have a different perspective.

The decision is in Japan's hands, but Macau is watching.

Beer Speeding Through Macau on World Tourism Day

Many may consider the Macau Grand Prix to be the highlight of the year for racing in Macau, China, but for others another race may matter more: yes, Macau's traditional tray race which is now held in conjunction with World Tourism Day on September 27. This year more than 200 people who represented more than 24 hotels and restaurants in Macau participated. A tray race is nothing without something to put on the trays, and a local sponsor provided a suitable item: Macau Beer.

I prefer Macau Beer over typical Tsingtao Beer, but you can't get it in a bag.

Since the theme of this year's World Tourism Day was "Tourism and Water – Protecting Our Common Future" the message seemed loud and clear: protect your beer too.

The teams all sported different costumes. Clearly looking for an inspirational and aerodynamic advantage, the Grand Hyatt team affixed images of the Macau Grand Prix to their heads:

Definitely my favorite costume

The race began at the steps of the iconic Ruins of St. Paul's. First, the female teams lined up.

Preparing properly is key.

After long minutes of great anticipation, the ceremonial horn sounded.

That moment of "this might be harder than I expected"

After the start, the race quickly funneled into a narrow pedestrian street.

Some racers chose a walking pace. At least they improved their chance of having a beer at the end.

Then the male participants collected their beers and lined up.

Light non-drinking revelry

As with the female race, photographers captured the historic moment.

Note the ceremonial horn blower ready with the ceremonial horn

And again the race began with the mellifluous sounding of the ceremonial horn.

The racers were warned any cheating would be noted by observers.

The ceremonial horn blower already looking forward to next year's race

I must now disappoint readers with the fact that I chose not to chase after the racers to follow the action. What was the point without a beer?

Later, though, I stopped by where the race finished at Largo Senado (Senate Square). At the Macau Beer booth I inquired as to whether I could join the festivities by purchasing a bottle of Macau Beer. They had a better option: free beer would be available in 10 minutes.

I wasn't at first sure how to spend those 10 minutes, but before I knew it I found myself being tattooed.

Who says no pain, no gain?

I'm not sure they had prior experience with hairy arms.

Not long afterwards, free beer flowed like a waterfall, well, a stop-and-go waterfall into small plastic cups.

No shortage of people with a desire for free beer

After collecting a shot (or two or three or four) of beer, some people chose to be photographed with the Macau Beer mascot.

She had photographs taken both with and without sunglasses.

Even though they took occasional breaks, mascots possibly inspired by substances different from beer could also be found.

The mascot in the middle remained in that exact position for several minutes.

The young woman who looks oh-so-thrilled to be photographed with the mascots explained to me that they were intended to welcome visitors to Macau and were not taken from any TV show, movie, game, or nightmare.

Although this is a light post about a lighter side of life in Macau, I realize that all of this together might be overwhelmingly stimulating. So I will stop here. Congratulations to Leong Mei Fong representing the Galaxy Macau and Liu Yan Song representing the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel for winning the women's and men's tray races, respectively. I hope you enjoyed your well-deserved beers.

A Day of Mooncakes

Happy Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

Last night at Macau's Largo do Senado

If you have any mooncakes, enjoy them. I have tasted many flavors but it seems there are always new varieties to try, including Godiva's.

Now I'll head outside to see if the full moon is visible and if I can get some more mooncakes.

Squid Ink Hot Dogs for Breakfast in Hong Kong

In an earlier post, I pondered McDonald's serving hot dogs as a breakfast item in China. Recently at some eateries in Hong Kong which served a variety of foods, including Hong Kong's "traditional" Canto-Western fusion cuisine, I noticed that hot dogs were available for breakfast. This was also true at at least two different Macanese-style restaurants, which served hot dogs in a bun specifically as a breakfast item. Perhaps Hong Kong & Macau provided inspiration to McDonald's that a hot dog breakfast might be appealing to people elsewhere in China.

