Best foot forward for walks in Macau
THE ODDS ARE that the majority of visitors to Macau get there via a 50-minute journey from Hong Kong. Chances are also that all other odds are laid by Stanley Ho Hung-sun's Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau, the company that owns the gambling franchise as well as the jetfoils that ply the busy route. While it may be true that few travellers do little more than head for casinos, shops, restaurants and bars, Todd Crowell aims to raise their sights both physically and metaphorically.
Although Hong Kong maintains its separate identity from the mainland through its legal and political structures, Macau asserts its individuality with architectural and cultural differences. Crowell celebrates these in his slim volume that presents as a straightforward tourist guide for those wanting to wander with purpose. Thankfully, it is more than that.
The author, a Hong Kong resident, has been visiting the enclave regularly since 1987 and he is captivated by its past. His desire to share his fascination with the less obvious aspects of the former Portuguese trading outpost has produced an invaluable pocket guide that is perfect for the first-time visitor as well as old hands jaded by apparent familiarity. He even manages a readable summary of Macau's rather obscure history.
His analysis of the influences of religions and peoples may be drawn from well-established sources, but succinctly sets the scene for the sights and sounds to be found by the thoughtful and observant on their explorations. Foot-slogging is the order of the day as readers are encouraged to take one or more of eight walks. All are bound by Crowell's attention to detail and determination to scratch beyond the surface of a place he describes as 'seedy'. Macau's compactness makes it ideal for walking, yet it is only by going the extra mile that a true picture emerges of a place that developed into its current fascinating cross-cultural, social and political identity through happenstance, expediency, greed and ambition.
There are a few nuggets among the usual litany of museums, temples, military remnants, tourist hot spots and the dreaded places of interest. One is the site of the annual 'stamping of the belly button'. Every spring at Na Cha Temple, children are marked with a large rectangular image on their stomachs to ward off evil spirits. Another is the determinedly non-politically correct thoroughfare that has survived modern sensibilities and whose name translates as the Street of the Coolies.
Crowell leads walkers down a number of detours and suggests watering holes and places to eat along the way. While the book is a valuable addition to the information provided by the Macau Government, it also represents a missed opportunity. Crowell hints at the darker underbelly of Macau that never seems far away from the pleasant parks and pedestrian squares. A more thorough examination of this would provide a more rounded picture of the metropolis once dubbed by the king of Portugal the City in the Name of God.
Discover Macau
by Todd Crowell
Asia 2000 $75
