MACAU
Once known as ‘The City in the Name of God’, today Macau is more frequently referred to as ‘Asia’s Sin City’ – infamous for gambling, prostitution and triads.
Whereas Vegas grew out of a desert, Macau has a history encompassing four hundred and fifty years and a unique heritage, one that mixes Cantonese and Portuguese cultures.
The liberalisation of the local gaming industry in 2002 has created enormous change in the former Portuguese colony. On one hand the people of Macau have grown considerably richer and employment has greatly increased. On the other, prices have skyrocketed, the urban-cultural landscape has drastically changed and the people of Macau have to contend with of 20 million visitors a year.
This is my snapshot of Macau, a city undergoing one of the greatest rebirths of any in history–and the industry that spawned it.
