Macau, China As Seen Through The Eyes Of A Vegas Fan

James Dingsdale Heads To The Other Side Of The World For A Taste Of Sin City

Often described as the ‘Vegas of the East’, the self-governing Chinese territory of Macau is a fascinatingly unique destination. The last European colony in Asia, Macau was Portuguese territory until 1999 when sovereignty was transferred to the People’s Republic of China. This was done under a similar “one country, two systems” arrangement as in neighboring Hong Kong. As a result of the Macanese government’s ability to pass its own laws, a liberalization of gambling restrictions was introduced. That paved the way for the creation of a Vegas-style “Strip” of high-end, behemoth casino resorts.

I began my journey in Macau’s Old Town, where European architecture is so pervasive that I could’ve been easily fooled into thinking that I was in Portugal. Macau is full of reminders of its colonial past, and the locals seem to be quite nostalgic for their connection to Europe. I grabbed a local delicacy – the Macanese egg tart, which consisted of soft pastry with a gelatinous custard filling. It was very tasty.

Colonial throwbacks aside, it was the easing of gambling restrictions introduced after the end of Portuguese rule that today put the tiny territory on the map. And it was the gambling and entertainment infrastructure that I was there to see.

A short stroll from the Old Town is the Grand Lisboa hotel and casino. Named for the Portuguese capital city, the Grand Lisboa is a huge structure that dominates the skyline. It reminded me somewhat of a Downtown Vegas property. Despite being less than ten years old, the casino floor seemed quite old fashioned and was extremely smokey. Like the majority of Macau’s resorts, the focus here is very much on the gambling. The reason for this is quite simple: the clientele.

Tourist visitors to Macau are overwhelmingly from the Chinese mainland, where gambling restrictions are much tighter and casino resorts all but non-existent. Chinese visitors come to gamble and gamble hard – anything else is just filler. If Las Vegas is an entertainment town with gambling, Macau is a gambling town with entertainment – and not much of it.

After the Grand Lisboa, I took a walk to the neighboring property; the Wynn Macau. Having visited the Las Vegas version many times, everything here was very familiar. The Wynn has the same luxury feel that one would expect, with designer shops and expensive restaurants abound. One thing that immediately struck me was how quiet the place seemed to be. The MGM Macau, located right next door, had a similar feel. It just lacked the “buzz” that permeates Vegas casinos. It was all just a little…dull.

I jumped into a taxi and asked the driver to take me to the Cotai Strip. Located on a completely separate island from the Old Town, Cotai is Macau’s answer to South Las Vegas Boulevard. I had come to see one thing and one thing only; the Venetian Macao. One of my absolute favorite properties in Las Vegas, I had high hopes for this newer, larger and more extravagant version.

I was dropped off at the transit hub for the hotel, where buses from the Chinese mainland deposit hordes of eager gamblers. Let me tell you; the Venetian Macao is huge. It’s the seventh largest building in the world, complete with a new-and-improved indoor replica of the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco. And they look almost identical to their Vegas counterparts.

The Venetian of Las Vegas contrasts sharply with the arid, desert environment in which it is set. There’s no “old” architecture in Las Vegas (by European standards anyway), but this isn’t the case in Macau. The Venetian, with its faux-Mediterranean streets, cafes, and restaurants, is located only a few miles from Macau’s historic center. That’s where one can find actual European architecture, food, and culture, all of which were left behind when Portuguese rule came to an end. This left me wondering what the relevance of the Venetian Macao is. It just doesn’t make as much sense here as it does in Las Vegas.

I decided to eat dinner in an Italian restaurant overlooking the fake Grand Canal and was again struck by how devoid of excitement the place seemed. There was very little in the way of atmosphere and…nobody seemed to be having very much fun. Take a walk on the Cotai Strip and the difference between Macau and Las Vegas becomes even more pronounced.

The Las Vegas Strip is a 24-hour party spot and an attraction in and of itself. The Cotai Strip is just a road – and not a very busy one at that. Perhaps owing to Macau’s extremely humid climate and changeable (often wet) weather, there’s little-to-nothing in the way of street entertainment. There are no restaurants, cafes or bars on the Strip, and you won’t see anyone walking along with a yard-long frozen margarita. Everything is located inside, within the hotels and casinos.

I had only visited a few of Macau’s many gambling locations but felt I had seen enough. The place was starting to bore me. It lacked the energy and excitement that makes Vegas great. Macau is an interesting place, but I found only the colonial history and architecture of Old Town to be intriguing.

As for the casinos, they were quite simply…boring.

Photos: [James Dingsdale, Wikipedia.com]

James Dingsdale

James is a British travel writer and blogger who visited over 30 countries.
He divides his time between the UK and the western United States. James enjoys cult movies, craft beers, bourbon, retro video games.When in Vegas, James prefers low-roller gambling, specifically blackjack. Find him on Instagram @dingovoyage