Macau

From Portuguese Trading Port to Casino Capital

von Minute Cities

142 Seiten, Taschenbuch

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

How did a tiny settlement on the Chinese coast become one of the most extraordinary cities in Asia?For more than four centuries, Macau stood at the meeting point of China and Portugal. Merchants carried silk and silver through its harbour, Jesuit missionaries used it as their gateway into China, Dutch soldiers attempted to capture it, and generations of Chinese and Portuguese residents created a culture found nowhere else.Then everything changed.Hong Kong stole much of Macau's traditional trade. Gambling became increasingly important to its survival. Refugees crowded into the territory during the Second World War, revolution transformed neighbouring China, and the riots of 1966 demonstrated how fragile Portuguese authority had become.In 1999, more than four hundred years of Portuguese administration came to an end.But Macau's greatest transformation was still to come.The casino industry was opened to international competition, billions of dollars poured into the territory, and enormous resorts rose on reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane. Within years, Macau had overtaken Las Vegas to become the world's largest casino market by gaming revenue.30 Minute Cities: Macau tells the remarkable story of a city that repeatedly reinvented itself to survive.Discover: - How the Portuguese established themselves on the Chinese coast- Why Macau became one of the great trading ports of sixteenth-century Asia- How Jesuit missionaries used the city as their gateway into China- The dramatic Dutch attack of 1622- Why the rise of Hong Kong threatened Macau's survival- How gambling became central to the city's economy- Macau's extraordinary experience during the Second World War- The rise of Stanley Ho and the modern casino industry- The riots that transformed Portuguese rule- The 1999 handover to China- How Cotai turned reclaimed land into a global entertainment centre- A historical walk through A-Ma Temple, Senado Square, St Paul's, Monte Fort, Taipa and ColoaneFrom ancient temples and Portuguese churches to neon casino towers, Macau contains centuries of global history within just a few square miles.A concise, accessible history for travellers, history readers and anyone who wants to understand the remarkable story behind modern Macau.

• Reihe: Independently published
• ISBN: 9798175645638
• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 22.09.2026
• Größe: 203 x 127 mm
• Verlag: Independently published