Macau: Holidays and Events
Public holidays
Date | Holiday |
January February | Chinese new year |
February | Procession Nosso Senhor dos Passos |
March | Festival of the god Toutei |
March April | Good Friday, Easter |
March April | Ching Ming Festival, Chinese Death Sunday |
1st of May | Birthday of A-Ma, A-Ma Festival |
May | Buddha’s birthday |
May | Fátima day, the apparition of the Virgin Mary is celebrated in the form of a procession. |
??? | Festival of the Drunken Kite |
June | Tuen Ng Draggonboat Festival |
??? | Kuan Tai Festival |
July | Daoist Na Cha festival |
August | Festival of the Hungry Ghosts |
October 1 | National holiday, founding of the People’s Republic of China |
October | Chung Yeung Day, Ancestral Day |
20th of December | Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
24./25. December | Christmas |
Source: Countryaah
Regular cultural events
Date | kind of event |
March April | Macau Arts Festival |
September October | International fireworks festival |
October November | International music festival |
Regular sporting events
Date | kind of event |
May | Macau Open golf tournament |
June | International dragon boat fights |
November | Macau Grand Prix |
December | Macau International Marathon, Macau International Half Marathon |
Macau: climate
The best time to travel to Macau
The climate in Macau is tropical, i.e. humid and humid with humidity of 73% – 90%.
October to December is the best time to travel as it is sunny and warm, but not humid like the summer months from July to September.
From January to March the climate is sunny but cool.
In general, however, you can travel to Macau all year round.
Climate table
Month | Average number of rainy days | Mean maximum temperatures in (°C) | Mean minimum temperatures in (°C) |
January | 01 | 20 | 13 |
February | 07 | 20 | 15 |
March | 04 | 21 | 16 |
April | 13 | 23 | 20 |
May | 11 | 28 | 23 |
June | 20 | 29 | 25 |
July | 11 | 31 | 26 |
August | 08 | 31 | 26 |
September | 12 | 30 | 24 |
October | 09 | 28 | 23 |
November | 05 | 25 | 20 |
December | 04 | 20 | 14 |
Macau: Sightseeing
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Old City of Macau
Macau is located near Hong Kong.
The city was founded by Portuguese in 1557. In 1999 it was integrated into the People’s Republic of China. From the colonial days of the Portuguese there are still numerous sights in Macau that are close together. Your sightseeing tour should start with Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, where you can admire historic Portuguese-style buildings. You then cross Senado Square, where the city council and the national library are housed. Nearby is the baroque church – Sé Catedral.
The historic old town of Macau was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005.
Senado Square
Senado Square
The square represents the center of the city. Surrounded by the neoclassical facades and the newly paved street, the square is reminiscent of a Mediterranean city. And like this one, a large part of social life takes place on the square.
Interesting buildings
Lau Kau House
The building from 1889 was built by a successful Chinese merchant. The house is a traditional Chinese courtyard house with two floors. The house is not far from the main square of the city and the cathedral, in the middle of the Christian part of the city.
House of a Mandarin
The Chinese house was built in 1881 for the famous writer Zheng Guanying
Fort
The fort was built with the help of the Jesuits between 1617 and 1626. It is spread over an area of around 10,000 m 2. It is located on a central mountain in the middle of the city, from which you have a good view of the city.
Leal Senado Building
This neoclassical building was built in 1784 and has been the city’s government ever since. The library inside the building is modeled on the Mafra convention in Portugal.
Guia Lighthouse
The lighthouse from 1865, the first modern beacon in China, is located in the fort of the same name next to the St. Clare Convent.
Guia Fort
The fort was built between 1622 and 1638.
Remnants of the old city wall
The remains of the old city wall are in the immediate vicinity of the Na Tcha temple. The Portuguese used the same type of defensive wall in Africa and India.
TV tower
A modern TV tower was opened in 2001 on the edge of the old town. From the 338 m high tower you can plunge into the depths on a rubber rope.
Theater, opera
Churches and temples
Sé Catedral
This baroque church is located in downtown Macau near Senado Square and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage
St. Paul
The Ruins of St. Paul’s quasi become with their freestanding facade to the landmark of Macau after the Jesuit Church the great fire of Had fallen victim in 1835. The facade was built between 1620 and 1627 based on a design by Jesuit Carlo Spinola. Affiliated to the church was the first Jesuit school in the Far East. It was from here that missionaries like Adam Schall and Matteo Ricci were prepared for their missionary work in China. This included the acquisition of the Chinese language. The entire complex was rearranged from 1990 to 1995 with successful modern architecture. This also includes a small museum.
Santo Agostinho
The predecessor of today’s church was built in 1586 by the Spanish Augustinians. The current church dates from 1814. The procession Nosso Senhor dos Passos starts from this church.
St. Dominik
The Dominican church from 1590 stands today on the central square, which has recently been paved with a wave-shaped stone mosaic. There is now a small museum in the back of the church.
St. Joseph
The church was consecrated in 1758 as part of a Jesuit seminary.
St. Antonio
St. Antonio is the oldest church in the city. However, it was rebuilt several times. Most recently in 1930.
Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple
The Chinese temple is located in the middle of the Christian city.
Na Tcha Temple
The temple was built in 1888 in honor of Na Tcha. The temple stands right next to the ruins of St. Paul’s Church.
Museums
Maritim-Museum
The museum..
Universities
University of Macau (Universidade de Macau)
Macau Polytechnic Institute (Instituto Politécnico de Macau)
Macau University of Science and Technology
International Institute for Software Technology at the United Nations University in Macau
Gambling casino
In 2002 the monopoly of the former Portuguese colony on gambling ended and since then Macau has developed into the largest gambling paradise in Asia. The development of the local gambling industry has been greatly enhanced by the desire of many Chinese to earn money with such games, and gambling is recognized in Chinese society as a legitimate pursuit of wealth and happiness.
Between 2004 and 2007 the huge “Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel-Casino” was built, which is considered to be one of the largest buildings in the world. The complex’s casino room alone covers an area of 51,000 m. In the huge gaming room there are around 3,400 slot machines and 800 gaming tables for all kinds of games of chance, such as roulette or blackjack. The area is complemented by a conference center with an area of 111,000 m² as well as a theater and an event arena with around 15,000 seats. The restaurants and shops cover an area of just under 150,000 m². The whole thing is truly a terrific player’s paradise.