However, that does not mean there is not more room for hot dog inspiration at McDonald's. For example, one of the Macanese restaurants in Hong Kong served breakfast hot dogs with a bit of a twist:

(fyi -- 30 Hong Kong Dollars is about US $3.85)

There was another item on the menu my heart was set on ordering, so I decided to give the squid ink hot dog a pass. Next time, maybe. I have tried squid ink bread before, and it is common at least one Taiwanese bakery chain. I remember I enjoyed it, although I cannot recall the taste.

Anyways, maybe squid ink hot dogs will soon be available in McDonald's all across China. Could they be a hit? I don't know. But I feel safer guessing that McDonald's will not be serving them for breakfast anytime soon in the U.S.

A Brief Stop in Zhuhai on the Way from Macau to Shenzhen

I plan to move on from posting semi-regularly about Macau. Some earlier posts about Macau included:

• So Close Yet So Far: Chinese Citizens Without Permission to Visit China's Macau
• "O Santos": A Taste of Portugal in China
• Cigarettes, Noodles, and Diapers: Profiting from China's Internal Borders
• A Long Trip for Milk: Barriers, Trust, and Truth in China

More recent Macau-related posts can be found here.

Instead of Macau, several upcoming posts will focus on Shenzhen -- a large and rapidly growing city an hour away by ferry across the Pearl River Delta. To serve as a bridge of sorts between Macau and Shenzhen, I will now share a few photos from Zhuhai -- the mainland Chinese city which borders Macau. The first link above discusses the special permission mainland Chinese need to cross the Macau-Zhuhai border. But in this post I will continue a theme from a lighter post about the various types of cycles I saw in Zhuhai.

Like before, there were people who rented tandem bicycles at the "boardwalk" next to the Pearl River Delta:

Likely due to the change of seasons since my earlier visit to Zhuhai, I saw that some of the motorbike-taxis in the town of Nanping now sported a specially-designed sun/rain umbrella:

But what most caught my eye during my recent visit was what I believe to be a new bike rental option. Although I had seen a quadracycle before, this four-wheeled vehicle seems deserving of a different name:

Two regular bicycles had been connected together to created this vehicle. Maybe it should be called a double-bicycle. Any other ideas?

More soon from Shenzhen, a city that differs from Macau and Zhuhai in many ways.

Wedding Photography Scene in Macau

A common ritual in China:

Wedding photography atop of Penha Hill in Macau, China

More soon...

Nam Van Lake in Macau

No deep (or less than deep) thoughts today. I will simply share a photo of two people having a conversation at Macau's Nam Van Lake. The scene provides a contrast to Macau's narrow streets and alleys.

And maybe that can inspire some deep thoughts.

Baby Formula in China: Foreign Brands Coming In, Advertising Going Out

Several months ago I shared a story of a young man who occasionally makes a long trip to Macau from his home in mainland China so he can purchase baby formula produced in New Zealand. He does this because of previous milk-safety scandals in China, and he wants to be sure that his cousin's infant receives a genuine non-Chinese baby formula. He is not alone in his concerns, and foreign brands of baby formula are well aware of the demand in China for their products. In Buy Buy China, Dror Poleg reports that this combined with Chinese taxes leads to significantly higher prices for foreign baby formula:

The brands, in turn, make the most of their captive market [in China] and mark up prices up to 4 times their level in the US or Europe. A tin of foreign baby formula ranges from around RMB 200 to RMB 400. Some high end products – such as Wyeth’s Illuma, Nestle’s NAN H.A., and Mead Johnson’s Enfagrow - cost even more. China now levies a 10% tax on imported baby formula in an effort to promote domestic alternatives. But demand driven by safety concerns is inelastic, meaning Chinese consumers absorb the extra costs while foreign brands continue to grow their market share. Similar, if more moderate, dynamics can be seen in the market for other baby products.

The higher cost of some products in mainland China is yet another reason why the Macau-Zhuhai border is a key point in a grey market sales network.

