Macau

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Macau}}
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| caption1 = [[Senado Square]]
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| caption2 = [[Na Tcha Temple]]
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The mixing of [[Culture of China|Chinese]] and [[Portuguese culture]] and religious traditions for more than four centuries has left Macau with an inimitable collection of holidays, festivals and events. The biggest event of the year is the [[Macau Grand Prix]] each November,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/en/ |title=Macau Grand Prix |access-date=1 July 2019 |publisher=Macau Grand Prix Committee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701173824/https://www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/en/ |archive-date=1 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> when the main streets of the Macau Peninsula are converted to a racetrack bearing similarities with the [[Monaco Grand Prix]]. Other annual events include Macau Arts festival in March, the International Fireworks Display Contest in September, the International Music festival in October and/or November, and the Macau International Marathon in December.

The Lunar [[Chinese New Year]] is the most important traditional festival, and celebration normally takes place in late January or early February.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/macau/macau-festivals-&-events/index.html |title=Macau Festivals & Events |publisher=AsiaRooms.com |date=17 February 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218044033/http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/macau/macau-festivals-%26-events/index.html |archive-date=18 February 2008}}</ref> The Pou Tai Un Temple in Taipa is the place for the Feast of Tou Tei, the Earth god, in February. The Procession of the Passion of Our Lord is a well-known Roman Catholic rite and journey, which travels from Saint Austin's Church to the cathedral, also taking place in February.<ref name=Asiarooms>{{cite web |url=http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/macau/macau-overview/macau-geography.html |title=Macau Geography |access-date=6 January 2008 |publisher=AsiaRooms.com |date=11 January 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112081315/http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/macau/macau-overview/macau-geography.html |archive-date=12 January 2008}}</ref>

The A-Ma Temple, which honours the Goddess Matsu, is in full swing in April with many worshipers celebrating the A-Ma festival. In May, it is common to see dancing dragons at the Feast of the Drunken Dragon and twinkling-clean Buddhas at the Feast of the Bathing of Lord Buddha. In [[Coloane Village]], the [[Taoist]] god [[Tam Kong]] is also honoured on the same day.<ref name=Asiarooms/> [[Dragon Boat Festival]] is brought into play on Nam Van Lake in June and Hungry Ghosts' festival, in late August and/or early September every year. All events and festivities of the year end with [[Dongzhi Festival|Winter Solstice]] in December.

Macau preserves many historical properties in the urban area. Its [[Historic Centre of Macau|historic centre]], which includes some twenty-five historic locations, was officially listed as a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]] on 15 July 2005 during the 29th session of the [[World Heritage Committee]], held in [[Durban]], South Africa.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/135 |date=July 15, 2005 |title=Mostar, Macao and Biblical vestiges in Israel are among the 17 cultural sites inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List |access-date=5 September 2006 |publisher=UNESCO |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813122915/https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/135 |archive-date=13 August 2006}}</ref>
However, the Macao government is criticised for ignoring the conservation of heritage in urban planning.<ref name="YC2007">{{Cite book |title=China's Macao Transformed: Challenge and Development in the 21st Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FbDIBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA316 |last1=Yu |first1=Eilo W.Y. |last2=Chan |first2=Ming K. |publisher=City University of HK Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-9629372071 |pages=316}}</ref> In 2007, local residents of Macao wrote a letter to UNESCO complaining about construction projects around [[world heritage]] [[Guia Lighthouse]] (Focal height {{cvt|108|m}}), including the headquarter of the Liaison Office ({{cvt|91|m}}). UNESCO then issued a warning to the Macau government, which led former Chief Executive [[Edmund Ho]] to sign a notice regulating height restrictions on buildings around the site.<ref name="mdt2016"/> In 2015, the [[New Macau Association]] submitted a report to UNESCO claiming that the government had failed to protect Macao's cultural heritage against threats by urban development projects. One of the main examples of the report is that the headquarter of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, which is located on the Guia foothill and obstructs the view of the [[Guia Fortress]] (one of the world heritages symbols of Macao). One year later, Roni Amelan, a spokesman from UNESCO Press service, said that the UNESCO has asked China for information and is still waiting for a reply.<ref>Meneses, J. (2016). The Victory of Heritage. Macau Business, July 2016, pp. 72–73.</ref><ref name="mdt2016">
{{Cite news |url=https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/new-macau-alerts-un-construction-project-near-lighthouse.html |title=New Macau Alerts UN to Construction Project near Lighthouse |date=8 November 2016 |work=Macau Daily Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203005837/https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/new-macau-alerts-un-construction-project-near-lighthouse.html |archive-date=3 February 2018 |url-status=live}}
</ref> In 2016, the Macau government approved an {{convert|81|m|adj=on}}-tall construction limit for the residential project, which reportedly goes against the city's regulations on the height of buildings around world heritage site Guia Lighthouse.<ref name="mdt2016"/>

