Although the gaming industry is bringing enormous wealth to Macau, many students in the former Portuguese enclave dream of a landscape with fewer casinos and more trees.
Opposition to the island becoming a casino jungle was revealed in a Youth's Ideal Macau poster competition last month.
Dozens of student artists painted the future Macau in the contest organised by 15 youth groups. The winning posters were displayed at Friendship Square on May 27.
Most of the contestants envisioned a greener Macau with large areas of trees and gardens.
'Sadly, some parks have given way to casinos,' said Leong Hoi-sa, a Hou Kong School student who won first prize in the contest.
'Some of the remaining ones are besieged by skyscrapers that block the sunlight.'
In her poster, Hoi-sa visualised co-existence between the city's old and new landmarks, including the Ruins of St Paul's, the A-ma Temple, and the Macau Dome stadium, all surrounded by trees and grass.
