Macau used to be a small village four centuries ago, but today it is a well developed metropolitan which is full of romanticism and exoticism. It is religionary and meridional which brought it another name "ORIENTAL LAS VEGAS".

MACAU was returned to its motherland, China, on 20 December 1999, as the 2nd special administrative region after Hong Kong; and tramped into its epoch of ‘one country, two systems’ and thus to be administrated by the people of Macau. Nowadays MACAU is a special economic region of China, and it is also a special city of China that inherited special European style.

The granitic statue of Portuguese explorer Jorge Alvares is located on the lawn opposite to the Macau primary court at Nam Van Street. In 1513 Jorge Alvares and his flotilla set out from Malacca and landed at Lingting Island. He was the first Portuguese who landed on Macau. His arrival started a new history of Macau.

Before his arriving, Macau is only a small village belonged to Xiangshan county of Guangdong province. Her original name is Haojing’ao because at that time the fishers called the port as "Ao" and there are two mountains on each side which looked like an opening door from distance. At that time the most beautiful construction of this small village is Ah-Ma temple. When the Portuguese arrived here, they asked the name of this piece of land and the residents mistakened their meaning and told them the name of the temple. Therefore this piece of land has another name, Macau, which was translated from the sounds of "Ah-Ma".

The official languages are Chinese and Portuguese, Cantonese is mainly used in daily life. English is used in business and tourism.

There is a complete freedom of worship in Macau. The main religions are Buddhism, Catholicism and Protestantism.

The total population in Macau is around 513,000. Chinese people occupy 95%, Portuguese occupies 3% and the others are foreigners. Most residents of Macau live in Macau peninsula.

Macau is located on the west bank of Pearl River Delta, facing Hong Kong in the east across the vast expanse of sea and with a 130-kilometer distance from Guangzhou. It possesses the position of East Longitude 113 o 35' and North Latitude 22 o 14'. Macau is composed of Macau Peninsula、Taipa and Coloane. The whole area is 26.8 square kilometers with Macau Peninsula possessing 8.5 sq.km, Taipa 6.2 sq.km, Coloane 7.6 sq.km, road area 91 sq.km and reclamation area 4.5 sq.km. The main landforms of Macau are hills and tablelands. The highest point in Macau is the peak of Dieshi Mountain in Coloane, which is 174 meters above sea level.

Macau Peninsula and the island of Taipa are connected by a dual-lane two-way bridge, that is, Macau-Taipa Bridge, while Taipa and Coloane are linked through a 2.2-kilometer highway. People can go to Zhuhai City and Zhongshan City of Guangdong Province via the Barrier Gate in the north of Macau Peninsula or through the Lotus Bridge between Taipa and Hengqing Island. Within the East Asian tropical climate area, Macau possesses fair、rainy and warm weather. The average temperature is 20℃. The annual temperature is from16℃ to 25℃；humidity is from75℃ to 90℃; The annual rainfall amounts to 1778mm. Autumn is from October to December and it is the perfect season for tour with lower humidity. Winter is from January to March though it is a bit cold but full of sunshine. As soon as April is coming, the temperature goes up gradually. From May to September it is hot with typhoon accidentally attacking. In summer, it is suitable to wear cotton shirts or T-shirts. Winter is cold so sweaters and coats are necessary. In spring and autumn, the nights are cool so sweaters and jackets are suitable.

Macau is located in the East Asian tropical climate area and possesses fair, rainy and warm weather. The average temperature is 20℃. The annual temperature is from 16℃ to 25℃；humidity is from 75℃ to 90℃. The annual rainfall amounts 1778mm. Autumn is from October to December. It is the perfect season for tour with lower humidity. Winter is from January to March though it is a bit cold but full of sunshine. As soon as April is coming, the temperature goes up gradually. From May to September the weather is hot with typhoons accidentally. In summer, it is suitable to wear cotton shirts or T-shirts. Winter is colder so sweaters and coats are necessary. In spring and autumn night time is a bit cooler so sweaters and jackets are suitable.

January and February in Macau are still in winter. The cold air that comes from Siberia brings cold and dry wind which makes the temperature in Macau drop to 10℃ or under. Usually the lowest temperature of the year occurs in these two months, so people should wear wool clothes and coats.

March and April are the alternation period of season while the temperature and the humidity ascend; people better wear cotton clothes due to the humid climate in Macau.

Autumn in Macau is short with fine weather and comfortable temperature. Sweater or jacket is better for people on spring and autumn nights; owing to the hot weather and humidity, cotton topper or T-shirt is preferrable.

The official currency of Macau is ‘Macau official PATACA(MOP)’, each ‘pataca’ is divided into 100 avos (cents); there are banknotes with 6 types of value:10,20,50,100,500 and 1000 patacas as well as coins with 7 types of value: 10,20,50,100,500 and 1,000 avos.