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Macanese cuisine}}
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|footer=''(Left)'': Macanese-style ''[[pastel de nata]]''. ''(Right)'': [[Pork chop bun]]s are popular street snacks.
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Food in Macau is mainly based on both [[Cantonese cuisine|Cantonese]] and [[Portuguese cuisine]], drawing influences from [[Indian cuisine|Indian]] and [[Malay cuisine|Malay]] dishes as well, reflecting a unique cultural and culinary blend after centuries of colonial rule.<ref>{{harvnb|Long|2015|p=389}}.</ref> Portuguese recipes were adapted to use local ingredients, such as fresh seafood, [[turmeric]], [[coconut milk]], and [[adzuki bean]]s. These adaptations produced Macanese variations of traditional Portuguese dishes including ''[[caldo verde]]'', [[minchee]], and ''[[cozido à portuguesa]]''. While many restaurants claim to serve traditional Portuguese or Macanese dishes, most serve a mix of Cantonese-Portuguese fusion cuisine. ''[[Galinha à portuguesa]]'' is an example of a Chinese dish that draws from Macanese influences, but is not part of Macanese cuisine.<ref name="LongMacauFood">{{harvnb|Long|2015|p=390}}.</ref> ''[[Cha chaan teng]]'', a type of fast casual diner originating in Hong Kong that serves that region's interpretation of Western food, are also prevalent in Macau.<ref>{{harvnb|Long|2015|p=391}}.</ref> ''[[Pastel de nata]]'', [[pork chop bun]]s, and [[almond biscuit]]s are popular street food items.<ref name="LongMacauFood" />

=== Sports ===
{{main|Sport in Macau}}
[[File:2008 Macau F3 GP.JPG|thumb|[[Formula Three]] racers in the 2008 [[Macau Grand Prix]]]]

Despite its small area, Macau is home to a variety of sports and recreational facilities that have hosted a number of major international sporting events, including the [[2005 East Asian Games]], the [[2006 Lusophony Games]], and the [[2007 Asian Indoor Games]].

The territory regularly hosts the [[Macau Grand Prix]], one of the most significant annual motorsport competitions that uses city streets as the racetrack. It is the only [[street circuit]] that hosts [[Formula Three]], [[Touring car racing|touring car]], and motorcycle races in the same event. The [[Guia Circuit]], with narrow corner clearance and a winding path, is considered an extremely challenging course and a serious milestone for prospective [[Formula One]] racers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shadbolt |first=Peter |date=7 November 2013 |title=Macau Grand Prix: The final exam for racers |url=http://travel.cnn.com/macau-grand-prix-737446/ |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=27 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107172825/http://travel.cnn.com/macau-grand-prix-737446/ |archive-date=7 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Macau represents itself separately from mainland China with its own sports teams in international competitions. The territory maintains its own [[Sports and Olympic Committee of Macau, China|National Olympic Committee]], but does not compete in the [[Olympic Games]]. [[International Olympic Committee]] rules specify that new NOCs can only be admitted if they represent sovereign states (Hong Kong has participated in the Olympics since before the regulation change in 1996).<ref>{{harvnb|Mallon|Heijmans|2011|p=211}}.</ref>