CONSERVATION: Endangered Parrot Causes Man To Get 5 Years Prison Sentence In China

Parrots are common pets in China, but for one owner they have proved costly housemates.

A man in the southern city of Shenzhen was sentenced to five years in prison for keeping and selling parrots, because two of them were on the endangered wildlife list.

Ren Panpan, wife of the guilty man named Wang Peng, was devastated, saying her husband would never have raised the parrots had he known it was illegal.

She says Wang brought home his first parrot in 2014, when he discovered it in the factory at which he worked. Wang’s colleague Cao was at the scene and testified to this statement.

Ren said her husband then searched online and realized it was a small male sun parakeet. For breeding, Wang Peng bought two female parrots. One year later, he had 51 parrots.

In April 2016, the couple’s child was diagnosed with a disease called congenital megacolon.

Wang found it difficult to take care of his son, the parrots, and also work. So he decided to sell six baby parrots at 500 yuan (about 72 US dollars) each to his friend Xie Tianfu who ran an aquarium.

Law expert Xu Xin has now taken over the case, and will help Wang appeal the conviction.

Xu argues that although the parrot is on the list of endangered wildlife, Wang bred and kept the parrots by himself, which should be categorized as one’s personal property.

He also believes Wang did nothing wrong by increasing the number of the species. And he emphasizes the fact that Wang only sold six birds last year, suggesting he wasn't attempting to run a business.

Whatever the result, the couple and the animal breeding community will learn from the case.

I guess most people don’t know it’s illegal to raise this kind of parrot, Wang wrote in a letter to his wife.

Our lives have been changed. What a lesson on law, said Ren.


Tourism Observer

EUROPE: Chinese Air Travel Shoots Up, Europe Gains A Great Deal

Europe is set to benefit from increasing Chinese air travel with extra flights and more capacity for 2018.

The continent will see a boom in capacity on flights from China, according to the latest figures from travel pattern analyst ForwardKeys.

It reports that nine new routes and one resumed route will start during the first half of 2018, and a further three are in the pipeline.

At least four China-Europe routes are already planned for the second half of this year.

This follows an expansion in Chinese flights to the US and Australia over the past two years.

ForwardKeys predicts future travel patterns by analysing 17 million booking transactions a day.

According to its statistics, by June there will be an extra 30 flights a week from China to Europe and, based on an estimation of 200 seats per flight.

This means 6,000 more seats will be available for Europe-bound Chinese travellers.

Excluding Russia, the average total number of seats available each week last summer was 150,000.

In March alone new flights include:

- Twice weekly from Shenzhen to Madrid by Hainan Airlines.

- Resumption of three times weekly flights from Shenyang to Frankfurt by Lufthansa.

- Twice weekly from, Shenzhen to Brussels by Hainan Airlines in March 2018.

Finland is benefiting from a strong Asia strategy on the part of Finnair, which announced the opening of its seventh direct Chinese route in May 2018.

Spain, the UK and Ireland are seeing a mix of increased tourism alongside healthy Chinese business investment.

This growth will be building on an already strong start to the year.

Europe had a 10% market share of the outbound Chinese market and saw a 7.4% increase in Chinese travellers during January and February this year.

Turkey recovery after terrorist attacks increased by 108.2%, and Greece by 55.7%, compared to the same period last year.

Travel in the opposite direction is also set to increase.

Flight bookings to China, in the coming six months, from the rest of the world, are 11.8% ahead of this time last year.

Bookings from Americas, which is responsible for 25% of travel to China, are currently 24% ahead of last year.

The EU-China Tourism Year was launched in Venice in January, heralded as the largest-ever official EU-wide initiative to grow Chinese tourism across Europe.

ForwardKeys chief executive and co-founder, Olivier Jager, said It seems that the EU-China Tourism Year is having a positive impact on travel in both directions.

The Chinese have been growing in confidence for international travel for some time now and that trend is being reciprocated.

Europe clearly has a lot to gain from this increased capacity because the Chinese are ready to spend money on luxury goods while on holiday, providing good opportunities for European retailers.


Tourism Observer

CHINA: Hainan To Become Asia’s Hawaii,US Granted Visa-free Access

China’s government has opened up to visitors from 59 countries, giving them visa-free entry to Hainan island, in an unprecedented move to spur economic growth and boost tourism in the backwater province.

Starting May 1, passport holders from the UK, the US, Canada and scores of other European and Asian countries were allowed to enter Hainan for stays of up to 30 days, according to an announcement Wednesday by the State Immigration Authority.

Absent from the list are African countries, countries on the Indian subcontinent, as well as three members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean): Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The latest move is an expansion from a 2000 policy that permitted tour groups from 21 countries to enter Hainan visa-free for up to two weeks.

The new move lets individual travelers enter Hainan and extends the period of stay.

The move is likely to benefit Chinese airlines, including the island’s flagship carrier, Hainan Airlines, a unit of the troubled Chinese conglomerate, HNA Group.

The policy was expected to sharply increase the number of international tourists traveling to Hainan, and to help the island province eventually become Asia’s Hawaii.

Meanwhile, the new policy would benefit companies who have operations there, including airlines and developers, he said.

Long promoted as China’s Hawaii, the 35,000-square-kilometre tropical island in the northwest of the South China Sea with Vietnam to the west and the Philippines to the east, has historically been regarded as a backwater and afterthought.

It has a long way to go to become an international destination.

The number of international tourist arrivals only crossed the one million mark last year. That was a mere 1.6 per cent of the 60 million domestic visitors that arrived in 2017.

Bali, which is one-sixth the size of Hainan, greeted more than 5 million foreign visitors last year.

Hainan’s tourism revenue totalled 81.2 billion yuan in 2017.

But it is now at the centre of one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s initiatives to further open up the country’s tourism and financial sectors to attract more foreign investors, part of which is to transform Hainan into an international tourism destination and a free trade port.

Hainan’s service industry accounts for more than half of its 446.3 billion yuan (US$70.9 billion) gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, according to mainland state media reports.

Revenue for the tourism sector, foreign and domestic arrivals totaled 81.2 billion yuan.

Although it has been China’s biggest special economic zone since 1988, the island has trailed rival zones such as Shenzhen in development and status.

In the five years through 2017, it attracted less than US$10 billion in foreign investment, only 1.5 per cent of China’s total and has struggled to find its place in the nation’s economic landscape.

Resorts such as Fosun-owned Club Med has built the 10 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) luxury Atlantis Sanya resort in Sanya, which is expected to attract international family tourists.

Department store operators and Retail businesses including Wangfujing Group and Dalian Wanda could benefit from more tourists visiting.

Property developers such as China Evergrande, China’s third-largest developer by sales, is building Ocean Flower Island, a cluster of hotels, theme parks, malls and conference centres on an artificial archipelago off Hainan’s northwest coast.

Airlines like Hainan Airlines Holding and rival domestic carriers could benefit from more domestic and foreign tourists.

The Chinese government’s grand plan to open up Hainan is not only politically and economically significant for the province itself, but it will also to some extent affect Macau’s position as a casino and tourism hub in southern China in the coming decades.

The plan is ambitious. In a guiding opinion to comprehensively deepen Hainan’s reform and opening up, jointly released by the State Council and Communist Party’s Central Committee this month, the government recognises the island’s achievements as a special economic zone.

It also sets a goal of turning Hainan into a free-trade port, with major elements of the system in place by 2020.

The plan calls on Hainan to position itself strategically as a transit point for the central government in Beijing to implement the Belt and Road Initiative, and to remake itself into not just an international tourist draw, but also a centre for sustainable ecological development.

In addition, the directive encourages Hainan to develop its free-trade zone by liberalising some rules, such as by allowing hotels access to foreign TV channels, and improving its infrastructure.

Most importantly, the government proposes the development of beach and water sports, as well as horse racing, and to explore the development of sports lottery and instant lottery on major international events.

Finally, the directive urges Hainan to develop local talent and cooperate with Hong Kong and Macau in maritime affairs, while also forging closer cooperation with other economies in the Greater Bay Area and Taiwan.

The message from Beijing is very clear. Hainan is going to learn to combine the Hong Kong and Macau models in developing the island’s tourism, horse racing and lottery industries.

As well as position itself as a prosperous transit point for China to reach out to economies in the Indian Ocean and other parts of Asia, under the nation’s belt and road plan.

The implications for Hong Kong and Macau are equally obvious.

While Hong Kong’s horse racing industry is likely to face some competition from a new horse racing lottery in Hainan, if and when it materialises.

Macau’s casino industry may lose some mainland tourists to Hainan, where its hotels are likely to experiment with gaming on a smaller scale.

Though the government directive did not mention the word casino, it made a point of noting the need for Hainan to tighten its measures to deter money laundering, implying that casinos would perhaps be allowed in the province sooner or later.

In 2013, Hainan authorities shut down a casino bar that had been operating illegally after a report drew attention to it.

A year later, the local government firmly stated that no casino operations would be tolerated. But that was then.

Now, with Beijing’s pledge at the Boao Forum for Asia that it would continue to open up its economy, the time is politically ripe for the designation of Hainan as a tourism hub in the vein of the Hong Kong and Macau models.

The establishment of casinos in Hainan would be a matter of time, given the logical implications of setting up a sports lottery in the province in 2020.

Macau’s casino industry cannot escape being affected somewhat.

Development of gaming in Hainan will mean that Macau is no longer be the only gambling hub in China.

Mainland Chinese tourists who used to go to Macau may opt to go to Hainan instead.

As well, mainland Chinese entrepreneurs may also decide to invest in Hainan rather than in Macau’s casino industry.

In 2002, mainland business people were discouraged from investing in Macau’s casino sector to give Macanese business people more opportunities to win a stake in the casino concessions that the government was granting.

Giving Hainan the chance to develop its tourism hub will provide a window of opportunity for mainland Chinese capital to expand to the province.

This will lead to a balanced model of economic and tourism development in the southern border regions of China, stretching from west to east, and from Hainan to Fujian.

The ultimate geopolitical target is perhaps Taiwan, which would be under tremendous pressure to join the economic union in the Greater Bay Area in southern China.

As for Hong Kong, its horse racing industry, which attracts tremendous interest from mainlanders, will surely serve as a model for the Hainan horse racing lottery.

Over the past decade, mainland academics studying the sports lottery industry and casino development have been paying close attention to the models of Hong Kong and Macau.

The establishment of the lottery hub in Hainan is a testimony to the late Deng Xiaoping’s remark that China would create many Hong Kong-style cities in its drive for economic modernisation.

Macau and Hong Kong need to embrace the development of more mainland cities and regions, in parallel to their own more liberal economies, as it would benefit the region as a whole.

Hainan’s development from 2020 onwards may give Hong Kong and Macau some competition, but it will not constitute a threat to the two economies.

Knowledge transfer from Hong Kong and Macau to Hainan should also be encouraged, as it will do a lot to help the special economic zone modernise in this next phase of its development.

Both Hong Kong and Macau will have to integrate more closely with other economies in the Greater Bay Area, to fully use the space, talent and technological advancement of the mainland, and to cooperate with Hainan in developing cruise and tourism industries.

Amid the new challenges that will come from the repositioning of Hainan, Macau and Hong Kong must continue to strengthen themselves economically, and position themselves as the unique casino hub and financial and monetary centre, respectively, in southern China.

China is drafting a proposal to allow gambling on Hainan Island, in what would be an unprecedented move that could reshape gaming in China's territories and transform the economy of a strategic southern province.

Government agencies under a party reform group headed by President Xi Jinping are considering allowing online gaming, a lottery or sports betting in Hainan, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions aren't public.

The proposal, which is still in an early stage, could open the door to physical casinos over the long term, two of the people said. China currently bans gambling and casinos on the mainland.

The proposal is part of a wider plan that includes relaxing visa rules and building a new airport to draw more foreign tourists to Hainan.

That comes as the province faces a fiscal deficit and contends with the debt woes of HNA Group Co., its biggest conglomerate, which is facing pressure from creditors after a global acquisition spree.

An index of Macau casino stocks tumbled on the news. Sands China Ltd. and MGM China Holdings Ltd. dropped as much as 6 per cent, and Wynn Macau Ltd. fell as much as 6.7 per cent.

I think investors were shocked, I'm a bit surprised, said Sam Chi Yung, a Hong Kong based strategist with South China Financial Holdings Ltd.

It's difficult to say what the impact will be on their profits as it all depends on China's policy and how they arrange the license. But what's sure is that people going to Macau to gamble will drop.

Hainan, roughly the size of Switzerland, is often referred to as China's Hawaii for its beautiful beaches. It also serves as a jumping off point for Chinese naval and air force patrols in the South China Sea.

The people didn't comment on what laws would need to change or the timeframe for implementation. Provincial officials were preparing for a possible visit by President Xi in the coming months to promote development on the island, two people said.

That trip would kick start events marking the 40th anniversary of China's embrace of foreign investment under Deng Xiaoping, they said.

The Hainan plan would mark a dramatic shift in China's approach towards gambling and could directly threaten the $33 billion casino industry in Macau, the world's largest gaming hub with revenues five times larger than Las Vegas.

Macau has been shifting to attract Chinese tourists and families to the territory, which is the same market that Hainan currently draws.

China's leaders have agreed to build a new international airport in the area of Dongfang city on Hainan's western coast, according to the people familiar with the situation, who didn't share more specifics on plans to ease visa requirements.

The island now has three international airports, all located on the eastern coast.

China bans gambling everywhere except Macau, a former Portuguese colony, and Hong Kong, which was once ruled by Britain.

Currently, it's against the law to open casinos, organize gambling, profit from gambling, set up online betting websites and market overseas casinos to Chinese citizens.

It's also illegal to sell lottery tickets without approval from the Chinese government.

Allowing gaming on the mainland would be one way for Chinese authorities to limit capital outflows and ensure gaming revenue benefits the provincial economy.

Mr Xi's corruption crackdown in 2014 sent Macau gaming revenue into a slump for more than two years, prompting it to become a more family-friendly destination to target leisure gamblers and tourists.

About 70 per cent of Macau visitors are from mainland China.

Chinese authorities have also cracked down on gambling related activities. More than 10 employees of Australia-based Crown Resorts Ltd., controlled by billionaire James Packer, were arrested in 2016 and sentenced to months in jail for illegally promoting gaming.

