Kitsch Report

For such a small place, Macau certainly thinks big. You can't miss the Gate of Understanding, a 40-m futuristic black granite arch, or the 2-m-tall concrete Coke bottles that dot the roads on Taipa and Coloane islands. A huge bronze handshake graces Sun Yat-sen park, while two giant goddesses--a 20-m white marble statue of A-Ma set on the 170-m high Coloane Peak, and a 20-m tall depiction of the Buddhist deity Kun Iam overlooking the Macau Cultural Center--were recently unveiled. The grandest scheme yet is the Macau Tower, a 338-m structure being financed by local gambling magnate Stanley Ho. Fittingly, the foundation has been laid next to Ho's Lisboa hotel and casino complex--arguably the definitive expression of Sino-Portuguese kitsch. Due to be finished in April 2000, the tower will include a convention center, shopping arcades, a 600-seat theater, a two-story indoor/outdoor observation deck and a revolving restaurant that can seat 200. Ho, a member of Macau's handover-preparatory committee, says his pet project will celebrate the merger of Macau and China in the new millennium--and also rival Paris' Eiffel Tower.

Introduction Environment When to Go History Facts at a Glance Events Activities

Attractions Off the Beaten Track Getting There & Away Getting Around Recommended Reading View a Map