Macau is renowned for the permanent Portuguese presence that began in the mid-1500s and the resulting southern European influence that is still clearly evident in Macau today.  Portugal de facto governed Macau for centuries even before the official agreement with China that ceded governance to Portugal in 1887.  Macau was returned to Chinese sovereignty in a highly publicized handover on December 20, 1999.

Macau is more recently famous as one of the world’s fastest growing entertainment and leisure holiday destinations.  More than 20 million visitors arrive in Macau annually, largely drawn by international casinos, like Grand Lisboa, Wynn Macau, Sands Macao, Venetian Macao, MGM Grand Macau, Crown Macau, and StarWorld.  The fact that Macau surpassed Las Vegas to become the largest gambling location in terms of gaming revenue made world headlines and further solidified Macau’s position as a world-class entertainment town.

There is, of course, much more to Macau than casinos.  Like its cousin Las Vegas, Macau is attracting a wide range of entertainment and leisure activities to cater to the diverse desires of so many holidaymakers.  In Macau visitors will discover luxury hotels and resorts, world-famous music and theater performances, irreplaceable historical monuments, and fabulous shopping.