Although gambling is illegal throughout China, the concept isn't new to Hainan. The State Council encouraged Hainan to explore a betting-type sports lottery in 2009 guidelines to turn it into an international tourism island.

A casino bar with baccarat tables opened in the resort town of Sanya in 2012 where players earned points they could trade for accommodation and shopping.

It was shut down shortly after the report. The owner, Zhang Baoquan said the government monitored the casino to test the market.

While China is the world's biggest tourism spender, it has had a tougher time attracting travelers from abroad.

In 2016, it drew 31 million visitors, less than half of the number welcomed by the US.

China has already poured billions of dollars into new highways, high-speed railways and other projects in Hainan, attracting prominent chains such as Hilton, Westin and St. Regis.

Still, Hainan took in far fewer overseas visitors than other premier Asian tourist destinations such as Bali, Phuket or Jeju in South Korea.

Chinese officials have shown a particular interest in Hainan in recent months, suggesting a coordinated effort to promote the island.

Vice Premier Liu Yandong urged local leaders to work to attract international tourists during a Jan 13 visit.

Foreign Minster Wang Yi is scheduled to address an event Friday in Beijing on presenting Hainan province.

One hurdle is the state of conglomerate HNA, which owns the province's airline and two of its airports.

HNA told major creditors and provincial government officials last week that it expects a potential shortfall of at least 15 billion yuan (S$3.14 billion) in the first quarter.

Companies linked to HNA secured 7.8 billion yuan in long-term loans from Chinese banks to finance an expansion project in Meilan Airport in Hainan, according to a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Half of the loan will be allocated to HNA Infrastructure Co. and the other half to Haikou Meilan International Airport Co., with the loan being guaranteed by HNA Holding Group.



Tourism Observer

CHINA: Drink Sales Skyrocket In Guangdong Province

China’s southern Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong and Macau, consumed RMB 58.1 billion (US$9.2 billion) worth of alcoholic beverages last year, mainly driven by high-end drinks, while lower end consumption continued to drop.

The increase has been described as a sign of both consumers’ rising demand for premium beverages as well as how even the price increases of Baijiu, the main category leading the growth, last year failed to deter consumer enthusiasm for the fiery liquor.

According to the latest figures released by the Guangdong Alcohol Industry Association, the province’s premium drinks consumption priced RMB 500 (US$79.2) or above jumped 8.6% year-on-year, a sharper increase compared with 2016’s 2.16%.

Mid-range consumption for beverages between RMB 100 (US$15.9) and RMB 500 increased 3.37%, while low end consumption (below RMB 100) dropped by 2.63% over 2016.

The consumption was mainly led by domestically produced Baijiu with a majority of RMB 21.5 billion (US$3.4 billion), followed by RMB 16.8 billion (US$2.66 billion) for beer, RMB 10.8 billion (US$1.7 billion) for wine and RMB 9 billion (US$1.4 billion) of imported spirits.

The rise is also partly a result of the price upticks of high-end Baijiu seen in the past year especially with popular brands such as Kweichow Moutai and Wuliangye.

Moutai for instance raised the factory-gate price to distributors similar to wholesale price across its product line by 18% last December ahead of Chinese New Year.

The factory-gate price for its flagship brand Flying Fairy, which constitutes over 90% of Moutai’s overall sales, was raised from RMB 819 (US$129) to RMB 969 (US$153), pushing up the company’s suggested resale price to RMB 1,499 (US$237).

Chen Xingwu, secretary general of the association revealed that price hike has been a key topic related to premium Baijiu last year.

Mid-range products have also seen some moderate increases, and Guangzhou, Shenzhen happen to be two key markets in Guangdong province that prefer premium and mid-range drinks, he explained.

Kweichow Moutai

Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. is a partial publicly traded, partial state-owned enterprise in China, specializing in the production and sales of Maotai liquor, together with the production and sale of beverage, food and packaging material, development of anti-counterfeiting technology, and research and development of relevant IT products.

Its A shares were listed in the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2001. It is one of the few listed companies that one unit of its share is traded for over CN¥100 price.

Kweichow Moutai is a subsidiary of Kweichow Moutai Group, which in turn is owned by the Guizhou Provincial People's Government (zh).

It is the world's most valuable liquor company, surpassing Diageo since Apr 2017.

Wuliangye

Wuliangye or Five Grains Liquid is a Chinese baijiu that made from proso millet, maize, glutinous rice, long-grain rice, and wheat.

The formula was at least created in the Ming dynasty. However the name wuliangye was created in 1905.

Since 1959 the formula was nationalized and standardized. Currently Wuliangye Yibin is the propriety maker of the drink.

The highest grade of Wuliangye retails for CN¥26,800 (US$3,375).



Tourism Observer

HONG KONG: Chinese Tourist Beaten To Death In Hong Kong

A 53-year-old mainland tourist was beaten to death in Hong Kong after becoming involved in a forced-shopping dispute.

Local police say the case will be classified as manslaughter.

The visitor was Miao Chunqi, a 53-year-old construction contractor from northeastern China's Heilongjiang province. He joined a tour group with a female colleague surnamed Zhang.

The three-day-trip was a shopping tour, comprising mainland visitors from Hubei, Heilongjiang and Shandong provinces. The group left Shenzhen on Sunday and was also scheduled to visit Macao on Tuesday.

The dispute occurred when the group was taken to a jewelry shop where they were expected to buy.

Miao and Zhang did not spend money because they thought the jewelry was overpriced. The tour leader, surnamed Deng, had an argument with them.

Miao was trying to mediate but they later, got into a fight during which Miao was dragged outside and beaten unconscious by a gang of four men.

He was later certified dead Tuesday morning.

The China National Tourism Administration has asked the local tourism bureau to investigate this incident and assist local government to deal with it according to local laws and regulations,read a statement.

We also hope the Hong Kong government find out the reason and take measures to secure mainland tourists' lawful rights and interests".




Tourism Observer
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CHINA: Hong Kong International Airport In Stiff Competion From Mainland China Airports

Increased demand is giving a boost to all five airports in Pearl River Delta region, but mainland hubs are growing more rapidly.

There was joy in the streets of Foshan’s backwater Gaoming district in mid-April when Guangdong Communist Party secretary Hu Chunhua affirmed plans to build an airport there by 2022.

The new, 35 billion yuan (US$5.1 billion) Pearl River Delta regional airport, designed to handle 30 million passengers a year, will be a key piece in the province’s ambitious plan to have 31 big and small airports by 2030.

It will join the delta’s five existing key air hubs – Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai – to serve a dynamic area that’s home 66 million people and has an economy as big as South Korea’s.

While mainland China has many airports with few passengers – three-quarters of its 200-plus airports run at a loss – rapid growth in demand for passenger and cargo services in the delta is giving a boost to all five airports, with Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen accounting for the most traffic.

Concerns about excessive competition between the airports were unwarranted for now, said Law Cheung-kwok, head of the Aviation Policy and Research Centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, because the overall market was still growing.

Passenger numbers can increase in a geometric ratio in the coming years,fuelled by the strong demand of Chinese spenders for travel and the emerging Chinese consumer economy, Law said, while adding that Hong Kong would see “fiercer” competition from mainland airports that were aggressively launching new long-haul flights.

Hong Kong’s role as an international air hub was once highly valued by Guangdong, which saw the city as its gateway to the outside world.

High-value products from factories in the Pearl River Delta used to be trucked into Hong Kong before being flown to overseas markets, but the flow has been changing, especially since the launch of Guangzhou’s new airport in 2004 and Shenzhen’s in 2013.

Hong Kong International Airport, the leading airport in the region, handled 70.5 million passengers last year, up 2.9 per cent year on year.

In comparison, Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport handled 59.7 million passengers, up 8.2 per cent. Shenzhen handled 42 million passengers, up 5.6 per cent, and Zhuhai handled 6.1 million, which represented annual growth of 30.2 per cent.

A record 6.6 million passengers passed through Macau airport last year, up 13.7 per cent year on year.

The five major airports, all within 150km of each other, are all striving to expand. Guangzhou plans to add a fourth and a fifth runway by 2025 and Shenzhen has plans in place for a third. Hong Kong aims to open a third runway by 2023 to boost capacity to 100 million passengers a year.

Guangzhou’s existing Terminal 1 was only designed to handle 35 million passengers a year, but a second, bigger, terminal will open next year.

Expected to handle around 45 million passengers a year by 2020, the new terminal is being built at a cost of about 19 billion yuan.

Shenzhen is also planning a new terminal, with passenger traffic at the four-year-old airport now just 3 million short of its 45 million capacity.

However, Zhuhai, billed as China’s biggest airport when it opened in 1995, has never come close to its 35 million passenger annual capacity.

People like retiree Zhu Yinghua and businessman Huang Honghui are making the most of the leisure and business opportunities provided by the region’s increasing air traffic.

Zhu, a 65-year-old retired teacher from Guangzhou, made three overseas trips last year, visiting Russia, Turkey and the United States with her husband and friends.

The trips cost between 6,000 and 10,000 yuan, quite affordable for retired teachers and civil servants in cities such as Guangzhou who receive monthly pensions of more than 6,000 yuan.

It’s much easier to travel to the other end of the world these days than travelling to Shanghai 20 years ago, said Zhu, who had never flown until 1993, when she was 41, and who made her first overseas trip in 1996 when she visited Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia via Hong Kong.

I have to say now I like the Shenzhen and Guangzhou airports very much. They are more beautiful and modern than any other airport in China, including Beijing or Hong Kong.

The number of tourists heading overseas from mainland China has more than tripled in the past decade, hitting 122 million last year, and Guangzhou and Shenzhen are among the top sources.

The “Greater Bay Area”, a region which includes Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and some other mainland cities, is becoming the world’s biggest market for aviation services.

Passenger numbers in the region will reach 223 million a year by 2020, up from around 175 million last year, according to the China Civil Airports Association, which said such traffic would dwarf other bay areas such as Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.

Airports in the Tokyo Bay Area, home to 43 million people in 2015, handled more than 112 million passengers that year.

Hong Kong, the world’s largest international air cargo airport, handled 4.5 millions tonnes of air cargo last year according to the Airport Authority, and the China Civil Airports Association predicts annual cargo throughput in the region, presently about 8 million tonnes, will top 10 million tonnes by 2020.

Huang, the 40-year-old co-founder of leading Guangzhou air logistics company R&T Transportation, says business is booming, with the firm handling about 5,000 tonnes of cargo a month, more than triple the amount a decade ago.

I started up my logistics business 20 years ago and most clients are factories in the delta, from electronics giants like Huawei and Samsung to garment processors, Huang said.

In 1997, my company handled an average of 500 tonnes of cargo a month, 90 per cent of which was exported through Hong Kong airport.

He said Guangzhou’s airport now handled three-fifths of R&T’s shipments because it was closer to most clients.

If we pick up a delivery at 6pm, we can catch the flights leaving Guangzhou at 2am it would take about two days to fly through Hong Kong, Huang said.

Meanwhile, airports in Southwest China cities such as Kunming in Yunnan province and Chengdu in Sichuan province were grabbing air cargo business from Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

It took three days to travel from Kunming to Guangzhou by truck 10 years ago, Huang said.

But now, thanks for the rapid development of China’s highway network, it only takes one day. Flying out of Kunming airport would help cut costs by 30 per cent compared with Hong Kong airport.

R&T now handles about 1,000 tonnes of air freight a month in Kunming.

Local authorities in major mainland cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Zhengzhou and Shenzhen were handing out generous subsidies and extra investment for local airports so they could operate more international routes, in line with the central government’s “belt and road” trade and infrastructure initiative.

For example, the government of Zhengzhou, in Henan province, is offering subsidies of up to 300,000 yuan per overseas flight, Huang said.

While Hong Kong will remain a busy airport, its relative regional significance is set to wane as mainland airports get bigger and mainland airlines improve their hardware.

Mainland Chinese carriers bought 164 Boeing planes last year, about a quarter of Boeing’s total deliveries and the most from any country.

The mainland’s three designated hubs – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – are trying hard to gain a prominent foothold on the global flight map.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, almost all tour groups from South China flew via Hong Kong, but times have changed. When Zhu, the Guangzhou pensioner, flew to New York from Guangzhou last year she transited in Beijing because it’s 1,500 yuan cheaper than flying through Hong Kong.

Zhou Guosheng, a Guangzhou-based tour guide who has been in the business since the 1990s and now specialises in luxury overseas trips, said: A night in Hong Kong plus shopping time was once standard, but not any more.

Big mainland airports are even trying to lure non-Chinese travellers, who are now offered 72-hour transit visas.

Hong Kong’s airport will see growing challenges from mainland ones, according to Guangzhou-based aviation researcher Peng Peng, who predicted Guangzhou would overtake Hong Kong airport in passenger numbers within 10 years.

CHINA: Xian

Xi'an is more than 3,000 years old and was known as Chang'an in ancient times. For 1,000 years, the city was the capital for 13 dynasties, and a total of 73 emperors ruled here. Xi'an is the undisputed root of Chinese civilization having served as the capital city for the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties.

With so much history within the ground the city lies upon, it is no wonder that there are so many historical ruins, museums and cultural relics to be found here. It was already influencing the world outside of the Great Wall of China as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road.

Here traders from far and wide brought goods and ideas for sale and took goods and ideas back with them to their native countries. In present day Xi'an not much of its former glory remains within the city confines, due to the constant warfare and political changes that swept China particularly throughout the 20th Century.

Today the city has a pleasant cosmopolitan flair to it and it is worth visiting for the famed Terracotta Warriors alone. It has often been said that, "if you have not been to Xi'an, you have not been to China!

Xi'an has most of its annual precipitation from August to late October in the form of rain. It is characterised by hot summers and cold, dry winters. Spring and autumn will be somewhat brief and dry.

How To Visit Xian

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is located 40 km (25 mi) northwest of the city centre, in Xianyang. Flights are available to Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dunhuang, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Harbin, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Kunming, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xining and Zhangjiajie within Mainland China. International flights are available to Helsinki, San Francisco, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, Singapore as well as Nagoya, Fukuoka, Niigata, Tokyo and Hiroshima in Japan. As Xi'an is located in the heartland of China, it takes no more than 2 hours to fly to most major Chinese cities.

The airport has three terminals. Terminal 2 and 3 are for domestic flights. The international flights depart from the terminal 2 near terminal 3.

