Non-Casino Attractions To See When Visiting Macau

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Wednesday, November 8th, 2017 | Written by Shane Larson

While Macau is the world’s biggest gambling destination, there is so much else to enjoy while visiting the holiday island situated on the south coast of China. In fact, one of the area’s best places for non-casino entertainment is Taipa Village, once known as a fishing village, but now transformed into one of Macau’s trendies areas, complete with restaurants, coffee shops, museums, and numerous other buildings of cultural interest.

Restaurants

It all started with the opening of the Cozinha, Pinnochio restaurant, four decades ago. At the time, the open air restaurant was situated in an out of the way location, where patrons headed to dine on traditional Macanese dishes. The family owned restaurant has subsequently changed and evolved over the years, and the current location of this upmarket eatery is in a pride of position spot at the entrance to Taipa Village.

This was just the start of the area’s restaurant boom, though. Having transformed from a quiet fishing town to a hot destination for foodies, the face of Macau quickly changed when famed chef Antonio Coelho opened a restaurant of his own in the former site of a village shop house back in 2008. As the restaurant scene has expanded many of the original eateries have since followed suit and upgraded to higher end food and services, and now Taipa is home to three Michelin approved restaurants, proving it has become a heavy hitter in the culinary industry. These restaurants include Antonio, O Santos, and Café Leon.

As an article published by David Vetter in the South China Morning post recently explained: “Taipa Village has established itself as an important gastronomic center along with its cultural and scenic pleasures. The village is home to more than 20 eateries of diverse cuisines – from traditional Chinese fare to cutting-edge Portuguese and Spanish offerings and, of course, Macanese food.”

Cafes

As well as more global coffee brands such as Starbucks opening up a cafe in the area, there are numerous other more traditional coffee establishments to be found in Tapei Village, including Korean coffee house chain Tom N Toms. The venue is a subsidiary of real estate company Sniper Capital, Taipa Village which has also been busily acquiring old properties in the area, which it then renovates and leases out to beverage and food outlets, as well as retail businesses.

The chain has made a point of purchasing these empty buildings with the intention of helping to revitalize the village, and making it more appealing to both international tourists and local residents alike. Elaborating further upon its objectives for the area, Pamela Chan, senior marketing manager for the company, explained:

“Our goal is not only to promote our own businesses, but also to cooperate with other merchants with an objective of attracting more visitors to Taipa Village. Management has a huge passion to promote this area. Taipa Village is a very unique and colorful area that is full of history.”

Theater, Museums, Shops

Aside from the food scene, other non-casino places to visit include the Camo Hall, housed in a former power planet, which is now used for various activities open to the community, including stage performances and much more. Highlights of the village also include its Taipa Village Art Space, which features the work of local artists, as well as businesses such as the Portuguese gift shop O Santos.

Furthermore, at the previous site of the Municipal Commission of the Islands now lies the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, with the civil servant’s former homes having also been repurposed into the Macanese Living Museum. Within each house can be found art exhibits, while the space outside these venues is often used for festivals, and other community events. Even more notable sights to include in a visit to the area are religious buildings, such as Our Lady of Camo Church, as well as several Chinese temples that have been a part of Taipa Village for four centuries.

Popular Tourist Hot Spot

These are just a few of the many reasons to visit Macau, which is no longer simply a place to gamble, but a resort rich in history and art. In conclusion, Macau is quickly becoming a popular vacation destination for those people who want to soak in everything that the island has to offer aside from just its impressive casinos, with the local culture within Taipa Village having to be experienced first hand in order for anyone to truly appreciate it.