A Useful Sign in Macau

Several high-speed rail trips, trouble-shooting a problematic camera and lens, and other such fun have been keeping me unusually occupied. But things should be relatively sane for a bit, so, more . . .

[sic]
Seen in Macau

Tangerine Trash in Macau

You know the Lunar New Year is really over when the tangerine pickup period has passed in Macau.

Two Lunar New Year Displays in Macau

A Lunar New Year display at Taipa Village in Macau:

And more Lunar New Year fun at Largo do Senado in Macau:

Yesterday the weather was wonderful in Macau. I covered a lot of ground and ate much food — both Macanese and Portuguese.

Happy Lunar New Year and all that. More on the topic after I have caught up on sleep.

Not Just Standing Around in Macau

At Pátio de Hó Chin Sin Tong

View of Macau and Zhuhai from Above Avenida da Ponte da Amizade

One more cross-border view — this photo taken from a pedestrian bridge over Avenida da Ponte da Amizade in Macau:

The tall buildings next to the road can be seen in the previous post's photo. The buildings much farther away in the background are across the border in Zhuhai and near where I took the earlier photo.

The next photos I share taken from the area here and before won't feature the two neighboring cities, but instead some new bridges and artificial islands.

View of Zhuhai and Macau from Lovers' Lane

To complement the recent photos taken in Macau which show the neighboring city Zhuhai on the other side of a body of water, here is a photo taken at the popular Lovers' Lane in Zhuhai which shows Macau on the other side of another body of water:

One notable aspect of the photo are the cranes towering over the under-construction building on the far right in Zhuhai and the buildings with greenish scaffolding left of center in Macau. The change in Macau's skyline is evident when comparing this photo to a couple of photos taken from a similar vantage point shared in a post from four years ago about the border between Zhuhai and Macau.

There is another notable change, though it is more difficult to see in the photo. Near Macau and running roughly parallel to its shoreline, there is now a land bridge. It doesn't look like much, but it is an important part of an extensive series of bridges, tunnels, and artificial islands under construction which will connect Zhuhai and Macau to Hong Kong across the Pearl River Estuary. More about that massive, expensive, and delayed project and how it has changed views from both Zhuhai and Macau later.

Views of Macau and Zhuhai from Fort Monte

For readers relatively new to this blog, I want to highlight some posts from previous years about the border between Zhuhai, a city in Guangdong province, and Macau, one of China's two Special Administrative Regions. Posts covered topics including mainland Chinese who visit Zhuhai but don't have the special permit they need to enter Macau, the fences and walls separating the cities, a comparison of waterside walkways with views (which have since significantly changed) of the other city, and the grey market (which appears to have since evolved as well) that flows across the border.

To add to the series of posts, below are several photos taken from Macau's historical Monte Fort, in order facing approximately northwest, west, and southwest. They capture Macau in the foreground and Zhuhai towards the background. Water separates the cities in the photos, though it is isn't visible in all places. For example, the tall, slender building on the far left side of the last photo is in Zhuhai (more about it another day).

When I am in the heart of Macau, Zhuhai often feels like it is a world away. Views such as these remind me of how close it remains, as long as I have my passport and Chinese visa.

More Mid-Autumn Festival Lanterns in Macau

Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. So here are photos of holiday lanterns, sans dinosaurs or Hello Kitty, from two familiar places for this blog in Macau.

Portas do Cerco

Largo do Senado

And that is it for Mid-Autumn Festival photos from Macau this year (I think). I definitely can't take any more, since I am now in another place far away.

Mid-Autumn Festival Lanterns Surround a Dinosaur in Macau

Hello Kitty mooncakes aren't the only example of the Mid-Autumn Festival mixing with other themes in Macau.

These holiday lanterns and dinosaur currently stand in front of the Macau Science Center, which has a temporary "Living Dinosaurs" exhibition. Similar lanterns are on display elsewhere in Macau, but I haven't seen others with a dinosaur. Maybe I will get to see a dinosaur lantern somewhere else soon.

Non-Smoking Areas Above Macau's Streets

A few years ago I wrote about new regulations requiring non-smoking areas in Macau's many casinos. Casinos aren't the only places, though, where smoking is regulated, and government "no smoking" signs are easy to find these days.

The above sign especially caught my eye due to its location.

Even open-air pedestrian bridges can be smoke free in Macau.

After taking the above photograph I noticed someone walking towards me. I soon realized why. They didn't care about me but instead cared about what was next to me.

Plenty of people in Macau still smoke.

Mooncake Delivery in Macau

Today I saw more signs in Macau of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, including this truck delivering Maxim's mooncakes.