Most people use taxis or the airport bus to reach town from the airport, however taking a taxi is not recommended, as most taxi drivers will raise the price for non-local tourists. A taxi will cost about ¥150 from the airport to the Bell Tower downtown. You will pay around ¥ 50-75 more if you take one of the climatized Japanese-branded black taxis rather than the typical green taxis.

At the airport, both types of taxis are waiting at the same spot to pick up passengers. The airport buses leaves traveling one of 6 routes, each every half-hour from 06:00 to 18:00. A ticket (which needs to be purchased beforehand at the counter inside the arrival terminal) costs ¥26 and the trip takes at least one hour; there are several lines but the most useful are Airport Bus No. 2,to the railway station in front of Jiefang Hotel and No. 1 which used to run to the Bell Tower, but buses no longer run this centrally in the old town; of the two lines that run inside, one stops near the West Gate and the other near the East Gate.

As long as there is an arriving flight, there will be a bus, so don't worry about arriving late at night or early morning; officially, on line 1 there is a bus every 20 minutes but buses will often depart as soon as they fill up. The airport bus route is the best way between city and the train station,where a veritable fleet of buses leave constantly to take tourists and locals to the Terracotta Warriors, among other places.

If you're a spur-of-the-moment traveller expecting to find enterprising, helpful people to greet you with options in English, you may be disappointed. Especially outside of high season, there are surprisingly few such freelancers. It's a good idea to book a tour in advance if you want to get off of any but the most-beaten paths. Many tours will extend an airport pickup at a discounted cost or, in some cases, at no cost.

If you want to take a taxi to the Terracotta Warriors, for example, it may cost as much as ¥200 from the airport, and, with few drivers speaking English, the phrase Bing Ma Yong (Mandarin for "Terracotta Warriors") will come in quite handy.

The high speed train from Xi'an North Station to Luoyang-Longmen is now available many times a day, starting from 07:00. The distance of 400 km (250 mi) takes about 90 minutes. The high speed train station is located about 10 km (6 mi) north from the Xi'an north gate,do not get it mixed up with the Xi'an North gate train station. The last train returns around 19:00.

Schedules may change, so it is best to check it out at the station or website. Use the cheap and highly efficient subway to get to and from Xi'An central (¥3 as of September 2014, takes about 30 min).

There are plenty of trains transporting passengers to and from most of the major cities inside China. Keep in mind during national holidays and peak travel periods, train tickets may available only if booked in advance,most ticket sales open 10-21 days in advance.

Traveling in a seat hard or soft-class, likely means a bargain price but may be accompanied by smokers, loud noise, and activity in the aisle while you try to sleep. Do not travel hard class if you are uncomfortable with these settings. Sleeper cabins are limited to 6 people each,4 for deluxe soft sleepers, which are typically only found on the trains originating from Beijing.

If traveling alone, keep an eye on your luggage and practice common sense. Also note it's customary for bathrooms to close 30-60 minutes before getting to the final destination of that route.

Trains run to several domestic cities including: Beijing (5-13 hours), Chengdu (13-18 hours), Chongqing (14 hours), Guangzhou (8–24 hours), Kunming (36-53 hours), Lanzhou (8-10 hours), Lhasa (36 hours), Shanghai (11-20 hours), Urumqi (31-56 hours), Wuhan (4-18 hours), and Zhengzhou (2–6 hours).

Xi'an Station is at the north end of Jiefang Road,just outside the northeast city wall. As you exit, there will probably be lots of people offering cheap hotel rooms; just ignore them if you already have a room booked. Even if you don't, you probably don't want to get one from them anyway.

Also, don't fall for the people who offer to exchange a Xi'an map for your used train ticket - they reuse them for some shady purposes, e.g. re-selling them to people who just want to get into the station or try to sneak on a train.

In Xi'an, it is very easy to get to the railway station by city bus from anywhere in the city. There are several stops within 200 m of the station look for train station East or North on a bus route. Bus 603 will take you into the city for only ¥1. Many hostels also offer free pick-up if you arrive between 06:00 and 09:00.

Xi'an North Station serves the high-speed rail. It is connected by the metro system. Destinations include Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Shijiazhuang, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. If you want to take a taxi from the North Station, note that when you exit the station for the taxi stand, you will be greeted by a crowd of eager private drivers offering fake taxi rides.

Ignore them and continue walking down the corridor until you reach the outside doors. The official taxis will be waiting for you.

Xi'an South Station is a very remote railway station. The easiest way is to go to the southern-most stop on the subway, and then taking a taxi. Note however that even taxi drivers have a hard time finding this one. However, trains from this station will not sell out as fast, which might make this station the only one available for you.

There are over-night trains to Pingyao and Taiyuan from here (leaving at around 17:00, and about 11-12h travel time) and also trains to far away locations such as Urumqi (38½ hours), Hohhot (15 hours), Kunming (32 hours), Guangzhou (24½ hours) and Chongqing (10 hours).

The main long-distance bus station - Shaanxi Province Long-distance Bus Station is located approximately 100m south to the exit or entry to Xi'an railway station, immediately after you cross the city wall.

Bus service is available to: Huashan (2-3 hours), Lanzhou (8-10 hours), Luoyang (5-7 hours), Pingyao (7-8 hours), Taiyuan (12 hours), and Zhengzhou (9-12 hours).

If you are arriving from Pingyao by bus, you will most likely arrive at the east bus station. Catch the bus 203 right next to the bus station to get to the city centre.

Traffic is heavy, right of way is unheard of, and the rule of thumb is "keep going no matter what,although drivers do note red lights.

The city is surrounded by a city wall, in its middle the Bell Tower. From this one, the four main streets descend into the four points of the compass.

North-Street
East-Street
South-Street
West-Street

Do not get confused by different names in tourist guides, addresses and bus stops: Nandajie, Nanda-Street, South-Street, South-Avenue are all the same.

Locals often speak about Within city walls and Outside city walls when talking about locations. Outside the walls, the southern part is the most interesting, it offers shopping streets, bars and some nightlife.

There are plenty of buses departing everywhere in short-intervals (main lines every 5-10 minutes). If you are not confident enough with orientation, or if you do not like packed buses, the cheap taxis are the best alternative, broadly available, except for during rush hours.

Line 2 runs north-south. You can connect to and from the Xi'an North Train Station (for the high-speed rail network. Line 1 runs east-west and crosses Line 2 at (Bei Da Jie) in the city center. Line 3 runs roughly in the northeast-southwest direction and intersects with line 1 at (Tong Hua Men) and line 2 at(Xiao Zhai).

Regular buses within the city cost ¥1 (¥2 for air-conditioned, marked with a snow-flake) no matter how far you go. Since there are many buses in the city, it can be useful to go to the Tourism Office Center,which is situated near the Bell Tower and ask for a free map of the city, with the buses' lines on it.

A popular line for tourists is #610 which connects the railway station, the Bell Tower, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Xi'an Museum, the Shaanxi Historic Museum and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Unfortunately it is not one of the most frequent,sometimes you can wait for half an hour, though usually it comes in a few minutes.

Near the Bell Tower, it stops at the beginning of West Street; take it westwards to then go south to the museums and pagodas, take it eastwards to then go north to the railway station. Near the railway station,there are many stops for different lines you can catch it at the third block on the main street going straight south from the station.

Another useful line is #609 that connects the Bell Tower, the South Gate and the Big Goose Pagoda. Near the Bell Tower, it stops at the beginning of South Street.

Although the 609 and 610 can be infrequent, the 611 is very regular, and connects the train station and the Bell Tower. Look for it over the road from the station.

There are many buses leaving regularly for the Terracotta Warrior museum in front of the Xi'an bus station,east to the train station, outside in the north the city walls.

Bus 306 (Chinese bus green 5) leaves from the lot in front of the train station and will take you to a parking lot right in front of the museum site in about an hour,it can take up to 90 minutes in case of traffic jams. A one-way ticket costs ¥7 just get on and sit down, then a conductor will come and give you a ticket.

It also stops at several other tourist attractions along the way, e.g. the hot springs. Make sure you don't make the mistake of going to the bus station on the inside of the wall near the train station. That's where there are touts with signs saying bus 5 and bus 306, trying to hustle you onto their private bus. Although they do take you to the destinations, you are forced to go to visit attractions you might not want to go to.

If you're facing the train station directly, the lot where the bus departs from will be on your right - it's near a Dico's. Look out for a sign with a bunch of Chinese characters with 306 in between them.

Small buses which are used by the locals. These buses will also take you to the Museum however they go through local roads,no highway express like bus 306 therefore it will take slightly longer to arrive. Not a bad trip if you want to see some of the local area. Note: local bus 915 will take you to the museum site in about an hour as it takes the highway express too like the 306. The ride is not as comfortable as the 306 since the buses are often packed with people even standing.

Most hostels and hotels run tours to the warriors with an English speaking guide. These aren't necessarily better, be prepared to spend a good portion of the day,as with any Chinese tour visiting "terracotta factories," "museums", "Chinese medicine shops", and other tourist traps. But, you will get to your destination without dealing with the bus the warriors are quite far outside of town and not all of the public buses that go there are legitimate.

Watch the taxi drivers in Xi'an as the industry is not regulated as it is in other larger cities. You may find yourself being taken on a long ride around town to get where you are going. It can also be difficult to convince them to take you anywhere even to the railway station. If in doubt get your hotel or hostel to write down the place you want to go in Chinese. Between 3 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon the taxis change their shifts. This means the drivers are rushing to their handover points, so they won't pick you up even they are empty.

Trips within the city walls are generally around ¥10, longer trips to the attractions south of the city are ¥12-20. Especially when you take a longer ride, like to or from the airport, it is always good advice to insist on using the taxi meter.

The rate for the normal (green) taxis is ¥6 for the first 2 kilometer and then ¥1.5 for every additional kilometer. Waiting times longer than 2 minutes will be charged ¥1.5 per minute. After 11:00 PM the starting price is ¥7. At the airport and around some of the big hotels you might also find black taxis.

They charge ¥2.4 per kilometer, but are more spacious and comfortable. There is a road fee of ¥10 for the Airport Expressway. This is not included in the price the taxi meter shows. So going to or coming from the airport is usually ¥10 more than what the meter shows.

Be careful when taking a cab to areas outside Xi'an proper, such as the Terracotta Warriors. Scamming taxi drivers will pretend that the road is "apparently under maintenance and only the local cabs know the rest of the road to the Terracotta Warriors." Don't believe them, and don't pay anyone anything until you are sure you are at your destination.You can recognize the Terracotta Warriors site by how well it's built up, after passing through less built-up areas.

Be careful to reject stops you didn't request as the cab drivers earn a commission from bringing you such places. Thus, it is generally much safer and reliable to take the buses if you want to travel to the Terracotta Warriors.

Fortunately Xi'an's main sites (with the notable exception of the Terracotta Warriors) are bunched fairly close together. Be wary of the narrow streets and cars that squeeze you out of the way. Bike lanes are available on some streets, however, places to lock bikes, typically are not.

City Wall of Xi'an . As the world's largest city wall, the Xi'an city wall has been restored and is 12m high, 18m wide is its base, 15m wide on the top, 13.7km long, and bikes also bikes for two or three persons) are provided for renting, now it's ￥45 per 120 minutes/bike or ￥90 for 120/2-person-bike plus a refundable deposit. You can hire one at the top of all gates; you may return it to other stations on the wall.

Be aware that bikes will not be rented if there is any chance of rain, because the top of the wall becomes slippery. Check the weather forecast before you buy a ticket to enter the wall. If you want to foot it though, a complete loop of the walls takes 4-5 hours. The landscaped park around the base of the exterior walls and moat also makes for a pleasant stroll and gives a different perspective on the battlements and towers.

The wall is lit up at night and makes for a pleasant stroll. The present city wall was built in the Ming dynasty(A.D.1368-A.D.1644) on the foundation of the Chang'an Imperial city wall of Tang dynasty(A.D.618-A.D.907). The Xi'an City Wall International Marathon is held each year in Nov. since 1993, running on top of the wall, athletes from amore than 50 countries and regions have participated in the competition during the last 16 sessions. Also, the Xi'an city wall Cycling Race are held on top of the wall since two years ago.

There is a small museum inside the city walls at Hanguang Gate, about halfway between the southwest corner and the South Gate, accessible from the top of the city wall itself. Look for a staircase down inside a covered structure. Inside are the unrestored remains of a gatehouse and a calligraphy collection. ¥54, ¥27 students (August 2014).

Xi'an Qujiang Museum Of Fine Arts Ci'en Road, Qujiang New District B2 level of the Westin Hotel or enter from the east side of the building,. 09:00-17:00 (last entrance at 16:30). This museum is located at the south of the Big Goose Pagoda, in the same building as the Westin Hotel. It is one of the best private museums in China.

The main hall exhibits ancient Chinese murals paintings throughout the ages, with over 80 pieces throughout different dynasties. The other gallery show Ming dynasty gold pieces that were exhibited in the Musée du Président Jacques Chirac in France and contemporary Chinese Jade sculptures that were exhibited in the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. This is a hidden gem of this city and should not be missed.

Shaanxi Historic Museum Shanxi Lishibowuguan; also known as Shaanxi History Museum), xiaozhai, Xian,China (500m northwest to the Big wild goose pogoda),rough the Qing dynasty. In particular it contains fabulously well preserved pottery from nearby Banpo neolithic village also worth a visit and many excellent Shang Dynasty bronzes.

Although some guidebooks call it "one of the best museums in China", its old fashioned pots-and-arrowheads-behind-glass format may appeal mainly to enthusiasts, though they also feature some well-made but glorifying high-definition movies in the exhibition halls. The most eye-catching articles are those from the Tang Dynasty, originally used by the royal family.

Arrive either really early or before 1pm to get one of 4000 free tickets each day. Make sure to bring your passport, it's one ticket per id! Museum is limited to 6000 visitors per day to avoid overcrowding.

Forest of Steles, Just inside the southern city wall, near the Wenchang Gate. This collection of 2,300 stone tablets many written to provide an "official text" of the Chinese classics and epitaphs is the largest and oldest of its kind in China.
This includes the famous Nestorian Stele, dating back to the 7th century. It depicts the coming of Nestorian Christianity to China. The Nestorian Stele is in Showroom Number 2 and is the first stele on the left. ¥100, foreign student cards not accepted.

