Macau! Say the name of this former Portuguese enclave to a Hong Kong film fan -- especially one who's never ever stepped foot in the Pearl River Delta locale -- and chances are that (s)he is going to think of it as a major Sin City -- or, as one Hong Kong movie title has it: City of Desire -- that's crawling with Triads (cf. crime dramas like Young and Dangerous 1 and 2, The Longest Nite plus Exiled) and whose casinos attract gamblers galore (cf. such as the under-rated The Gambler's Story as well as the better known gambling movies).
To say the least, Hong Kong film-makers have not often gone out of their way to show this heritage-rich territory -- one whose historic center was inscribed on to UNESCO's World Heritage list in July 2005 -- in the best of light. Nonetheless, in cinematic offerings like Soul, Where a Good Man Goes, Marooned and Isabella, Macau's physical beauty does manage to shine through. And I hope that this also is the case with regards to the following selection of photographs which I took on a visit there in April of this year:-
A flight of stairs which should strike those who have viewed Isabella as pretty familiar :b
Wave-patterned mosaic pavingthat's found in the Macau city center
-- and meant to remind the Macanese
of their sea-going heritage
A building located on the very picturesqueLargo do Senado (trans. Senado Square)
Inside a Macanese church(Sadly, I can't remember which!)
Spiral joss sticks galore at the historic A-Ma Templeprovide proof positive that Macau has
its share of practicing Buddhists and Taoists
Panoramic view from a choice vantage point
6 comments:
Oh nice photos. I once had to do some research on Macau for a job we were trying to pitch for but that didn't come through. =( But the photos I saw made me really interested and since then I've always wanted to go to Macau. Now you've made me want to go again. =)
Hi Caroline --
I'm glad that Macau's physical attractiveness managed to come through in the photos. BTW, one more reason to go to Macau: There's yummy food aplenty to be had there (E.g., think Macanese egg tart and serradura cake)! :b
Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos. You give quite a few enticements to visit Macau!
Hi Alejna --
You're most welcome re the sharing part. As for Macau itself: Was just doing my bit to show that it's worth more than the day trip from Hong Kong that many people accord it. :)
Hi YTSL, I enjoyed learning about Macau on your post. My friends made a trip to Macau when they visited Hong Kong several years ago and enjoyed their visit very much. They also loved Hong Kong and hope to visit there again. Your photos are beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Trekcapri --
Macau has changed a lot over the past few yaars -- as has Hong Kong -- but the places in this photo-essay have remained, something for which I'm very glad. :)
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