When buying goods in Macau you have to use MOP. Some outlets also accept HKD. Some banks and stores also accept RMB; however, the exchange rate for RMB is not standardized. There are no restrictions on the amount of currency brought in or out of Macau.

Same as Mainland China and Hong Kong, Macau is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Tourists must hold valid passports or tour certificates and visa when coming to Macau and the validity must be not less than 30 days. People who join in tour must hold the visa applied through Macau travel agency. The visa can be applied at Macau Immigration Department through the embassy of People’s Republic of China and should be used within the period of validity, or else it is invalid. The holder is entitled to stay in Macau according to the time marked on the visa. Visa can also be extended after reaching Macau but the time cannot last for more than 30 days.

There are 3 kinds of visa: personal, family and group
Individual visa: MOP100, half price for age under 12. This kind of holder can stay up to 30 days in Macau
Family visa: This kind of visa must be held by family members of the same surname or kin relatives, spouse or children under 12. The fee is MOP200.
Group visa: This kind of visa must be applied by Macau Travel Agency with the minimum people of 10, MOP50 per people.

For more information, please visit the Macau Government Tourist Office or Macau Immigration Department websites: www.macautourism.gov.mo or www.fsm.gov.mo , or contact Macau Immigration Department directly.

Visas are not required for the following visitors who hold valid passports or certificates:

1. Macau residents
2. The holders of valid passports from Denmark, Japan, Belgium, Lithuanian, Iceland, Hungary, Andorra, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Tanzania, Latvia, Poland, France, Finland, Cape Verde Islands, South Korea, Britain(6 months), Bulgaria, Egypt, Norway, Malta, Mali, Czech Republic, Holland, Slovenia, Slovak, Cyprus, Austria, Italy, Estonia, Ireland, Sweden, Portugal, Mongolia, Germany, Lebanon, Luxemburg and Rumania can stay for not more than 90 days.
3. The holders of valid passports from Turkey, Brazil, Canada, Liechtenstein, Indonesia, India, South Africa, America, Thailand, Uruguay, Namibia, Malaysia, Kiribati, Chile, Philippines, Seychelles, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, Monaco, Mexico, Australia and Samoan can stay for not more than 30 days.
4. The non-Portuguese holding travel certificates issued by Portuguese authority.
5. The Chinese, including the people from mainland China, Hong Kong (excluding the (6) term), Taiwan and overseas Chinese, who hold the valid certificates can stay for not more than 30 days.
6. The holders with “Hong Kong ID cards”, “Permanent Resident ID cards of Hong Kong” or “Hong Kong Reentry Permit” can stay for a maximum of one year.
7. The holders holding the diplomatic passports or Laissez Passer issued by the United Nations.
8. The holders of the diplomatic or consular certificates issued by Macau SAR or Hong Kong SAR Authorities.

The headquarters of the post office is at the Senado Square which serves for mailing and express. It provides general services such as airmail, etc and the substations are around Macau; senders can send the correspondences, post cards, parcel post to all over the world via common means or express. For reference, the postage of a 50 gram letter by surface mail to Mainland China is MOP3; to Portugal is MOP3.50; to Europe, America, Canada and Australia are about MOP5.50. The opening hours are from 9 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday, the headquarters and substations all provide the detailed data of postage and delivery time. There are more than 30 auto stamp vending machines located at different spots in Macau; lots of hotels also serving postal needs for their guests. For more information, please dial (853) 2832 3666.

The excellent quality, exquisite design and various themes of stamp which mixes the characteristics of China and west are warmly welcomed by philatelic fans. As the requirements increase, Macau Post Office also set up post booths to sell stamps near the Ruins of St. Paul’s which is convenient to the philatelic fans and tourists, aside from setting shops in the post substations. The most popular themed stamps are “Literature and Figure”, “Legend and Myth”, “Macau Art”, etc.

Local calls in Macau are free when made from a private telephone. Public phones charge MOP$1.00 (US$0.15) for 3 minutes. Public phones are located throughout the city, most accept coins or international calling cards but you also would find the credit card phones in the busiest areas. Mobile phone rates are the cheapest in Macau but you have to pay higher roaming fees for using the local carriers’ networks. GSM SIM-cards can be bought from any of the local telecom companies. CTM sells international calling cards and has information regarding use of mobile phone services in Macau.

Internet access is available at the UNESCO Centre and the Biblioteca Center (Central Library) and its three substations and some cyber cafes.