Wolong Temple, One block North and East of the Forest of Steles museum. This active Buddhist temple dates back to 200BC. Recently restored, the temple is vibrant and busy.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda , At Ci'en Temple, take bus 41 or 610 from the main train station. Built by Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi in 652AD. Emblem of the city of Xi'an. In the fountain in front of the pagoda there is a very nice water and music show at various times during the day with pleasant parks and western eateries nearby. ¥50 to enter the temple complex, another ¥40 to enter the pagoda.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda, At Jianfu Templ. Completed in 709AD. To enter you will have to buy a joint ticket with the adjoining Xi'an Museum ¥30, Jul 11 Note that the ticket still states the old price of ¥50, however ¥30 is charged

Bell Towers Zhonglou, (In the exact center of the city). ¥35 (or ¥50 including Drum Tower).

Drum Tower Golou, Just to the northwest within the Muslim Quarter. Performances at 9:10, 10:00, 11:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00. ¥27 (or ¥40 including Bell Tower).

Grand Mosque Qingzhēnsi, (Behind Drum Tower). Built in a perfect mixture of Islamic and Chinese architecture styles with seating for 1,000 worshipers and the Muslim Street district Huímín Jie around it. It is famous as the very first mosque ever to be built in China. It can be quite difficult to find through the winding back streets but is very well known to locals. Only Muslims are permitted entry to the actual mosque but there is plenty to see in the many accompanying courtyards. Ladies are asked to cover up with a scarf according to Muslim tradition. ¥25.

Eight Immortals Temple. An active Daoist temple built for the famous Eight Immortals, including the Eight Immortals Bridge, lots of steles in the walls with text and illustrations, and multiple worship halls.

DaMing Palace and Park. This is, first of all, a huge park with both green spaces and an enormous open square with an equally-impressive ancient palace gate (the palace is Tang dynasty, built in 634 AD). There's a model of the palace next to the gate. The square sometimes hosts public performances. The park even has an IMAX theatre. The park, gate and square are accessible for free.

If you pay for admission, you can actually go into the partially restored palace ruins and other sections of the park protected by a moat. Worth seeing for the sheer size of it - it's a very surreal effect compared to the crowding in the rest of Xian. Immediately north of the railway station (though you have to go around using side streets, since there are railway tracks in the way). You can get there via line 2 Da Ming Gong Xi subway station exit C.

Shaanxi Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, No.279, Xiqi Road, Xi'an.. Folk arts from all Shaanxi areas are displayed here, depicting traditional local daily life.

Army of Terracotta Warriors and Horses Bīngmayon), 20km east of town, 2km west of the Qinshihuang Mausoleum ¥150, students with chinese student card ¥75 includes access to the Qin ShiHuang Mausoleum (Take bus 306 (7¥) 914 (8¥) or 915 (8¥) from the main train station just outside the North Gate (not the fast train station further north).

These are very frequent, eg the 914 runs every 4 minutes and is clearly labelled on the side of the bus in English. Journey time is approximately 80 minutes. If you arrive from the airport, you can take the airport bus (26¥) for the train station. (Prices as of January 2014)). High Season hours (March 16th – November 14th): 8:30 – 17:30. Low Season hours (November 15th – March 15th): 8:30 – 17:00.

This mighty army of terracotta warriors and horses, found in three vaults, is perhaps the most popular tourist attraction of Shaanxi and one of the most popular in all of China, with over 2 million visitors per year. An in-site museum has been built over the three excavated pits, covering a floorspace of 20,000 square meters and displaying 2,000 life-like terracotta warriors (there are believed to be around 8,000 in total), 100 or so chariots, and 30,000 weapons. The assemblage has been billed by the tourist industry as the Eighth Wonder of the World and a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1987.

If you arrive by public bus, you will likely have to cross the broad parking lot before catching sight of the many buildings connected to the site of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. You will still have at least 10 minutes of walking and at least 2 gates to pass through before actually catching sight of the Terracotta Warriors, so be ready.

After crossing the parking lot, you can find the main ticket office to the west on your right when facing away from the main street the buses use to get in. Your ticket will be punched at the main entrance, easily visible west from the ticket counters. If you need the toilet after the long bus ride, wait if you can until you have bought your ticket and entered through the first gate.

The toilets just inside are free, and much cleaner than those outside. The paths to the main pits squiggle up the mountain's gentle slope to the southwest. It may seem as if you might just pass by something interesting on the way, but there's really nothing more than nicely tended trees. If you follow any squiggling path or just the crowds, you should arrive at the second gate, where your ticket will be punched again. For another 10 yuan, you might be able to take a glorified golf cart from the ticket counter to the site of the pits, which could save you a few minutes of walking.

After passing through the gate, there are many buildings to enter and no obvious sign of a route to take, but if you continue ahead arrow-straight from the gate, you'll reach Pit 1, which is the main attraction. Pit 2 slightly to the right of the entrance features horses and chariots, but, perhaps disappointingly, it is not excavated as of January 2014. Pit 3 is adjacent to Pit 1 and can be reached from the rear of the Pit 1 building. It has a few warriors and a couple of horses exhumed.

The Exhibition Hall is in front of Pit 2 to your right just as you enter the second gate) and features 2 fully excavated bronze chariots in full array. There is a small, reasonably priced coffee shop next to the exhibition hall. Upon exiting, back through the second gate, you can either avoid the hawkers with their clay figurines and jade knick-knacks by taking the squiggling paths back northeast to the main entrance, or exit through the auxiliary gate directly west of the gate to the pits, and haggle your way to some deals on souvenirs and food.

If you mistakenly go up hawkers' hill the first time instead of proceeding directly west to the main ticket gate, you may be able to enter through the auxiliary gate for 160 yuan, an extra 10 yuan charged by ticket resellers.) For those not interested in Chinese food, there is a KFC at the bottom of the hill. And if you see the KFC and head west, you can get back to the main ticket booth. The free gold shuttle buses to the Qin Mausoleum take boarders just north of the main ticket booth. A short distance away from the Terracotta Warriors is Qin ShiHuang's Mausoleum (see below), which is free to visit with the purchase of a Terracotta Warriors ticket.

Qin ShiHuang Mausoleum , 2km east of the Terracotta Warriors. Admission is free with purchase of a Terracotta Warriors ticket. (Take one of the free gold shuttle buses from the Terracotta Warriors just behind the ticket office. 4 minutes ride. The rarely-visited mausoleum of Emperor Qin ShiHuang for whom the terracotta warriors were built is just 2km away from the warriors themselves, and admission is included as part of the price of the ticket to visit the Terracotta Warriors.

The site is a large 24 square kilometer park which contains Qin ShiHuang's mausoleum still buried underneath a hill and a number of pits which are undergoing excavation, higher up the mountainside. It is believed that under the site of the mausoleum an exact replica of his empire has been re-created. Those looking to actually get inside the mausoleum mound may find themselves going in circles around a massive, square mudbrick wall which recedes into the mountain to the south.

While no entrance is possible inside the burial mound itself as of January 2014, the mound is climbable, if overgrown, with several well-worn paths to the summit. The park offers a welcome break from the busy crowds of the Terracotta Warriors and is a nice place to relax. There are cars that can take you around from pit to pit, but they are reserved for tour groups. Be sure to take an umbrella and/or sun cream on hot days as there is little shade. Much more walking is required to get to the very small excavation pits, compared with a visit to the Terracotta Warriors.

Huaqing Palace, the same way to Army of Terracotta Warriors and Horses it stops before). 9:00AM-5:00PM. Built by the Tang emperor Xuanzong near hot springs at the foot of Li Shan in Lintong County so he could frolic with his favoured Imperial Lady Yang to his heart's content. It is possible to take hot baths inside. You may also take the nearby cable car 60 yuan return to catch a Birdseye view of the area. ¥110, ¥60 Student.

Banpo Village Ruins . 6,000 year old ruins of a village site including the residential and pottery-making areas, ancient tools, as well as a burial ground. Take bus #42 from the train station. Visit also the Shaanxi Historic Museum to see the best examples of the pottery found at Banpo.

Famen Temple. This Buddhist temple, which records mention as far back as 67AD, contains a 13-storied brick pagoda as part of the monastery. This pagoda fell down in the rain in August 1981 and revealed a 1000 year old underground vault full with 2,400 treasures belonging to the Tang and previous dynasties given as offerings. These included gold and silver utensils, glazed wares, porcelains, pearls, precious stones and textiles, as well as religious items. The biggest treasure is a finger bone of Buddha offered to the Emperor of China during the Tang dynasty.

Mao Ling Mausoleum . The tomb of the fifth emperor of the Han Dynasty, includes many stone carvings.

Qian Ling Mausoleum . The only shared tomb of the first empress of China Wu Zetian, and her husband Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty.

Taiping National Park,44 km SW of Xi'an, N slope of Qinling Mountain.


Famous for its waterfall and the largest area of wild Zijing flower,the city flower of Hong Kong in north China.

Xiangyu Forest Park,37 km S of Xi'an, N slope of Qinling Mountain.

Huashan Mountain, About 2.5 hr outside of Xi'an, or 40 minutes by high-speed train. Xi'an high-speed rail station is about 30minutes away from the Bell Tower by cab and cab ride is about ¥35. It is also the last stop on Line 2 of the metro. Once arriving at the Huashan high-speed train station it is a quick taxi ride (¥20) to the mountain trailhead. This is one of China's sacred mountains, you can climb steep stairs while holding on to chain railings for support. If you take the cable car up, you can climb around the four peaks in about 3-4 hours.

There are two cable cars, one running to the North Peak from the East Gate (¥80/150 round trip) and another newer, more expensive, cable car which runs to the West Peak (nearer the summit/South Peak and "Plank Road in the Sky") - it costs ¥140 one-way, plus you'll have to take a shuttle bus to an unfinished hotel/restaurant/parking complex (¥40) and a taxi to/from Huashan bus/train station (¥20-30).

If you want to walk up you have to go to another entrance, the Yu Quan Yuan entrance. There are many tours that drive to the mountain, just be aware that half of the time you will be stopping for jewellery, Chinese medicine, etc. Worthwhile if you get a nice coach. For more information, see separate article on Huashan

Tang Paradise Tang Paradise is the largest tourist program in northwest China. It covers and area of 1,000 mu (about 165 acres) and was established with and investment of 1.2 billion yuan. Located to the north of the original Tang Dynasty Lotus Garden site, the present Tang Paradise is the first theme park fully demonstrating the charm and grandeur of the royal garden in Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Paradise boats many new records: the largest movie on water screen in the world, the first theme park of five senses sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell, the biggest outdoor fragrance project in the world and the biggest reproduction of the Tang royal garden comples in China. Ever since its opening to public on April 11, 2005, Tang Paradise has attracted people from different walks of life with its surprising charm, including some prominent political figures like Lian Zhan, Chairman of Kuomingtang from Taiwan. It has become a must see attraction in Xi’an. Entrance fees are ¥120 in peak season and ¥90 during the off season.

Tomb of Emperor Jingdi. Han dynasty tomb,known locally as HanYangLing containing 50,000 doll-sized terracotta figures. There are human figures (think small and naked version of the terracotta warriors) as well as a whole army-like formation of life-like animals (pigs, dogs, etc). The "Underground Museum" at the excavation site has a glass floor so that you can look down on the ongoing excavations and is definitely worth a visit,especially easy to do if done as part of a journey to or from the airport.

There's a very unique holographic movie experience as part of the exhibit,no 3D glasses required, English and some other language translation available, ¥10. It's also worth getting a guide or following one around note that English ones are more expensive than Chinese ones) because they will explain things in much more detail than the captions. Some people also climb up to the top of the burial mound (you can see a worn trail going up the side.

CHINA: Minsk-Guangzhou Flights To Begin, Guangzhou is building 1,000 Kilometer-long Mountain Climbing Trails

There are plans to launch a direct flight between Minsk and Guangzhou (China), Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on 4 May during the meeting with representatives of Chinese central and regional mass media partaking in the press tour to Belarus, BelTA has learned.

The head of state pointed out that Belarus is interested in bolstering ties with China's Guangdong Province. The sides have advanced trade and achieved considerable results in tourism and science.

Guangdong Province is also ready to set up light emitting diode companies in the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone.

Currently we are discussing the launch of direct air service between Minsk and Guangzhou. The prospects are quite promising, Alexander Lukashenko remarked.

Belarus is ready to bolster ties with other Chinese regions. There are no forbidden topics or problems in our relations. You may rest assured that all your initiatives in Belarus will be supported. I invite you to come over and offer ideas.

We will receive and support you with pleasure, the president underlined. Guangzhou is the capital of China's most developed province Guangdong. The city is the political, economic, scientific and technical, educational, cultural and transport center of South China.

Guangzhou's Airport Economic Demonstration Zone is off to a robust start by attracting big investments and more than 100 new projects.

The zone already is becoming a hot spot for investment and development..

Benefiting from the city's status as a major aviation hub, the zone was established to boost and guide the development of high-end manufacturing and modern service industries.

Based on the air transportation business, the zone is intended to become a modern industrial base, a regional logistics center, and a technological innovation venue and cooperation platform.

The Baiyun airport's location, efficiency and multi-level services supported the Philippines' AirAsia's opening of direct flights between Guangzhou and Manila on April 28, the 12th new airline flying into and from the airport this year.

The opening of more international routes showcases the increasingly enhanced functionality of the Baiyun airport.

According to data released by airport officials, Baiyun's passenger throughput in 2016 reached 59.78 million, up 8.2 percent over the previous year, making it one of the world’s top 15 international airports and establishing its position as a gateway to Southeast Asia and Australia.

Meanwhile, many airline companies are flocking to the airport, further accelerating the development of the economic zone. In late March, Baiyun welcomed a new airline company - Guangdong Longhao Aviation Group. It took only nine months from preparation to construction for its first flight.

Longhao is not the only company that thinks highly of the airport's economic zone. Other international and national airline enterprises also are arriving in a steady stream.

Also, China Southern Airlines signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Guangzhou with American Airlines, the largest airline in the world, opening up a new epoch for international cooperation of large airline companies.

In terms of transportation development in the economic zone, progress has been made, according to Sun Xiuqing, director of the zone’s administrative committee.

The northern extension of the airport's second highway is already under construction; the expansion of intercity rail lines like Guangzhou to Qingyuan, Guangzhou to Foshan, and Guangzhou to Dongguan to Shenzhen is accelerating; Metro Line 9 and Huadu-Dongguan highway are under intense construction.

