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| I'm among the visitors around the St Paul's Church Ruins tourist attraction, Macau China (Photo: Misbawati) |
Urbanspace.asia, MACAU, CINA - Las Vegas of Asia, that is the
popular nickname for the existence of Macau, a developed city built from the
contribution of tourism and gambling facilities (casinos). This small city,
located on the southern coast of China, has Cantonese, Mandarin and Portuguese
speakers. Macau as a special administrative region of the PRC, uses the Pataca
(MOPS) currency.
Don't forget that Hong Kong
Dollars are accepted in Macau. Unlike vice versa, the Macau Dollar is not
accepted in Hong Kong. For this reason, we are usually advised to immediately
use Macau dollars for shopping before returning to Hong Kong.
So why is this small city located
70 km southwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometers from Guangzhou nicknamed Las Vegas?
There are many arguments regarding this, perhaps because the gambling, shopping
and entertainment facilities in Macau are identified as having the same characteristics
as Las Vegas, the most populous city in Nevada, Clark Country, United States.
Apart from being famous for its
shopping attractions, Macau is also famous for its attractive casino
phenomenon. That afternoon (Thursday, November 2 2017) I was among the dense
crowd of pedestrians from the parking area to a shopping center. They seemed to
be walking at a fairly fast pace as if they were hunting for something up
there.
It turns out my guess wasn't
wrong. They rushed to the hall-like room because they wanted to quickly watch
or maybe they couldn't wait to enjoy the gambling game. Among the gambling
tables that decorate the shopping center and hotel, I saw that it was very
busy. Gambling players are not only men, but also many women. They really
enjoyed the gambling game.
I was very interested and curious
about the phenomenon of mass gambling, even though I had absolutely no desire
to play. I stood among the spectators at one of the gambling tables and then
moved to another section and so on. There were lots of gambling tables there
and it was said that there were 800 of them. Meanwhile, in this large room
there are also 3400 slot machines.
Among the facial expressions of
the spectators at the gambling game, I saw some who looked very happy and
cheerful and others who had tired faces and even almost as if they were
stressed. It is certain that the first facial expression is a reflection of the
winner, while the second is the person who lost the gamble.
One interesting thing to note is
that in this place we can enjoy free mineral water drinks so we don't need to
spend money. Just take a drink at the gambling table and your thirst can be
quenched.
I grabbed a bottle of mineral
water on the table and drank it and I saw someone looking at me with a smile
and a nod. After that he was again immersed in the atmosphere of the gambling
spectacle.
Despite this interesting
phenomenon of mass gambling, it is difficult to document in the form of
pictures or videos. Why? Entering casinos in Macau, it is prohibited to use
cameras. This prohibition is a rule that every visitor to this gambling
location in Macau must obey.
“Please, brothers and sisters, do
not use photos or recordings either via cameras or cellphones. "If this is
done and discovered, it could have fatal consequences, namely our camera being
taken or confiscated by officers," was the advice given by the guide
before we entered the building.
After spending some time among
the gambling tables, my friend and I headed to a shopping center one floor
above. I quite enjoyed the beautiful views inside this hotel, especially a
replica of the canal that visitors can use by boat.
The interior of the Venetian
Hotel & Resort, as well as the largest shopping center in Macau, China, is
designed to be very attractive and charming. There's no need to go to Italy if
you just want to enjoy the views of Venice and its Gondola boats as a typical
means of transportation. Just watch it all at this hotel.
One more thing, don't forget that
the Gondolier or boat paddler, is said to have been imported directly from
Europe. In short, the Macau government believes that just by being in their
country, tourists can enjoy the atmosphere of Las Vegas, the most populous city
in the state of Nevada and the amazing views of the city of Venice in Italy.
An interesting idea for the
development of a tourist area. Even so, it was starting to get late in the
afternoon which meant we had to leave this shopping and entertainment center.
There were no plans for a visit
that afternoon because the clock was already 17.00 Macau time. From here my
friends and I headed to a restaurant for dinner and after that to the hotel
where we were staying.**
*** Travel notes in Macau, China on November 2, 2017.
*** Ahmadin (2020) Feeling the Universe of Hong Kong, Makassar: Rayhan Intermedia