Keiko Tanabe - Blog: Macanese Landscapes

Street, Macau I, Macanese Landscape Painting

3/20/2013 3:01:04 AM

You don't have to spend a long time to understand why scooters are everywhere in Macau. In addition to being the most densely-populated area in the world, Macau has many narrow streets between buildings, hills, and limited space for parking. It seems to be just the most convenient mode of transportation for local people.Every day scores of tourists flock this small peninsula city. The lure of world-class casinos, shopping and dining is undeniably strong. I have no idea how many of them actually rent a scooter to get out of a casino, but even a fraction of them could be a [...]

A-Ma Temple Square, Macau I, Macanese Landscape Painting

3/17/2013 4:28:15 AM

Come to this square in Macau with no prior knowledge, and you may wonder if you're in a small town somewhere in southern Europe. Some of the buildings around here, built in the Portuguese colonial style, are painted in bright colors and facades are decorated with white railings. There are other things such as lamp posts, scooters parked on a street and even some of the sweets sold around here, help create an atmosphere that is definitely more European than Chinese or Asian. If it's too hot or humid, people-watch from a bench under a big shade tree or walk up a [...]

A-Ma Temple, Macau I, Macanese Landscape Painting

3/13/2013 9:28:22 PM

At the suggestion of my dear friend in Hong Kong, I started my visit to Macau at the A-Ma Temple. It is one of the oldest buildings and historically a very important temple located at the southwestern end of the Macau peninsula. I was intrigued by the fact that the site of the temple was where the Portuguese sailors had landed almost 400 years ago and that the name Macau came from this temple. The story goes like this: upon arrival, the Portuguese sailors asked native inhabitants where they were. The local people told them the name of the temple which [...]