Apart from the construction of infrastructure and facilities, the economic zone has made breakthroughs in attracting investments and projects.

The zone's authorities have signed strategic cooperation and investment agreements with many companies, including YTO, Minsheng E-Commerce, DHL, China Air Cargo Corporation, and Baoneng, with the total investment reaching 26.96 billion yuan. Also, 500 enterprises have registered in the zone, and a batch of giant projects have started construction.

Among the businesses operating in the zone thus far, e-commerce is the most prevalent.

Guangzhou is building 1,000-kilometer-long mountain climbing trails as part of the National Trails System (NTS) in line with international standards.

The trails will make optimal use of the city's natural resources, history and culture to foster an upscale tourist business, and help enhance public awareness of ecological and cultural protection, while also providing sightseeing and recreational activities in beautiful natural environments, an official of Conghua Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Press and Publication said.

The first trail open to the public in Guangzhou is located in Liangkou village, Conghua district, with a length of 60 kilometers. Far away from the bustling metropolis, the Conghua trail is divided into four levels of difficulty to meet the needs of various people.

Summit Challenge Route, the most difficult section on the Conghua trail, offers good opportunities to climb the 1,210-meter Tiantang Peak, the highest mountain in Guangzhou, and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Huangchayuan Mountain.

Hiking Route, a less difficult trek, is the longest route of the trail.

Leisure Travel Route is a more leisurely hike for people to enjoy the natural beauty and countryside scenery, such as a star observation platform, Qianlonggou Waterfall, Xitou village and Apoliu village.

Lake Loop Route, the easiest of the four, allows visitors to walk by the riverside, linking up four reservoirs – Dashuikou, Baishuidai, Xiabazi and Lianxi, as well as streams and waterfalls.

The NTS refers to the network of scenic, historic and recreation trails created by the U.S. National Trails System Act of 1968. The NTS will help Conghua become a leader in the development of Guangzhou’s trails and rural tourism. It will serve as a model on sustainable use of ecological and cultural resources.

Guangzhou’s foreign trade got off to a strong start in the first quarter, with import and export volume growing 31.9 percent over the same period in 2016 to 242.8 billion yuan.

At the same time, the import and export volume of Guangdong province increased by 15.4 percent year-on-year to 1.45 trillion yuan, according to data released by Guangzhou customs office.

On March 6, Guangzhou officially launched a national pilot mode of market procurement trade, which is a convenient, efficient, sharing and online regulatory platform for market procurement trade.

The platform has 172 businesses with over 10,000 products, of which 155 are foreign trade runners. The market procurement export value in Guangzhou through this platform reached 3.25 billion yuan through March 31.

In the first two months, Guangzhou’s cross-border e-commerce business grew by 16.2 percent over a year ago, ranking first among 60 cities engaged in e-commerce business.

Moreover, Guangzhou’s import of automobiles and diamonds showed good development momentum. Over 4,000 cars reached the Nansha port in Q1, 1.5 times as many as in the same period last year, while total diamond imports increased 26.2 percent.

According to an official of the Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce, in order to enhance the development of foreign trade, Guangzhou continues to attract investments through multiple channels.

In the first three months, over 38,000 enterprises worth 300 billion yuan in registered capital were established in Guangzhou, a growth of 54.1 percent over the same period in 2016. Also, about 300 Fortune Global 500 corporations have launched nearly 800 projects in Guangzhou, according to officials.

Sakai Display Products Corp., a subsidiary of the world's largest electronics contractor, Foxconn Technology Group, plans to invest 61 billion yuan to produce 10.5 generation panel, substrate glass and related product lines in Guangzhou. It is by far the biggest foreign investment project in four decades in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou will accelerate the development of new types of business, including financial leasing, automobile imports and the diamond trade, and will further promote the import and export of high-tech and high-value-added products, such as automobiles, ships, aircraft, electronic products and medical equipment to enhance the transformation and upgrading of trade.

INDONESIA: 1.7 million Chinese Visitors Enter Indonesia

Head of Chinese Tourism National Administration (CNTA) Li Jinzao said that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia has risen by a good measure of 20%. In the meantime, he added that the number of Indonesian tourists to China was recorded to rise by 16%.

This reflects good tourism cooperation between the two countries. He said he hopes that the cooperation between Indonesia and China only improves with time.

Earlier, Indonesian Tourism Minister, Arief Yahya, said China is currently the biggest source of tourist arrivals in Indonesia; leaving behind Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, and Korea.

“We have set ourselves the target of attracting 20 million tourists in 2019 and nearly 50% of them will come from China,” he disclosed.

It is important to step up tourism cooperation with China to achieve the desired target.

In this regard, he accentuated how important it is to step up tourism cooperation with China to achieve the desired target. Moreover, he promised that his ministry will also be focusing on promoting the “Great China” branding.

This covers a trio of Asian countries China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Yahya also invited Chinese investors to try their luck with the Indonesian tourism industry.

We invite Chinese investors engaged in the tourism sector to invest in Indonesia which offers natural and cultural attractions. Now is the time to make long-term investments in the tourism sector, he said.

While down 1.9% from the previous month, the figure marks an increase of almost 20% than in the same month of 2015.

It was the second month in a row and the fourth time so far this year that the Chinese-governed in the tourism sector, followed closely by Singaporean and Australian travelers. Most of the Chinese tourists opted for beautiful and very beachy Bali as their destination.

The Tourism Ministry’s deputy minister for overseas promotion, I Gde Pitana, attributed to the rising trend of the holiday season in August in China and the government’s efforts to attract more visitors’ discussion.

He said the ministry would remain focused on its tourism promotion program in China until the end of the year to introduce the archipelago in several major cities, such as Beijing and Shenzhen.

The government aims to attract at least 1.7 million Chinese tourists this year; 1.3 million more than the last year. It has scrapped the visa fees for Chinese travelers, making China one of 169 countries the nationals of which enjoy free entry to Indonesia.

This is not all. For this month, the ministry has geared up for the Chinese Golden Week; a seven-day national holiday period that starts on Oct. 1.

It has established healthy connections with travel agents and tour operators in Bali and China since July to offer tourism packages to places like Bali and Manado, North Sulawesi.

“That way, Chinese companies won’t send their employees to Thailand for the holidays. They can just go to those destinations instead,” Pitana said.

He also mentioned that several airlines were also on board to achieve the 1.7 million tourist target to help this tourism plan further.

The country’s largest low-cost carrier, Lion Air, is serving direct flights from six Chinese cities. The airline hopes to fly at least 30,000 Chinese tourists to Manado by the end of the year. Whereas, Garuda Indonesia has flown holidaymakers from three major Chinese cities to Jakarta. These Chinese cities are namely Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

BPS head Suhariyanto said that the visitors contained in the statistics were all tourists and not workers and that it was not just in one country but others as well; meaning the Chinese were traveling all over the world as tourists.

“The surge is not happening in Indonesia alone, but also in other countries, supported by the tourists’ higher earning per capita as China’s economy grows,” he said.

Hotels have started facilitating the tourists in just the right way

Moreover, the hotels have started facilitating the tourists in just the right way. Jayakarta Hotels and Resorts president director Edwin Dhanu said the chain had prepared several services to accommodate the increasing number of tourists.

“We have prepared a separate, special breakfast called Chinese breakfast in which we provide bread, porridge, and dim sum,” he said that it was different from the full buffet breakfast offered exclusively to Australian tourists.

Jayakarta also employed Mandarin-speaking staff in the guest reservation divisions in Jakarta and Bali who tend to most of the Chinese guests.

The both countries are doing everything to keep growing and keep their tourism industry booming with each other’s help.

MACAU: Visit Macau One Of The Gambling Capitals Of The World

Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. Located across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong, until 1999 Macau was an overseas territory of Portugal.

One of the world's most densely populated spots, Macau generates more revenue from gambling than anywhere else on the planet, including more than seven times the revenue generated by "The Strip" in Las Vegas.

Best known worldwide as the 'Vegas of China', the Macau Special Administrative Region is indeed a mecca of gambling and glitz.

But the city is so much more than that. A Portuguese colony for more than 300 years, it is a city of blended cultures. Ancient Chinese temples sit on streets paved with traditional Portuguese tiles. The sound of Cantonese fills the air on streets with Portuguese names.

You can eat Chinese congee for breakfast, enjoy a Portuguese lunch of caldo verde soup and bacalhau (cod) fritters, and dine on hybrid Macanese fare such as minchi (ground beef or pork, often served over rice).

The Macau Peninsula holds the old city centre, where colonial ruins sit next to arty new boutiques. Further south are the conjoined islands of Taipa, Cotai and Coloane.

Taipa has gloriously preserved Macanese architecture, Cotai is home to the new mega casinos and Coloane is lined with colonial villages and pretty beaches.

Macau was one of the earliest European colonies in Asia and the last to be relinquished (1999) and thus has a more visible colonial history than Hong Kong.

Walking through the old city you could convince yourself you were in Europe,if the streets were devoid of people and signs in Chinese, that is. The Portuguese and Macanese populations continue to maintain a presence but, as expected, most of the population is native Chinese.

Besides the city itself, Macau includes the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are connected to Macau by bridges and to each other by a causeway, now built up into the Cotai Strip.

The Chinese city of Zhuhai borders Macau to the north, and the border crossing carries heavy two-way vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The Zhuhai Special Economic Zone extends south to Hengqin Island, an area west of Taipa, Cotai and Coloane; the Lotus Bridge from Cotai connects to that area.

There is significant movement by the local population of both Zhuhai and Macau across the border, making the two feel like twin cities.

Macau is subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. Visitors should note that typhoons often strike from mid-summer to Autumn which could stop many activities there.

Although winter is generally mild, there are occasional cold fronts which could make temperatures drop 10°C (~25°F) in a day

In the 16th Century, China gave Portugal the right to settle in Macau in exchange for clearing the area of pirates under strict Chinese administration. Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East.

It became Portuguese colony effectively after the treaty signed by the Qing and Portuguese Governments in 1887. It was also the last when, pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal in 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999, ending over 400 years of Portuguese administration.

China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula - Macau is officially the same country with mainland China, but maintains its own ruling systems.

Like its neighbour Hong Kong, Macau still does not have a full democracy and the locals often think that there is too much control or influence from Beijing with more one country, less two systems.

In recent years, Macau's economy has boomed rapidly due to the opening of the gambling licenses. Thousands of tourists are in Macau each day, mainly from mainland China and neighbouring regions.

The standard of living in Macau has as a result grown significantly, and in many cases, on par with some European countries. The tourist industry has also diversified instead of casinos, Macau is also promoting its historic sites, culture and cuisine.

As in the rest of China, the Lunar New Year is a really big deal when all public transport modes are overcrowded and booked out.

Macau was geographically divided into three regions: the peninsula and two islands. However, reclamation of the area between Taipa and Coloane has created the fourth region of Cotai.

Districts of Macau
- Macau Peninsula
The northernmost region connected to the Chinese mainland. It is the center of most tourist activity and is densely crowded.

- Taipa
The island south of the peninsula, accessible via three bridges. It is a major residential center and is the location of Macau's International Airport.

- Cotai
A strip of reclaimed land between Coloane and Taipa, with vast new casinos rising up (such as The Venetian, the largest casino in the world).

- Coloane
The most southern island, it is considerably less developed than the other regions due to its mountainous terrain. It has two beaches, several hiking trails and a resort. It is also the location of Macau's first golf course.

Entering Macau
For many years, the usual way to get to Macau was to fly into Hong Kong and take a ferry across to Macau. Today, Macau is becoming a low-cost airline hub, and some are now arriving at Macau to later go to Hong Kong.

Entry Requirements
- For foreign nationals, the maximum limit of stay in Macau is restricted to 30 days before the expiry date of the passport or travel document and the entry or re-entry permit.

- For example, if a South African citizen presents a passport which has a validity of 40 days when she enters Macau, she will only be allowed to stay for up to 10 days, even though in general South Africans can stay for up to 30 days in Macau visa-free.

Macau has a separate immigration regime from mainland China and Hong Kong. All travellers from mainland China and Hong Kong and all foreign countries have to go through immigration and customs checks on arrival in Macau.

Therefore, if you want to re-enter the Mainland from Macau, you will have to re-apply for another Chinese visa unless your existing one is a multiple entry visa.

While Hong Kong and likewise Macau are officially part of the People's Republic of China, don't let this cause confusion, as they are still designated as SAR or Special Administrative Regions operating under their own immigration controls, currencies and autonomous governments.

An entry permit to Hong Kong is not valid in Macau and vice versa.

Holders of a Hong Kong permanent identity card or a re-entry permit can enter Macau visa-free for up to 1 year without having to present their passport. Holders of a Hong Kong non-permanent identity card can enter Macau visa-free for up to 30 days and must present their passport.

Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Macau visa-free:

For up to 180 days: United Kingdom.

For up to 90 days: All other European Union member states, plus Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Dominica, Egypt, Grenada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Serbia, South Korea, Switzerland and Tanzania.

For up to 30 days: Australia, Belarus, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United States and Uruguay.

For up to 14 days: Brunei.

For up to 7 days: China (PRC) (solely for transit via Macau to a third country and holders of a two-way permit with a valid exit endorsement).

For foreign nationals, the maximum limit of stay in Macau is restricted to 30 days before the expiry date of the passport or travel document and the entry or re-entry permit.

For example, if a South African citizen presents a passport which has a validity of 40 days when she enters Macau, she will only be allowed to stay for up to 10 days, even though in general South Africans can stay for up to 30 days in Macau visa-free.

In addition, all foreign visitors who intend to enter Macau for less than 48 hours for the purpose of travelling onwards to another destination via Macau International Airport are exempt from obtaining a visa.

If you require a visa, it can either be obtained in advance from a Chinese embassy or consulate, or on arrival in Macau (Macau visas are separate from visas valid for travel to Mainland China).

A visa on arrival costs MOP100 (individual), MOP50 (children under 12; per person for groups of 10 or more travellers with a collective travel document) or MOP200 (family passport).

A visa issued on arrival is valid for multiple entries within 30 days of the issuing date. This is a very quick and cheap way of getting a visa and definitely preferable over filling in an application at a Chinese embassy or consulate.

However, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese citizens,unless they hold a Hong Kong identity card cannot use the visa on arrival facility and must apply for a Macau visa at a Chinese embassy in advance or at the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong.