Unlike the mooncakes for dogs and cats I saw advertised elsewhere in Macau, these appeared to be for humans.

Later in the day, I saw a Koi Kei bakery truck with a less traditional design than I have seen before. The truck's design featured mooncakes. Again, they are presumably for humans, but they do have a popular cat theme.

Hello Kitty mooncakes represent a fusion of sorts between Chinese and Japanese cultures. I will soon share another mooncake fusion cooked in a place far away from Macau.

Coming to Macau

Mooncakes Go to the Dogs

In past years I have shared Mid-Autumn Festival scenes in Macau from locations such as Taipa Village, Portas do Cerco, and Largo do Senado. Mid-Autumn Festival isn't until September 15 this year, but signs of preparation for the holiday are already visible, such as in Largo do Senado.

In addition to lanterns, mooncakes are a popular way to celebrate the holiday. I saw a sign in Macau indicating that they won't be restricted to only humans.

Although they perhaps aren't a familiar aspect of the holiday to many in China, pet mooncakes aren't a new thing and other brands are out there. Mooncake flavors listed on this sign include carrot salmon, Aussie beef flavor, tuna cheese, and chicken, pumpkin & sweet potato. All are listed as acceptable for dogs. Only the the tuna cheese is listed as cat friendly.

I don't know what will happen if you try to give a carrot salmon mooncake to a cat. I also don't know if a human would like them. People may want to take extra care when selecting which box of mooncakes to regift.

Not Much Action Here Today

I am going to follow the spirit of a sign I saw today and keep things low key here.

If I see this sign for sale, I will be tempted to buy the whole set.

Monday Night on a Street in Macau

Saturday Night on a Street in Macau

Scenes Around the Camões Garden in Macau

Over three years ago in Macau I met someone who had made a day trip from Zhongshan to buy milk formula from New Zealand. Yesterday for the first time, I made the same trip, though not for milk formula. Near where I am staying in Zhongshan I boarded a direct bus to the border between Gongbei, Zhuhai, and Macau. After the one hour, 27 RMB (about U.S. $4.25) bus ride, I crossed the border in my shortest time ever, easily less than 15 minutes to pass though both mainland China and Macau immigration. Returning to Zhongshan at night was also simple, though the bus cost 28 RMB instead. The trip would likely have taken much longer had I gone during the recent holiday.

The Camões Garden is part of a set of famous sites in Macau which extend southward. The many winding streets just to the West, North, and East see far fewer tourists, yet like Macau's nearby Three Lamps District, which is also in Freguesia de Santo António (St. Anthony's Parish), they have their own charm. I spent a rather pleasant hour an half walking around the area beginning around 5pm. For yet another side of Macau, below are some photos from my walk with any streets names written in Portuguese, which along with traditional Chinese is typical in Macau.

Rua Ribeira do Patane and Avenida do Almirante Lacerda

Rua da Palmeira

Tou Tei Temple 

One of the many examples of European architecture in Macau

Other varieties of architecture

Meeting point of the steps Escada do Muro and Escada do Caracol

Rua do Patane

Intersection of Rua de Tomas Vieira and Rua de Coelho do Amaral

 Rua de Coelho do Amaral

Calçada do Botelho

View from the Camões Garden towards Zhuhai across the Qianshan Waterway 

Another view from the Camões Garden

 Stairs leading towards Travessa dos Calafates

Cat eating above a sign for Calçada do Galo

Street vendor selling food at Rua de Cinco de Outubro

Street vendor watching video at Rua da Ribeira do Patane

Scenes from the Three Lamps District in Macau

A few weeks ago an uncharged second battery meant I couldn't take any photos where I ended yet another day in Macau. Two days ago during the late afternoon I returned to the same streets, this time with ample stored electricity. Much remained the same, though more lanterns hung above due to the recent Mid-Autumn Festival. Metropolasia provides a description of the vibrant area in Freguesia de Santo António I was happy to visit yet again:

Rotunda de Carlos da Maia, at the heart of the historic "Three Lamps District", is not really a sightseeing spot as such, but it is one of Macau's most popular shopping areas and one of the best places to see how the locals live, and experience the city's day-to-day life in its most unpretentious form.

The roundabout and its offshoots are packed with small shops, boutiques and street vendors that specialize in inexpensive clothes, mostly surpluses and seconds of genuine brand-names, and there is also a decent choice of authentic eateries and street food vendors around, to take care of the culinary side.

After the first photo of the Rotunda de Carlos da Maia, the following photos appear in the order I took them. They capture some of the goods for sale, environment, and life in Macau's Three Lamps District — not far from the historic districts and casinos frequented by tourists.