Macau Museum, Museu de Macau 澳門博物館, 澳门
The Macau Museum (Museu de Macau) in Macau should be visited along with the Maritime Museum to get a good understanding of Macau's history and unique mix of European and Chinese culture.
The museum seeks to preserve Macau's historical heritage as well as present the city's Chinese-Portuguese cultural fusion and explain the development of Macau from a small fishing village to an international port and modern city.
History
The museum first opened to the public in April 1998. It was built within Mount Fortress, a 17th-century Jesuit military structure that once served as Macau's main defensive fort. Before becoming a museum, the fortress complex was used as a meteorological observatory in the 20th century. In 2005, the site became part of the Historic Centre of Macao, recognizing its cultural significance.
Exhibits
The museum is located within the grounds of the Macau Fort near the famous Ruins of St. Paul's and has three floors. The first floor looks at the origins of the area and how it has evolved through the centuries to become the entertainment hub it is now. Exhibits explore the origins of Macau before European arrival, early trade between China and the West as well as commerce and cultural exchange. On this floor typical exhibits include archaeological artefacts, maps and navigation materials plus models of early Macau.
The second floor showcases Macau's different traditions and festivals. Some themes include the daily life of Macau residents, traditional festivals and customs, some local industries and handicrafts and popular entertainment and theater such as Chinese Opera (Cantonese Opera) and puppet plays. Exhibits here are a reconstructed traditional street, craft tools and trade objects, colorful festival costumes and also selected traditional household items.
The third floor is dedicated to modern day Macau and how the city has managed to blend different cultures together successfully whilst holding onto its past traditions. Modern Macau is explored using photographs and multimedia presentations, scale models of the city and exhibits related to Macau's contemporary culture and economy.
There are also two additional exhibition spaces.
These are the Mount Fortress Gallery in a former ammunition storage cellar, presenting the military history of the fortress and archaeological findings and the Mount Fortress Corridor - a three-storey corridor used for temporary exhibitions organized by cultural institutions.
Access & Information
112 Praceta do Museu de Macau
Tel: (853) 2835 7911
www: macaumuseum.gov.mo
Hours: 10 am to 6 pm (no entry after 5.30 pm) Closed on Mondays. There is a small admission charge: Adults, MOP15.00, students MOP8.00. Free admission for children 12 years old or under and seniors 65 years old or above plus Macao Resident Identity Card holders.
The site includes a museum shop and a café / snack bar.
From Senado Square to the museum is about 10 minutes on foot uphill. If coming by bus the following numbers are convenient: 2, 3, 3A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8A, 10, 10A, 11, 18, 19, 21A, 26A, 3.
Other must-see attractions in the UNESCO-listed center of Macau include the Ruinas de Sao Paulo, A Ma Temple, Dom Pedro V Theatre, St Lawrence's Church and St Joseph Seminary Church.
Open daily from 8 am to 6 pm.
Macau Essentials
- For cheap flights to Macau check elong.com. A lot of budget airlines (Bangkok Airways, Jetstar Asia, AirAsia, Tiger Airways etc.) fly to Macau.
Macau International Airport has flights to a number of international destinations worldwide including Bangkok, Manila, Seoul and Taiwan and to many other Chinese cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Shanghai, Shantou, Xianmen and Xian. - Trains - for non-fliers the best option is to take a train to Hong Kong from Beijing West Railway Station and then a ferry to Macau.
Tip: A cheap / fast way to get from Beijing to Macau is to fly from Beijing to Shenzhen and then take a coach to Hong Kong. The flight from Beijing to Shenzhen is considered domestic and therefore much cheaper compared with flying to Hong Kong direct. - Buses and taxis are the major modes of public transport in Macau. Pedicabs are also available for sightseeing. Macau drives on the right, like the rest of China, except Hong Kong.
- Visas: most passport holders of Western countries receive a free 30 or 90-day visa on arrival. To re-enter China requires a multiple entry Chinese visa, or a valid single/double entry visa.
Accommodation in Macau
Grand Lapa Hotel
For those looking for a comfortable and family friendly hotel, then a hidden gem is the Grand Lapa Hotel which is located directly next to Fisherman's Wharf and the Sands Hotel.
The hotel has undergone a transformation and has elegant interiors as well as some newly renovated hotel rooms. The hotel also has a modern spa, gym facilities and a swimming pool which has a water slide as as well as an outdoor Jacuzzi.
The Grand Lapa Hotel also offers a whole host of organised activities for children so parents can have a break. In terms of dining, visitors can try the Cafe Bela Vista, Naam Thai restaurant and Kam Lai Heen Chinese restaurant. The hotel's breakfast buffet is also very famous and worth sampling.
Address: Grand Lapa, 956 - 1110 Avenida Da Amizade, Macau
Wynn Palace Hotel
For those looking for more glitz and glamour in terms of accommodation then they can book accommodation at one of the most over the top hotels in Macau, namely the Wynn Palace. An incredible and vast structure, not only does the interior mimic the exterior in term of glamour and opulence, the hotel boasts an incredible water show and its own cable car system.
The hotel has a famed buffet and also boasts some international acclaimed restaurants such as Sichuan Moon, SW Steakhouse and Japanese specialities at Mizumi. If visitors love shopping then the Wynn Esplanade is a shopping mecca spread over 106,000 square metres.
Address: Avenida Da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, Macau
Book hotels in Macau & Hong Kong - Macau has some of Asia's most opulent hotels.
Map of Macau
Book Hotel Accommodation in Hong Kong & Macau
Book Hotels in Hong Kong - Booking.com
Hotels in Hong Kong - Agoda
Find Hotels in Kowloon - Booking.com
Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong
Search Hotels in Macau - Booking.com
Venetian Macau Resort Hotel
Budget Hotels in Hong Kong - Booking.com
Travel Books on Macau & China