The application form for a Macau visa if applying for one at a Chinese embassy or at the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong is available at and the application fee is USD30 plus USD20 if the embassy has to refer the application to Macau.

The standard service takes 5 working days to process the visa application,if the embassy needs to refer the application to Macau, the application takes 3 weeks.

An express service of 3 working days is available for an additional USD20, while an 'extra express' service same or next working day, is available for an additional USD30 the express/'extra express' services are not available if the embassy needs to refer the application to Macau.

All travellers who enter Macau,regardless of whether visa-exempt or not may be required to show they have a minimum of MOP5,000 to fund their stay and possess a valid return or onward journey ticket.

The only exception to the return/onward journey ticket requirements is for residents of Hong Kong or mainland China, but not if they use a Hong Kong SAR or Chinese passport to transit through Macau to a third country/territory.

Lost/stolen travel documents: If your travel document is lost or stolen while you are in Macau, you should follow the procedure detailed at this webpage of the Macau SAR Public Security Police Force.

The form to complete for a lost/stolen Hong Kong identity card/travel document is , lost/stolen Australian passport/travel document and all other lost/stolen passports/travel documents .

Detailed information about immigration requirements is available at the website of the Macau Public Security Police Force.

By Boat
This is still the main way in which most visitors get to Macau. The main ferry terminal in Macau is the Macau Ferry Terminal (Terminal Maritimo) at the Outer Harbour.

This is a busy terminal handling most of the sea traffic between Macau and Hong Kong as well as the Chinese ports of Shekou and Fuyong,the latter which serves Shenzhen International Airport. Getting there/away: Buses 1A, 3, 3A, 10, 10A, 10B, 12, 28A, 28B, 28BX, 32 and AP1 run from the ferry terminal.

The bus stop is on the main road to the right as you walk out of the building. Pick up a free bus schedule in the tourist information centre in the building. If you are heading straight to a casino or hotel, most of these establishments provide free shuttle buses.

They gather to the left of the terminal building; step out of the arrival-level of the building and turn left; casino shuttles are in the big bus group while hotel shuttles are in the smaller bus group.

There is a lesser known ferry terminal in Macau, located at Pier No. 11 at the Inner Harbour. This is a new ferry terminal building after its former Pier 14 site was given to developers by the Macau Government. It is very near to the Macau city centre and can be easily reached on foot. This terminal mostly services boats to Shenzhen, Jiangmen and Wanzai across the Inner Harbour in Zhuhai.

A third temporary ferry service serves Taipa, Cotai and Coloane connecting to Hong Kong and Shekou. The Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal is adjacent the Ponte da Amizade Friendship Bridge on Estrada de Pac On, and is served by bus AP1 from the city to the airport, but not the other way around,unless you go around the entire loop.

There are also free shuttle buses to the Venetian, the Wynn, COD. A larger permanent ferry terminal is being constructed between the temporary terminal and the Macau International Airport, scheduled for completion in 2011.

From Hong Kong
Ferries to Macau operate from several points in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong International Airport where you can bypass Hong Kong Immigration and transfer directly into a ferry to Macau.

Macau-Hong Kong Island: Ferries from Hong Kong's Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island operate 24 hours a day at frequencies of every 15-30 minutes by day and hourly at night.

In Macau, they dock at the Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal. The cheapest one-way ticket from Hong Kong is HKD164,HKD25 extra per bag for luggage, though 1 hand-carry size luggage within 20kg could be free depending on the company and the trip takes one hour. You can buy tickets online in advance to ensure you secure the sailing you want at busy times. Weekend fares are more expensive.

Ferries are operated by TurboJet. Another frequent ferry service is operated by Cotai Jet directly to Taipa from Hong Kong, and there are free shuttle buses to The Venetian from the Ferry Terminal, for quick and easy access to Taipa and Coloane.

Macau-Kowloon: Ferries operate from the China (HK) Ferry Terminal on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Ferries are slightly less frequent compared with services from Hong Kong Island, running every half-hour from 07:00-22:30. Fares start at HK$164 and the trip takes about 90 minutes. Both TurboJet and Cotai Jet operate on this route.

Macau-Hong Kong International Airport: Ferries from Hong Kong International Airport to Macau. These are less frequent but they allow you to bypass Hong Kong Immigration and Customs by transferring directly to the ferry in the airport's transfers hall. If a ferry ticket is purchased online in advance, your airline may be able to check your luggage all the way to Macau.

Alternatively, for airlines that are point-to-point and do not allow you to do so, you should request that the baggage handlers retrieve your checked-in luggage for you from the luggage belt which is only available after immigration while processing your ferry ticket by presenting your baggage tags.

You board the ferry at the airport SkyPier terminal which is accessed by an internal train. Fares start at HK$180 and services are operated by TurboJet Sea Express.

The price of ferry tickets differ based on the time and day of the week of the ride. Ferry departures at night (between 6PM and 6AM) and on weekends are more expensive.

Especially at the HK Macau Ferry Terminal, keep an eye out for ticket touts. Some offices here resell legit bulk tickets at a small discount, but an altogether slimier species sells unused tickets for ferries that are about to leave, you may catch them if you run, but will be out of luck and money, if you don't.

Be wary of anyone outside the elevators who enthusiastically beckons you to an agents office and shows you tickets for future sailings, only for you to end up with tickets for ferries that are departing in the next few minutes.

A few touts even pose as "inspectors" and, with practiced sleight of hand, swap your ticket. Don't let anybody not in uniform take your ticket!

From Mainland China: Several ferry companies run to Macau from mainland ports including Jiangmen, Shekou (in Shenzhen) and Fu Yong Ferry Terminal,next to Shenzhen Airport.

Macau-Fu Yong or Shenzhen Airport: TurboJet runs several ferries daily between the Macau Ferry Terminal and the Fu Yong Ferry Terminal. Journey time is about one hour. Economy fare $222, with premium and VIP fares also available. There are free shuttle buses connecting the Fu Yong Ferry Terminal with Shenzhen Int'l Airport at the front door of the ferry terminal, the shuttle journey taking 5-10 minutes. Taxis are also available from the terminal.

Macau-Shekou (Shenzhen):
Yuet Tung Shipping Co runs a ferry service departing from the Macau Inner Harbour Terminal at Pier 14 on Rua das Lorchas near intersection with Av Almeida Ribeiro at 10:00, 14:00, 17:30 and 20:15. $129, $78 for children. From Shekou, boats leave at 08:15, 11:45, 15:45 and 18:30. Journey takes about 1 and a half hours.

Shenzhen Xunlong Shipping Co operates from Macau's two other ports: 10 times per day between 09:45-20:45 from the Macau Ferry Terminal and 3 times per day between 11:00-19:00 from the Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal ¥170.

Macau-Jiangmen: CKS has a daily connection with Jiangmen from the Macau Inner Harbour Terminal at Pier 14 on Rua das Lorchas.

Macau-Wanzai (Zhuhai): Yuet Tung Shipping Co runs boats between the Macau Inner Harbour Terminal at Pier 14 on Rua das Lorchas, and the Wanzai Customs Port in Wanzai, Zhuhai. Journey time is about 10 minutes. $12.50. Boats start at 8AM and end at about 4PM. You can catch connecting buses to Gongbei and other places in Zhuhai from Wanzai.

A more frequent and cheaper option is to catch a ferry to/from Zhuhai's Jiuzhou Port, which is only a few kilometers from the Macau-Zhuhai border. Take a short taxi ride (¥10) or a No. 4 bus from the border crossing to the ferry terminal. The bus ride should be included in your ferry ticket. Ferries from Shenzhen Shekou Port to Zhuhai run every 30 minutes. ¥90.

When taking any ferry, make sure to arrive early since customs lines may take longer than expected.

By Car
The legal driving age in Macau is 18, the same as in Hong Kong and the Mainland.

There are two vehicular entry points into Macau from China. They are the Portas do Cerco (Guan Chap in Cantonese, Guanzha in Mandarin) at the extreme north of Macau Peninsula which connects you to Gongbei in Zhuhai, and the Lotus Bridge,officially the Cotai Frontier Checkpoint which links the Cotai Strip with the Wanzai district of Zhuhai.

You can only enter if your vehicle (cars only, no motorcycles) has both Macau and mainland China number plates and the driver carries both Macau and China driver's licenses. Note that you have to switch sides of the road; mainland China drives on the right, Macau on the left.

Portas do Cerco: This is the usual entry point into Macau from Zhuhai and is very busy. It is open from 7AM-midnight. The crossing will bring you directly into Gongbei in Zhuhai.

Getting there/away: The best way to approach the crossing from anywhere in Macau is to use Avenida Norte de Hipodromo which continues as Avenida da Ponte da Amizade, or Avenida Comendador Ho Yin from the western part of the peninsula.

Lotus Bridge: Much quieter than the Portas do Cerco, this crossing involves you driving over the Lotus Bridge over the narrow channel between Cotai and Hengqin Island (China). The crossing is open from 9AM-8PM. Getting there/away: The Cotai frontier checkpoint can be accessed via the Taipa-Coloane Istmus Road (still known as the Taipa-Coloane Causeway) and turn off at the Flor de Lotus roundabout about halfway between Taipa and Coloane.

By Coach
You can take the coach from Guangzhou, the mainland's third-largest city,formerly Canton. The trip takes about 3 hours and costs around ¥80. Coaches are available from the Guangzhou airport at regular intervals. The bus takes you within walking distance (200 metres) of Portas do Cerco, the usual entry point into north Macau.

There is also a direct coach from Shenzhen airport and also Shenzhen long distance bus station. The trip from Shenzhen is about 3 hours.

There is also a direct coach from Dongguan to Macau Airport. The trip takes about 3 hours and costs around ¥100.

You can also get a bus from either place to Gongbei bus station in Zhuhai. That puts you right across the street from the border facilities so you can walk to Macau. This can save you a bit of money; the bus is about the same price either way, but food and hotels are cheaper in Zhuhai.

By Air

Macau International Airport is off the shore of Taipa Island. It has basic facilities and a couple of aerobridges, but it's possible that you will park on the tarmac and take a bus to the terminal.

Macau's home carrier is Air Macau. While nowhere nearly as well served as Hong Kong, the airport is popular among low-cost airlines thanks to its low landing fees. AirAsia Group flies to Macau from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok-Don Mueang and Manila while Tigerair serves Singapore, Cebu Pacific and Philippines Airlines serve Manila and Clark, Thai Smile serves Bangkok and Jin Air serves Seoul-Incheon .

Bus AP1 plies a route between the airport and the Barrier Gate. Its route passes through several points on Taipa Island, and it stops at the ferry terminal on the peninsula on the way. It costs MOP4.20 per passenger, MOP3 per bag. It has limited provision for baggage, and can be very crowded,you may not even get the first bus to arrive.

Change at the ferry terminal for other destinations, the frequent number 3 bus runs from the ferry terminal and passes the Lisboa, Landmark Hotel, and Holiday Inn, or catch one of the hotel/casino shuttles which go the ferry terminal. The buses do not give change, but there is a currency exchange just inside the terminal that will change foreign currency into low denomination MOP.

Alternatively, take a metered taxi straight to your destination, but there's a MOP5 airport surcharge plus MOP2 for the bridge and MOP3 per bag. Fares to the city centre are around $40-50, the trip taking 15-20 minutes.

If you are bound for Hong Kong, Zhuhai or Shenzhen, you can use the airport's Express Link special bus service to connect directly to the ferry or the Zhuhai border without passing through Macau immigration.

However, the bus schedule is limited (11:00-18:00 only), which limits the utility somewhat; depending on your flight, if you don't need a visa for Macau, it may well be faster to go through immigration twice. If you have a same-day ticket, you can also use this service in the return direction to transfer directly to the airport.

Air Macau flies daily to Beijing, Nanjing, Ningbo and Shanghai. They also fly several times a week to Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Nanning, Wuhan and Xiamen. Xiamen Airlines flies to Fuzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen.

Other airlines include AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, EVA Air and Spring Airlines among others. It is usually cheaper to fly to Zhuhai and cross the border by land as flights between Macau and the mainland are considered to be international flights.

On Foot
You can cross from mainland China to Macau on foot at Gongbei/Portas do Cerco (Barrier Gate) crossings at the south of Zhuhai/the extreme north of Macau Peninsula. In fact, thousands of Macanese and Chinese citizens do it daily, making it an horrendously busy crossing. Depending on the time and day of the week, expect long waits to get processed, up to 3 hours.

Many business people work in Macau and live in Zhuhai, resulting in a morning rush hour into Macau, and an evening rush hour out of Macau. It is similar on the weekends, with many people trying to get in a full day's visit. Mid-afternoon might be the shortest wait, with times down to about 30 minutes.

Getting there/away: The massive underground Portas do Cerco bus terminal is beneath the pretty garden in front of the border checkpoint plaza. You'll be able to find buses to most parts of Macau, including Taipa, Coloane and the Cotai Strip from here, including many free buses to the casinos. From downtown Macau by taxi, the border is about 10 minutes and $30.

As most people crossing the Barrier Gate are either mainland or Macau residents, foreign passport holders may get a short queue at the Zhuhai immigration clearance as they do not pass through the same counters as Chinese nationals. However, Macau's immigration divides entrants only into Macau residents and visitors, without further differentiation, and foreigners have to queue with an overwhelming number of mainland residents.

There are money changers at the Barrier Gate that give very good rates so you can change your money into Chinese renminbi before crossing the customs.

Although you are not allowed to walk on the Lotus Bridge between Wanzai and Cotai, you can board a bus to cross it.

By Helicopter
The Sky Shuttle helicopter service operates every 15-30 minutes between Macau's Terminal Maritimo and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier in Hong Kong, as well as five times a day to/from Shenzhen airport. The trip takes just 16 minutes, but weekday/weekend tickets cost a whopping HK$3700/3900 one-way.

Get around On foot: This is probably the best way to get around the Macau Peninsula, which is small, compact and full of things to discover. Many roads are also one way so there is quite a chance that it won't be slower than to take road transport which may need to make a long loop to reach the destination.

Most streets have a pedestrian sidewalk making walking easy, although you will have to fight the crowds going in all directions. Traffic rules are not very well adhered to, so ensure that you look both ways before crossing. In and around the Senado Square, the pavements will be made of hand-laid limestone pieces made into simple designs, something that will surely catch your attention. Macau is also hilly, be prepared to struggle up and down steep lanes and steps.

