Macao

Macao is situated in the southeast coastal area of Mainland China. Over the past four hundred years, this was the place for fusion of Chinese and western cultures

Release time : 2016-05-18 16:19:32

source : WTCF

City Introduction

Macao, officially known as the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a special administrative region on the southern coast of the People's Republic of China. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong Kong, which is about 60 kilometers to the east, and it is also bordered by Guangdong of Mainland China to the north and the South China Sea to the east and south.

(Source: Internet)

In 1553, Macao was leased to Portugal from Ming Dynasty China as a trading port. The Portuguese Empire administered the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macao became a colony. Sovereignty over Macao was transferred to China on December 20th, 1999. After being exposed to western culture for over 400 years, Macao is now a unique city integrated with both western and eastern cultures with the existence of many historical cultural heritages. On July 15th, 2005, Macao was officially placed on the UN list of World Culture Heritage.

Macao is an international free port with the highest population density. Attributing to its famous light industries, tourism industries, hotel industries and recreational grounds, Macao is one of the most developed and affluent places in the world.

History

Macao was known as Haojing or Hao Jing Ao. The name Macao is thought to be derived from the A-Ma Temple. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied "妈阁" (pinyin: Māgé). The Portuguese then named the peninsula "Macao."

After 1849, the Portuguese toke sovereignty of Macao Peninsula, Taipa Island and Coloane Island subsequently. In 1887, the Portuguese forced a written note of “perpetual occupation of Macao” in the “Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking.” On December 1st, the Qing Dynasty confirmed the right of "perpetual occupation and