Fishermen from Fujian and farmers from Guangdong were the first known settlers in Macau, when it was known as Ou Mun, or "trading gate", because of its location at the mouth of the Pearl River downstream from Guangzhou (Canton). During ancient times port city was part of the Silk Road with ships loading here with silk for Rome.

Even after China ceased to be a world trade centre, Guangzhou prospered from seaborne business with the countries of Southeast Asia, so the local entrepreneurs welcomed the arrival of Portuguese merchant-explorers. They followed in the wake of Jorge Alvares, who landed in southern China in 1513, and set about finding suitable trading posts.

In the early 1550s the Portuguese reached Ou Mun, which the locals also called A Ma Gao, "place of A Ma", in honour of the Goddess of Seafarers, whose temple stood at the entrance to the sheltered Inner Harbour. The Portuguese adopted the name, which gradually changes into the name Macau, and with the permission of Guangdong's mandarins, established a city that within a short time had become a major entrepot for trade between China, Japan, India and Europe.

It also became the perfect crossroad for the meeting of East and West cultures. The Roman Catholic church sent some of its greatest missionaries to continue the work of St Francis Xavier, (who died nearby after making many converts in Japan). A Christian college was built, beside what is now today's Ruins of St Paul's, where students such as Matteo Ricci prepared for their work as Christian scholars at the Imperial Court in Beijing. Other churches were built, as well as fortresses, which gave the city an historical European appearance that distinguishes it to this day.

Portugal's golden age in Asia faded as rivals like the Dutch and British took over their trade. However the Chinese chose to continue to do business through the Portuguese in Macau, so for over a century the British East India Company and others set up shop here in rented houses like the elegant Casa Garden. As Europe's trade with China grew, the European merchants spent part of the year in Guangzhou, buying tea and Chinese luxuries at the bi-annual fairs, using Macau as a recreational retreat.

Following the Opium War in 1841, Hong Kong was established by Britain and most of the foreign merchants left Macau, which became a quaint, quiet backwater. Nevertheless it has continued to enjoy a leisurely multicultural existence and make daily, practical use of its historical buildings, in the process becoming a favourite stopover for international travellers, writers and artists.

Macau has developed in the past industries such as textiles, electronics and toys, while today has built up world class tourism industry with a wide choice of hotels, resorts, MICE facilities, restaurants and casinos. Macau's economy is closely linked to that of Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, in particular the Pearl River Delta region, which qualifies as one of Asia's 'little tigers'. Macau provides financial and banking services, staff training, transport and communications support.

Today Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and, like Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of "one country, two systems". The tiny SAR is growing in size - with more buildings on reclaimed land - and in the number and diversity of its attractions. The greatest of these continues to be Macau's unique society, with communities from the East and West complementing each other, and the many people who come to visit.

Information obtains from Macau Government Tourist Office

MACAU GOVERNMENT TOURIST OFFICE

Coming to Macau via Hong Kong

An easy way to get to Macau is to fly to Hong Kong, a hub where most airlines fly from any major cities in the world, and then get a ferry or helicopter to Macau.

You can choose one of the three routes to Macau:

1. After your arrival, before checking through the custom, look for the Ferry Transfer Desk next to the Airport Authority Customer Services Counter on the Arrival Level (DON'T go through the custom) where you can buy the skypier ferry tickets directly from the Hong Kong International Airport to Macau. The single trip fare is about HK$233.00 (or equivalently US$30). Even though this is the most convenience way to get to Macau from the Hong Kong International Airport, you are strongly recommended to check the schedule of the skypier ferry before planning for your trip.

2. You can go through the immigration desks and head for the Shun Tak Center ferry terminal in Sheung Wan on the Hong Kong Island from where you can either take the ferry (TurboJet) or a helicopter from Shun Tak Center to Macau. The single trip fare for the ferry is about HK$151.00 (or US20) and the single trip fare for the helicopter is about HK1,900 (US244). The ferries depart from Shun Tak Center in every 15 or 30 minutes and the schedule for the helicopters in every 30 minutes.

3. You can go through the immigration desks and head for the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side. The single trip fare for the ferry is about HK$170.00 (or US22). The ferries depart from the China Ferry Terminal in every 30 minutes.

There are two ways for you to get to both ferry terminals from the Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International Airport. First, you can take the Airport Express (HK$100, or around US$12, single trip) to either the Hong Kong Station for the Shun Tak Center Ferry Terminal or the Kowloon Station for the China Ferry Terminal, and get on a taxi for a short distance. Another way is to take a bus from the airport to either the Hong Kong Island (bus number A11) Shun Tak Center. For more information, please browse through the following website: https://www.macautourism.gov.mo/en/info/get2macau.php

Coming to Macau by Air

Besides Air Macau, Tiger Airlines flying from Singapore, Eva Airlines from Taiwan, Air Asia from Malaysia and Thailand, also have frequent flights to the Macau International Airport. You can therefore choose to transit from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, or Bangkok. However, since Eva Airlines, Transasia Airway, and Air Macau offer daily flights to Macau, there are actually more frequent flights from Taipei, Taiwan, to Macau. Please be reminded to book your tickets early if you choose to transit from Taipei, as this route is busy throughout the year.

For detailed information on flight schedules, please visit https://www.macau-airport.com. For detailed information on immigration and customs formalities, you can visit the Immigration Services website at https://www.fsm.gov.mo and https://www.customs.gov.mo.