Especially in the old city, the city streets do not seem to run in any particular pattern and you'll most likely get lost at some stage, which is part of the fun of exploring Macau.

Don't bother trying to get around the Cotai area on foot though, as the huge long streets with nothing much on them except the outside edge of new hotels and giant building sites will eat up time you could better spend elsewhere in Macau.

By Coaches
Macau and its districts are served by three bus companies - Transportes Urbanos Macau (Transmac) and Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau (TCM). Sociedade de Transportes Públicos Reolian (Reolian). The bus system in Macau can be difficult to use.

It is often difficult to gauge which direction the bus is heading and the routes through the city center are very curvy, making a long ride out of a short distance. Bus drivers usually only speak Cantonese, very little English or Mandarin and certainly no Portuguese at all. Most bus stops contain no English, although you can sometimes figure out the destination from Portuguese words.

Nevertheless, the websites of all three companies have good route guides. The TCM website is only in Chinese, while the Transmac website depicts routes schematically.

There is a flat fare of $3.20 for rides within the Macau Peninsula, $4.20 between the Peninsular and Taipa, $5 between the Peninsula and Coloane village, and $6.40 between the Peninsula and Hác Sá (Coloane). But like the buses in Hong Kong, your fare is according to the bus stop you board, not by the length of the journey.

Fares are displayed next to the fare box, so get your destinations written in Chinese if you need to tell them where you're going. You need the exact fare as drivers do not give change. Macaupass, a debit card similar to Hong Kong's Octopus Card system, is now widely used by Macau citizens as it provide discounts on paying bus fare.

However, it may be hard to purchase one as the distribution points are limited. Buses accept Hong Kong coins,but not the $10 Hong Kong coin.

By Scooter
Scooters are a wonderful way to see the sites of Macau, they are also the primary mode of transport for locals due to Macau's narrow streets and lack of car parking space. Scooters will seat one or two people and can provide the convenience to see some of the more beautiful and less crowded spots in Macau, such as Coloane Village, Cheoc Van Beach or the Portuguese fort.

Macau is very small and it is easy to navigate around, while driving is much less hectic and more civilized than in other places in Asia.

Macau Scooter Hire provides scooters for rental, though it is best to make reservations online prior to your arrival. Motorbike rental starts at US$19 for 3 hours or $40 per day. The longer the hire the cheaper it gets per hour / day. Driving licenses from most countries covering mopeds or motorcycles are accepted.

By Shuttle Bus
If you've got more time than money on your hands, you can travel around Macau for free simply by hopping on and off the complimentary shuttle buses operated by all major casinos and hotels. Virtually all serve the Terminal Maritimo, with buses every 5 to 10 minutes, while the big boys (Venetian, Wynn, City of Dreams, Galaxy etc) also shuttle to the Border Gates, the Taipa Ferry Terminal and the airport.

The buses to Hotel Lisboa, for example, drop you off just a few blocks from Largo do Senado. You generally have to be at least 18 years old to use them. You may have to get a ticket from Lisboa Casino in order to leave the casino by shuttle but most of the casinos offer totally free to take their shuttle buses.

By Taxi
Taxi fares start at $17. Largo do Senado to the border is about 45MOP. The longest possible taxi ride from the Border Post at the extreme north of Macau to Coloane in the south would be well under 200MOP.

It is a good idea to have your destination written in Chinese as most taxi drivers know only Chinese. Most taxi drivers carry with them a list of casinos and other important places so refer to it on the sunguard of the front passenger seat.

Each bag placed in the boot of the taxi is entitled to an additional surcharge.

Macau has a taxi shortage problem, and aside from long queues for taxis, taxi drivers often illegally ask inflated prices without turning on the meter, or refuse to take passengers to undesirable destinations.

Beware of dishonest taxi drivers who often approach tourists just off the legitimate taxi stands or casinos, offering rides for 2-5 times more than the legal metered fares, practice known in Macau as "fishing".

During weekday rush hours (16:30-19:30), it can be very difficult getting a taxi as most taxi drivers on station head back to the depot to change drivers. If you are lucky enough to catch one, some drivers may ask you to pay extra, upwards of 50MOP-100 on top of the normal fare to your destination. It is not uncommon to see a huge line for taxi queues during peak times. Plan accordingly.

By Triciclo Cycle-rickshaws

As in Hong Kong, cycle rickshaws (triciclo or riquexó) are a dying breed, although a few still lurk around tourist haunts like the ferry terminal and Hotel Lisboa. Prices are negotiable, but a few hours of city touring by triciclo might cost around $200.

Car Rental
Car rental is not a popular option in Macau given the territory's high population density and small size. Avis provides car rental services in Macau and you have the option of renting the car with or without a driver. Roads are generally well maintained and directional signs are in both Chinese and Portuguese.

Unlike in mainland China, international driving permits (IDP's) are accepted in Macau, and traffic moves on the left side of the road with most cars being right-hand drive,largely due to influences from neighbouring Hong Kong.

If you wish to drive to mainland China, your vehicle must have a second set of number plates issued by the Guangdong authorities, and you would need to carry an additional Mainland license, as the Chinese government does not recognise Hong Kong, Macau or foreign licenses. You would also need to change sides of the road at the border.

Languages
Macau's official languages are Cantonese and Portuguese.

Cantonese is the most commonly spoken language of Macau. Mandarin is not widely spoken, though most locals are able to comprehend it to some degree. Staff working at major hotels and tourist attractions will usually be reasonably competent in Mandarin.

English is spoken by most front-line staff in the tourism industry. Nearly all museums and casinos have some staff with excellent English, as do many hotels, shops and restaurants, especially the up-market ones. However, English is not as widely spoken as in Hong Kong, so outside the main tourist areas, especially in establishments catering to the average working class, you will find that most people are not conversant in English.

This includes most bus and taxi drivers, so be sure to have staff from your hotel write down the names of your destinations in Chinese to show the taxi driver, and get your hotel's business card in case you get lost. If you have to ask someone on the street of directions in English, your best bet is to approach a young adult who is likely to be a college student or having graduated from it,which is not difficult to find given the fact that more and more young people in Macau are now entering universities.

Speakers of Portuguese won't find it very useful when talking to local residents, as it is no longer compulsory in schools, but it helps a lot in understanding place names and signs. There is plenty of informational material for tourists available in Portuguese as well.

As Portuguese continues to be an official language of the SAR, government offices are required by law to have Portuguese-speaking staff on duty; for tourists, the most commonly used is the Macau post office, Correios de Macau. Many Portuguese cafés and restaurants also have Portuguese-speaking staff.

All official signs in Macau are bilingual in traditional Chinese and Portuguese. Note that under the "one country, two systems" policy, Macau continues to use traditional Chinese characters and not the simplified Chinese characters used in Mainland China.

Vong or Wong?
One of the oddities of Macau is that some Cantonese names and words that are pronounced with what in English is a "W" sound, and that in Hong Kong are transliterated with a "W", are transliterated with a "V" instead, such as in Cheoc Van (which in Hong Kong would be Chuk Wan).

This can also be seen in the surname Vong in Hong Kong Wong. No doubt Portuguese pronunciation has had an influence on this choice of transliteration. To complicate things further, this has not been done consistently so there are both Vongs and Wongs in Macau - both written with the same Chinese character.

Attractions
Although best known for gambling, Macau is rich in attractions and oozing with atmosphere, thanks to hundreds of years of fusion between European and Chinese cultures.

Macau is a fascinating place to just walk around as the place is packed with churches, temples, fortresses and other old buildings bearing an interesting mix of Portuguese and Chinese characteristics.

Besides buildings, there are also hundreds of narrow alleyways forming a maze in the old part of Macau where the people of Macau carry out businesses and work. If the sheer density of humans get to you, take a break and enjoy several pretty gardens or head to the island.

One of the interesting things to see in Macau is a statue of the Bodhisatta Avalokitesvara,known as kwoon yam in Cantonese located next to the sea near the Sands Casino and MGM Grand. Despite being a Chinese deity, the statue is distinctly European in design and resembles statues of the Virgin Mary one can find in Europe.

Rua da Tercena is the most popular art, antique, and flea market street in Macau, a little off the beaten track with less Chinese tourist crowds and a lot of character. It is located near St Paul's, behind Senado Square. Follow Rua de São Paulo to Rua das Estalagens and turn down the hill to the next narrow street. Go past the shops selling antiques, the tailor shops, and other small shops until the road reaches a fork.

And if culture is not your thing, there is the Macau Tower for awesome views and adventure sports, or Fisherman's Wharf to enjoy some theme-park activities and shopping.

You'll find most of the attractions in Macau Peninsula, but Taipa and Coloane, each with a pretty village, also draw hordes of visitors. Visit the Cotai reclaimed land area to see its transformation into the "Las Vegas Strip of the East". The Venetian is the most famous with its Venice-styled shopping mall with rivers running through, and is also currently the largest casino in the world.

The City of Dreams is a giant casino with high end fashion shops, a free video 'bubble' show, three hotels and the world's most expensive theatre show. The 'House of Dancing Water' cost US$250 million and the stage holds five olympic swimming pools worth of water. Ushers give the front few rows of the audience towels. Free shuttles from the main ferry terminal leave constantly.

Heritage
A large section of Macau Peninsula has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and 25 buildings and sites within the area have been deemed to have cultural and historic significance.

One of the best ways to cover the sights is to do the Macau Heritage Walk circuit. The heritage Buildings, the Sao Paulo Cathedral, the Fort and the Macau Museum are all adjacent to each other and can be conveniently seen individually even if one cannot catch the Heritage walk timing.

Taipa Village and Coloane Village, still inhabited by some fishermen, are also interesting with their colonial-era shops and houses along narrow lanes.

Museums
Macau has several museums. The "Macau Museum Pass", which gives discounted entry to most of these, is currently off the market. The main museums, such as the Macau Museum, are in Macau Peninsula although there are two museums on Taipa - the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History and Taipa Houses Museum.

Casinos
Gambling is Macau's biggest industry, and busloads arrive daily from mainland China to try their luck. In addition, many Hong Kongers arrive on weekends with the same aim. For many years, the Casino Lisboa was the most famous and a landmark well known to people outside Macau, but it is being eclipsed by Sands Casino which opened in 2004.

Nevertheless, the original Casino Lisboa is still worth a visit as its halls contain many original antiques on display from the private collection of gambling tycoon Stanley Ho.

Most casinos are located along the waterfront on the southern side of Macau Peninsula. North of the Lisboa is a strip with many smaller casinos, a number of hotels and bars, and quite a few restaurants. This can be one of the more interesting areas of Macau; among other things it has quite a good Indian restaurant and several Portuguese ones.

However, parts of it are also fairly sleazy, with lots of hookers and touts, so some caution is in order. New casinos have also opened in the area called NAPE south of Avenida de Amizade, including Wynn Macau and Sands Macau.

All this is going to be overtaken by the new development on the Cotai Strip, which is being made into "The Las Vegas Strip of the East". The biggest casino in the world, Venetian Macao, opened its doors in August 2007 and the not-much-smaller City of Dreams followed in 2009, with many more still to come. There are also several casinos on Taipa, including the Crown Macau.

There are ATMs available at either casino as well as Forex facilities to change your money. Gamblers are required to be at least 21 years of age, as of 1 November 2012 to be allowed to play. Interestingly, local civil servants are not allowed to enter the casinos with the exception of the first three days of the Chinese new year.

Greyhound racing

Another popular form of gambling in Macau is greyhound racing, where people bet on dogs in the same way that many people in other countries bet on horses. The minimum bet is MOP10, and payouts can be made in both Macanese patacas and Hong Kong dollars.

Canidrome is your spot for great Greyhound racing. It is located on Avenida General Castelo Branco. Greyhound races are held at the Canidrome on Monday, Thursday and Friday plus weekends - racing starts at 19:45 with 16 races each night.

MOP10 admission fee (redeemable when betting) to get in. Box seats are MOP80 for non-peak days and MOP120 for weekends and holidays. There is off-track-betting available for the Canidrome at Jai-Alai Palace, Hotel Lisboa and Kam Pek Casino.

Adventure
At a height of 233 metres, the bungy jump from Macau tower, maintained and operated by A. J. Hackett is the 2nd highest in the world. Along with the bungy, one can also try the Sky jump, that is somewhat like a jump but is more protected and doesn't involve a free fall, and a sky walk, that is a protected on a platform running around the circumference of the floor. Bouldering and sport climbing activities are also conducted at the tower's base. See the Macau Peninsula page for details.

Swimming
Macau's two beaches - Hac Sa - (black sand) and Cheoc Van (bamboo bay) - are located on the southern side of Coloane island. They are very popular and are frequented by locals and visitors, especially at the weekend.

Besides beaches, there are several public swimming pools all over Macau. All high-end hotels also have swimming pools.

Hiking/Cycling

There are opportunities for hiking and cycling on the relatively rural islands of Taipa and Coloane.

Bowling
There is a bowling centre of international standard which was constructed in 2005 for the East Asian Games at the Macau Dome in Cotai area. There is also a bowling alley in Macau near the Camoes Garden/Protestant cemetery.

Purchasing
The official currency of Macau is the pataca (MOP), which is divided into 100 avos. Pataca is the traditional Portuguese name for both dollars and pesos, and the $ sign is used locally.

The pataca is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) at MOP1.03 = HKD1 and, in practice, a large percentage of cash transactions in Macau are made in Hong Kong dollars, which are accepted on an equal 1:1 basis by almost all businesses. If you pay using Hong Kong dollars, you may receive patacas as change, or a mixture of patacas and Hong Kong dollars.

If you pay in HKD and receive change in MOP, the vendor has, in effect, taken a small amount of foreign exchange commission from you. Consider it a convenience fee and if wanting to stretch your MOP as far as it can go, visit a currency exchange counter. You may find businesses refusing the HKD10 coin, due to the fear of counterfeits.

Although dollars and patacas may be used interchangeably almost everywhere, there are two main exceptions. Transactions made at government offices may only be made in patacas, and most casinos will only accept Hong Kong dollars.

Chinese yuan (CNY) are also accepted in some businesses, often at a poor exchange rate, but they can easily be changed to patacas at bureaux de change and banks.