Chinese brands are of course also aware of the situation and hope to improve their image. But it may seem surprising that one well-known Chinese brand is attempting to do this through advertising not only in China, but in London as well. In fact, Londoners themselves are confused. As reported by Boruo Chen in Asia Society:

Yili, a Chinese milk company based in Inner Mongolia, recently launched an ad campaign on London's iconic double-decker buses that had locals scratching their heads. The ad shows Chinese men and women, none of whom are recognizable celebrities or athletes, alongside the brand's logo, in Chinese. No Yili products are for sale in London, and few clues on the buses hint as to the significance of these people.

Is this a sign Yili has made a huge marketing blunder? Maybe not. Poleg claims in another article on Buy Buy China that Yili's main goal for its London advertising is not influencing British perceptions. Instead, Chinese consumers are the target:

On closer inspection we found the London campaign is part of a broader effort to restore Yili’s reputation back in China, following its implication in scandals involving Mercury- and Melamine-tainted milk formulas. The campaign is orchestrated by Ogilvy & Mather and includes a cooperation with Youku, China’s leading video site, and a domestic advertising campaign as well. The London ads are used to appeal to Chinese Olympic visitors and serve as fodder for a PR push in the Chinese media, trying to portray Yili as an international brand that is well accepted beyond China’s borders (here, for example, in Chinese).

Poleg is skeptical that such a campaign will be successful. However, Darren Wee in the Financial Times expresses reason for optimism (article is behind a paywall but can be read in full if you click its entry on Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc. -- do a search on one of the sentences below to find it):

Chinese consumers love western brands, so Chinese companies have begun to advertise in the west to build a reputation at home.

Sales of Yili Shuhua milk rose 12 per cent when it featured in the 2011 Transformers  film.

This result suggests that Yili knows what it is doing, even if Londoners are baffled.

It is fascinating to consider how advertising in a far away country may prove valuable at home for Yili. And not only does it suggest some of the ways in which businesses based outside of China can profit even when a Chinese company is targeting Chinese consumers, it is also an example of how evaluating the quality of a design, whether a marketing campaign or a mystery beverage vending machine, requires understanding its purpose.

If the campaign proves to be a success for Yili, it is possible even more Chinese companies will attempt a similar strategy. Could Londoners soon find themselves regularly puzzling over Chinese ads?

At least for the short term*, London's advertising sales agents probably hope so.




*The question of whether it would be good for them in the long term raises some interesting issues I would want to further consider before commenting.

Mystery Beverage Vending Machine in Macau

A mystery beverage vending machine in Macau -- which one would you choose?

I came across the above canned beverage vending machine a couple of years ago at the Macau Fisherman's Wharf -- a theme park that "includes over 150 stores and restaurants in buildings built in the style of different world seaports such as Cape Town, Amsterdam and Venice, six rides, a slots hall, a 72-room hotel, and a casino" (one visit was more than enough for me). Fortunately for anyone who hopes to profit from beverage sales, the machine did not appear to be common elsewhere in Macau. I would expect that in most cases people have little desire to pay for a randomly-selected drink (in this case, some may not have even realized/understood that a drink could be purchased).

But maybe such a machine is appropriate at an entertainment area in a city full of gambling and some people enjoyed the risk or surprise it offered. Maybe not profit but instead amusement was the goal -- anything sold was a bonus. Or maybe the hope was that it would catch people's attention and cause them to more closely examine the Coca-Cola products if offered.

Whatever the case, it certainly caught the attention of me and several other passersby. Though, I did not see anyone make a purchase.

Chinese Temples on the Macau Peninsula

Although the Portuguese influence is unmistakable, much traditional Chinese culture can still be found in Macau. To capture just a sliver of it, I will share some photos from three of the more well-known temples on the Macau Peninsula. Unlike many temples in mainland China, none of them charge an entrance fee (a topic for another day). The first four photos are from Kun Iam Temple, the next four are from A-Ma Temple, and the final two are from Lin Fung Temple. They include a variety of scenes, including monks offering their prayers as a woman (not visible) burns paper replicas of various items, such as a car, so they can be sent to her parents in the afterlife.