Macao recently made 12 new additions to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, including the thrilling dragon boat races and the utterly delicious almond cookies. But let’s be real: what are the truly quirky, hilariously unique, and undeniably Macao items that we’d really love to see on that list?
What wonderfully weird, baffling or fantastically fun thing perfectly encapsulates the spirit of “the real Macao” and absolutely deserves to be preserved for all eternity? We asked around the Macao News office, and these are some of the answers we got.
1. Taxis without rear seatbelts
You climb into the backseat of a taxi to find that, yes, there is a seatbelt, but the thing that you clip it into has been yanked out of the upholstery – meaning that even if you want to protect yourself from the cabbie’s erratic driving, you can’t. Macao is all about taking a gamble.
2. Green bollards
They are the unsung heroes of the Historic Centre’s streetscape, outshone by the gorgeously pastel-coloured heritage buildings and the city’s distinctive Portuguese style calçada paving. But in their own sweet and subtle way, Macao’s distinctive green bollards impart a distinctively European touch.
3. Macao Cantonese
Although the Cantonese used in Macao is largely the same as other Cantonese-speaking regions, there are certain words that are only heard in these 33 square kilometres, including 廢水 (fai seoi, literally “waste water”), 暗 (lift, and distinct from Hong Kong Cantonese’s 撳) and 督課中心 (tutorial centre, as opposed to Hong Kong Cantonese’s 補習社). Incidentally, there are also Portuguese words unique to Macao.
4. Schoolkid snacks
Proust may have had his madeleine, but everyone who grew up in Macao can rhapsodise about the favourite treats of childhood: Dream animals crackers (愉快動物餅), Edo biscuits, Mamee noodles, Haw Flakes (山楂餅), White Rabbit milk candy (大白兔奶糖), and waffles made with peanut butter, condensed milk and sugar. Oh and did we mention oxtail macaroni?
5. Absurdly long street names
Do you live on Estrada da Baía de Nossa Senhora da Esperança? How about Largo do Presidente António Ramalho Eanes? Or at the Rotunda Dr. Carlos A. Correa Pães d’Assumpção? What about Avenida do Governador Jaime Silvério Marques? Good luck trying to find enough space for your address on a standard form.
6. Trash compactor art
In an effort to beautify the city, the SAR government has been decorating the trash compactors with an array of cheery images, some of which make use of Macao’s iconic historic structures and landmarks. Talk about making funk from junk.
7. Hotel rooms that you can smoke in
We’ve twice checked into a downtown hotel that shall remain nameless, and been offered an upgrade by well-meaning staff, who neglected to inform us that the bigger, “better” room was actually on a smoking floor – something we’ve only come across in vintage movies. Cue a sleepless night, choking on the toxic fumes from our chainsmoking neighbour, drifting under the interconnecting door.
8. Using casino buses to get around
With the LRT’s network being so limited, and taxis hard to find, at some time or another we’ve all taken advantage of the city’s numerous free casino shuttles to get around. Once you’ve taken note of the major routes, you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is – and not to mention free – to ride between Macao’s main locations.
9. Dalgona coffee
Macao’s culinary culture isn’t just found in fancy hotels. Pay a visit to Hon Kee Café – an unassuming hole-in-the-wall nestled amid the shipyards of Coloane – and you’ll be at ground zero of the global trend for “beaten” or whipped coffee. It’s a unique beverage made by blending instant coffee granules with plenty of sugar, and it was pioneered here in the late 1990s, becoming an early precursor to the viral Dalgona coffee fad of 2020.