Getting money is quite easy as there are banks and ATMs (cash machines) on nearly every street. Holders of a debit card on one of the international networks will have no issues withdrawing money. Holders of Chinese Union Pay cards will not have trouble either withdrawing local currency from their accounts. ATMs usually dispense patacas or dollars (100 and 500 notes) and some will also dispense Chinese renminbi currency.

Changing to or from patacas outside of Macau is almost impossible even in Hong Kong, so any patacas should be spent or changed before leaving the SAR. The money changers at the Barrier Gate provide good exchange rates; however, if you wish to change money before you arrive then change into Hong Kong dollars.

Visa and MasterCard credit cards are widely accepted in major restaurants, stores and the ferry terminal but some merchants may require a minimum purchase amount, usually $100.

Tipping is generally not practised, though bellhops may expect about MOP10 or so for carrying your bags. In full service restaurants, a service charge is usually imposed and that is taken to be the tip. However, you should know that the 10% service charge may not go to the specific people who served you. Rather, it is used by the owners to pay the salaries of these employees.

If you wish to give a tip, you should give it in cash directly to the person you wish to reward for their good service. Taxi drivers also do not expect tips, and will return exact change, or round it in your favour if they can't be bothered to dig for change.

Shopping
While the newer megacasinos have introduced Macau to the joys of sterile franchise-filled malls, the city centre streets around the older casinos are still a bizarre monoculture of ridiculously expensive watch, jewellery and Chinese medicine shops,with an emphasis on herbal Viagra-type cures, all aimed squarely at liberating lucky gamblers from their winnings.

Finding tasteful souvenirs can thus be surprisingly challenging, although the streets between Largo do Senado and the ruins of St. Paul's and in particular Rua da Tercena, do have a scattering of local art and antique shops.

Bargaining in the small shops can be done, usually working on the model of the shopkeeper quoting a price, the buyer making "hmmm" sounds and the shopkeeper lowering the price a bit. A full-fledged haggling match is quite rare, as most antique shops sell precisely the same things at precisely the same prices.

For a more Western shopping experience, head to New Yaohan on Ave Doutor Mário Soares n˚90. There is a bakery and supermarket on the 6th floor. On the other floors there are fashion, perfumes and everything else you would expect from a department store, but expect much higher prices to what you are used to.

Dining
Macau is famous for excellent restaurants, unique cuisine and mellow bars. Above all, the city is famous for Macanese and Chinese cuisines: .

Portuguese food (cozinha portuguesa), brought in by its Portuguese colonizers, is hearty, salty, straighforward fare. While many restaurants claim to serve the stuff, fully authentic fare is mostly limited to a few high-end restaurants, especially the cluster at the southwestern tip of the Peninsula. Typical Portuguese dishes include:

- pato de cabidela (bloody duck), Duck meat stewed in duck blood, vinegar and herbs, served with rice; sounds and looks somewhat scary, but it's excellent when well done
- bacalhau (salted cod), traditionally served with potatoes and veggies
- caldo verde, a soup of potato, chopped kale and chourico sausage
- eijoada (kidney-bean stew), a Brazilian staple common in Macau as well
- pastéis de nata (egg tarts), crispy and flaky on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside

Macanese food (comida de Macau) was created when Portuguese and Chinese influences were mixed together with spices brought from Africa and South-East Asia by traders, and many restaurants advertising "Portuguese" food in fact serve up mostly Macanese dishes. Seafood and barbecue specialist Fernando's on Coloane's Hac Sa Beach is probably the best-known restaurant serving this mixed cuisine.

- Almond cookies. Dry Chinese-style cookies flavoured with almond. Macau's top souvenir, they're compact, durable and hence sold pretty much everywhere.
- Galinha à africana (African-style chicken). Barbequed chicken coated in spicy piri-piri sauce.
- Galinha à portuguesa (Portuguese-style chicken). Chicken in a coconutty curry; despite the name, this is not a Portuguese dish at all, but a purely Macanese invention.
- Pork chop bun. The Macanese version of a hamburger, the name pretty much says it all: it's a slice of freshly fried pork (often with a few chunks of bone left) with a dash of pepper placed inside a freshly baked bun.
- Beef Jerky. More moist and fresh than typical jerky, and quite delicious. Easily found on the street leading up to the Ruins of St. Paul, where venders will push free samples at you as you walk by with great enthusiasm. Be sure to try them all before choosing the one you like best!
- Minchi. Minced meat with fried potato cubes, served on white rice.

All that said, the food of choice in Macau is still pure Cantonese, and a few aficionados even claim that the dim sum and seafood here beat those in Hong Kong. The streets of central Macau are littered with simple eateries offering rice and noodle dishes for under $30 (although menus are often only in Chinese), while every casino hotel worth its salt has a fancy Cantonese seafood restaurant where you can blow away your gambling winnings on abalone and shark's fin soup.

The greatest concentration of restaurants is in the Peninsula, where they are scattered throughout the district. Taipa is now a major destination for those going for Portuguese and Macanese food and there are many famous restaurants on the island. There are several restaurants in Coloane, which is also home to the famous Lord Stow's Bakery, which popularized the Macanese egg tart. Yummy!

Drinks
Reasonably priced Portuguese wine is widely available. A glass in a restaurant is around $20, while bottles start from under $100, and a crisp glass of vinho verde ("green wine", but actually just a young white) goes very well with salty Macanese food. As elsewhere in China, though, locals tend to prefer cognacs and whisky. Macau Beer is widely available and roughly $8 for a 330 ml bottle in supermarkets. There is also a wine museum which you can have the opportunity to taste over 50 varieties of wine.

There is a buzzing nightlife in Macau. There are a variety of bars and clubs along the Avenida Sun Yat Sen close to the Kum Iam Statue and the Cultural Centre where you can have a good night out. Locals, especially among younger people, prefer to meet up with their friends in Western style cafes or places that serve 'bubble tea'. 'Bubble tea' is usually fruit flavoured tea served with tapioca balls and can be served either hot or cold.

The shops in town centre (near Senado Square) often open until late at night and are often crowded. The casinos have also become a big hit for entertainment, offering performances of international standard (advance booking advised) and comprehensive shopping malls for those less interested in trying their luck on the machines.

For those who want to pamper themselves after a shopping spree, there are spas available in almost all respectable hotels. Note that these are different to "saunas", which are thinly disguised brothels (prostitution is legal in Macau), but these can be easily distinguishable by their shop appearance.
Sleep

Macau is very backpacker unfriendly. Due to government regulations there are no hostels in operation and the one YHA requires special permission for lodging. Therefore if you are a backpacker then it is better to stay in Hong Kong and come to Macau for the day, unless you're willing to spend $190 per night for a bed with no facilities.

The bulk of Macau's hotels are on the Peninsula and Cotai, although there are also many options - including high-end ones - on Taipa. Coloane, which offers fewer and much quieter options, has accommodation ranging from the famous Pousada de Coloane to Macau's two beach-side youth hostels.

Hotel rates are most expensive on Friday and Saturday nights because demand is higher with tourists coming to Macau to gamble over the weekend. Try to make a booking through a travel agent, even if for the same day, as the rates can be substantially lower than walk-in rates. If you are coming from Hong Kong, book through an agent at the Shun Tak ferry pier for the best deals. Getting a package deal including return ferry tickets gives you the best price.

In the Inner Harbour area, many of the pensions and two star hotels are also the place of business for many of the mainland PRC prostitutes that work in Macau, and most hotel "saunas" are in fact thinly disguised brothels.

Hotel listings are in the individual district pages. Budget accommodation is one that carries a 2-star rating or below, a mid-range place has a 3-star rating, and a splurge place has a 4-star rating or above.The cheapest hotels on a weekday are around $190.

Hotel Metropole Macau, Avenida da Praia Grande Macau, Macau,. As the first City Boutique Hotel in Macau, we are devote ourselves to service our guest with efficiency and courtesy to express the meaning of Boutique service. CNY400 - 1200.

Macau has 12 tertiary education institutions. Besides some smaller and more specialized schools (Security Forces School, Tourism School, European Studies Institute, etc), the ones of importance are:

University of Macau. The oldest and most popular university, established in 1981 (then under the name University of East Asia). Offers degree programmes in a wide variety of fields at all levels, including pre-university courses, bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees. The majority of degrees are taught in English, except education and law which are taught in a choice of either Chinese (Cantonese) or Portuguese.

Macau University of Science and Technology. Established after the 1999 handover of Macau to China, courses are mainly taught in Chinese (Mandarin) by professors from the mainland, and a significant portion of its student population draws from the mainland too.

Macau Polytechnic Institute. A spin-off of the former University of East Asia, it was established in 1991 to provide practice-oriented education and training mainly to the local population.

Macau Inter-University Institute. Established in 1996, it originally only offered postgraduate education, but since 2005 also offers undergraduate degree courses, and since 2006 pre-university courses, mainly in the humanities.

Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) . Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies （Portuguese: Instituto de Formação Turística，Chinese:is a public institution of higher education which is administered by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government. The institution offers degrees in tourism, culinary arts, event, retail, heritage, and hotel management.

Employment

Non-residents who wish to take up employment in Macau, including those from Portugal or China, need to obtain a valid work permit and are then issued the so-called Blue Card,officially called Non-Resident Worker's Permit. The process takes approximately a month to receive a work permit, at which time employment may begin, and another 1-2 months to receive the Blue Card.

As illegal employment has over the past decades been a problem plaguing Macau, the authorities do crack down severely on any offenders (both worker and employer) caught. Visitors are therefore advised not to engage in illegal employment.
Stay safe
Severe weather

There is a risk of typhoons, mainly between July and September. A system of typhoon warnings is in place that are issued by the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau and are broadcast widely on television and radio:

The typhoon warning system is basically a copy of the system used in Hong Kong.

- Number 1: tropical cyclone is within 800 km of Macau
- Number 3: tropical cyclone is likely to bring winds of 41-62 km/h to Macau, with gusts of 110 km/h (usually issued when the typhoon is within 300 km of Macau)
- Number 8: tropical cyclone is nearing Macau, bringing with it winds of 63-117 km/h, and gusts of up to 180 km/h
- Number 9: the centre of the tropical cyclone is approaching Macau and it is expected that Macau will be severely affected
- Number 10: the centre of the tropical cyclone will hit Macau directly, with mean wind speed over 118 km/h and intense gusts

During a number 8, 9 or 10 typhoon everything in Macau shuts down. People stay home and it is not advisable to venture outside as there is the risk of injury or worse from flying debris.
Crime

It should be pointed out that compared to many other cities in the world, Macau is relatively safe to travel. The standard of living of the local Macau residents is generally good (one of the best in Asia). In addition, as a city geared towards tourism, the Macau government is keen to "clean up" the city and its image. For example, the police in Macau are now seen by the public as more effective than they used to be.

Points To Note When You Travel To Macau.

- You should beware of pickpockets, especially in crowded areas like tourist attractions and the border stations. Keep your valuables somewhere safe. Pickpockets usually come in a group and use one person to distract people while the others work.

- Be wary of harassment from street prostitutes and hawkers handing out leaflets/flyers.

- Recently a scam involving mainland Chinese visitors asking for money has become widespread, mainly in downtown Macau. These people, who are usually properly dressed, claim to have lost their wallet and not to have eaten the whole day, asking for $20-30 to buy some food. The police have issued warnings in the local media not to give money to these people.

- In the mid-90s, Macau had some vicious gang wars among the triads, mobsters with automatic weapons. Macau police had the situation partly under control by the time the Chinese took over in 1999. The current government seems to have it entirely under control; there has been no sign of open mob conflict in this century. The triads usually don't bother ordinary people, so the advice is not to mess with them (such as by borrowing money from loan sharks and then failing to repay it), and they won't mess with you!

- Macau has a large taxi shortage problem, and aside from long queues for taxis, taxi drivers often illegaly ask inflated prices without turning on the meter, or refuse to take passengers to undesirable destinations. Dishonest taxi drivers often approach people near taxi stands or casinos, offering rides for 2-5 times more than the legal metered fares, practice known in Macau as "fishing". Kidnappings in a locked in taxi are also not unheard of.

Health

One unexpected cause of sickness in Macau is the extreme temperature change between 35°C (95°F) humid summer weather outdoors and 18°C (65°F) air-conditioned buildings. Some people experience cold symptoms after moving between the two extremes often; it is not unusual to wear a sweater or covering to stay warm indoors, and it is therefore usually good advice to carry a long-sleeve item of clothing when expecting to visit air-conditioned places for extended periods of time.

Whilst tap water is technically safe to drink (taste aside), most locals boil or filter their water or buy inexpensive bottled water, which you are also recommended to do so. A 2.5 litre bottle of drinking water starts around $0.25 in supermarkets.

There have been some cases of Dengue fever in recent years. The government has proactively sprayed insecticide in areas where there is potential of mosquito breeding, so this risk is largely contained. However it is best to avoid being bitten by using mosquito repellent and/or wearing long clothing, especially at dusk.

Socialize

People in Macau are generally friendly to foreigners,given the fact that Macau had hundreds of years of Portuguese colonial rule, the locals, even the older population are used to living side by side with Westerners. However, do not assume the locals speak English (or Portuguese) and a few essential Cantonese phrases are always helpful.

When visiting Chinese temples basic respect should be shown, but taking photos is usually allowed and you don't need to ask for permission as long as there isn't a no-photography sign posted.

Binge-drinking or drunken behavior is not tolerated in Macau.

For a comprehensive list of respecting local culture, see the "Respect" section of Hong Kong, which is very similar to Macau.
Contact

Macau's international dialing prefix is 853.

The tourist information offices on Largo do Senado and at the jetfoil terminal have maps, information on museums and events, helpful English-speaking staff, and at the Largo do Senado office free Internet access. You may have to queue for the Internet, since there are only a few machines.

Chinoy Express, Rua De Mercadores. A cheap and fast internet cafe ($5/hr) right near Rua De Felicidade. Serves cheap snacks and right across the road is a Filipino bakery with cheap and tasty breads and very large bottles of San Miguel ($6).

Mobile phones
Macau has excellent mobile phone coverage. Macau has both GSM 900/1800 and 3G 2100 networks. Check with your operator. Phone plans stemming from the Mainland require proper set-up for use outside of the Mainland.

Wifi

Macau has extensive free wifi coverage throughout the city. It is known as the wifigo system. You can also use the encrypted service wifigo-s. The username is "wifigo" and the password is "wifigo"