Here are few pictures of Macau and its casinos. The place lost its appearance from the 19th and even 20th century. Found guilty: the massive arrival of new casinos, the construction of the airport and the merger of the Taipa and Coloane islands. You can still find very nicely preserved Portuguese buildings in Macau though, and not all casinos are tasteless. In fact, the distinction between the old and the fake is not always so clear here. Casinos are after all part of the history of Macau. So, I wonder, what is the most authentic? Macau or Las Vegas? I know that the question is pointless anyway because I don’t believe in the word ‘authentic’. But still, I had the feeling that Macau had more depth than Las Vegas, even though Las Vegas remains much more impressive.
Ok, this entertainment complex is clearly fake and tasteless.
Here are some nice Portuguese ceramic tiles on a concrete building.
The Lisboa casino dates from the 60s. Its retro architecture is refreshing and its name is directly related to the history of Macau.
Its recent extension, the Grand Lisboa looks more like a building coming from space, and the inside is not so interesting.
Here is a view of Macau mixing old and new.
Macau is not only about Portuguese vestiges, you can also find some nice examples of Chinese architecture, such as in the A-Ma temple. Its history is by the way wonderfully illustrated in the Maritime museum just next door.
I like the way they restored the St Dominic’s Church, they kept its relative simplicity.
Here is the Venetian casino and hotel in Macau, similar to the one in Las Vegas, but bigger. The one in Las Vegas is still a little better I think; its sections are a little more diverse. It is a fake reproduction of Venice of course, and its theme has not any connection with Macau, at the opposite of the Lisboa casino. It features however an amazing number of details that reproduce relatively faithfully the ones in Venice. The entertainments inside the casino such as opera acts and classical music are of good quality and not fake at all. I’m not saying it is like Venice, but it is not a totally fake place.
If you are interested in the idea of travelling in fake places, you can also check out the artistic video I did a while ago about Las Vegas..
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