The UNESCO Center of Macau	Wednesday to Monday12:00 - 20:00
	Closed on Tuesdays & Public Holidays
Central Library of Macau (Main Branch)	Monday to Sunday14:00 - 20:00
	Closed on Public Holidays
Sir Robert Ho Tung Library	Monday to Saturday13:00 - 19:00
	Closed on Public Holidays
Ilha Verde Library	Monday to Saturday13:00 - 19:00
	Closed on Public Holidays
MongHaLibrary	Monday to Saturday13:00 - 19:00
	Closed on Public Holidays

According to research, more than 50% of Macau people surf on the internet at 9 pm to 11 pm. The phenomenon of 90% netizens surfing at home reflects it has been an activity in family life. Only less than 2% of netizens are on line from 3 am to 7 am.

Electricity in Macau is at 220V, 50c/s. The power plugs used in Macau are of the three-pin, square-shaped or round-shaped types. It is suggested to check before using an electrical appliance.

Founded in 1906, CEM is responsible for the electricity for Macau and currently owns 2 plants. It began operation in the beginning of last century and the capacity has reached 260 mega-watts in the beginning of 1990s but it still could not meet the requirement of Macau. 90% is supplied by Macau itself while the rest is responded by GPGC; therefore, Macau has to purchase 10% from Guangdong.

Electricity is seldom used in industry field due to no heavy industry and less light industry in Macau. But more business and hotels owing to tourism is the main topic in Macau; thus, the peak of the electricity is in summer which is used in air-condition most.

Macau tap water is mainly supplied from Mainland China which is purified by Macao Water Supply Co. Ltd. Chlorine is added for extra protection. It still has to be boiled for drinking while distilled water is provided in all hotels and restaurants.

In Macau, most rivers changed into roads; underground water is polluted, at present water resource is extremely lacking in Macau and cannot solve the problem even if it has 3 reservoirs. Thereby, from 1950s on, Mainland China supplied water to Macau to meet their requirement. Most of Macau’s water is from the nearby city—Zhuhai which supplies more than 98% of the total amount; the rest is from the catchments of Sac Pai Van reservoir in Coloane, Hac-Sa reservoir and Ka-Ho reservoir and the Macau reservoir.

98% of water in Macau is from Zhuhai, but it is easy for the seawater to blend with freshwater in winter and during the period of drought since the tap water source is very close to where the river meets the sea. Therefore, Department of Health suggests the residents to add distilled water or mineral water to dilute the drinking water in the ratio of 1 to 1. At the same time, Social Welfare Institute will monitor the water quality periodically by taking measures and testings.

Macau is a safe place. The Police station provides services 24 hours and citizens can call 999 if necessary; besides, there are also two emergency hotlines for tourists, visitors from China can call 110 while those from overseas can call 112. Recently Macau was commented by the United Nations as one of the safest places in the world after its return to China.

SOS: 999	Fire service: (853) 28572222
Police station: (853) 28573333	Tourism Assistant Unit: (853) 28315566, 28313355

There are two kinds of hospital services in Macau.

The governmental medical service has preliminary health services and specialized services in the hospital center.

The non-government medical service has various medical unites such as Kiang Wu Hospital, etc and different private clinics.

It is almost free for the Macau permanent residents to consult doctors which are organized by government.

It is unnecessary to show any certificates such as vaccination certificates in Macau or nearby areas under common circumstances except for the particular cases.

The Department of Health will check the drinking water according to international standards periodically.

Public hospitals, private hospitals, health centers and private clinics will provide UpdateModern services for residents.

In case of medical emergencies, please contact the S. Janurio Hospital (Government) located in Estrada do Visconde de S. Janurio (Tel. 853-2831 3731) or the Kiang Wu Hospital (Private) located in Estrada Coelho do Amaral (Tel. 853-2837 1333). Emergency services in these hospitals are available 24 hours. In less urgent cases visitors can go to any Health Centre in Macau or in the islands. The Tap Seac Health Centre, located between Rua do Campo and Av. Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida, is the nearest one to the city center. Aside from Western medicine, visitors can approach Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors. Detailed information regarding Chinese Medicine can be obtained from the Macau Health Department (Tel. 853-2856 2404) or Kiang Wu Hospital (Tel. 853-2837 1333).

Tipping is very common in some service industry such as restaurants, beauty salon, hotels and casinos; it is discretionary and is up to the guests’ wish.

Many restaurants and hotels will add a 10% service charge automatically. If service is appreciable, you may add another 5 or 10% as tips.

If you pay by credit card, there is a blank space at the bottom of the bill, you can write your tipping amount there.

The tips will not be owned by the service staff himself who collects it; instead, all the tips will be gathered together and then shared equally among all service staffs. These service staffs usually get lower basic salary, so their earnings very much depend on tips.

Tipping also happens in some casinos. If you are lucky with your gambling, the casino staffs would initiate your giving tips. Generally, the tips can be around 10% of your investment.