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A-Ma Temple
A-Ma Temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Macau. Situated in the Barra District and at the base of Pehua Hill, the temple is dedicated to the god A-Ma (Mother and Queen of the Sea) after whom Macau is also named. There are numerous legends about A-Ma, but the most popular is that she was a beautiful young girl from Fujian province who saved a ship from sinking en route to Guangzhou. She vanished on return to Macau, and a temple was built at the spot where she later reappeared as a goddess.
Parts of the temple are more than 600 years old and were built before the arrival of the Portuguese. Today, the temple complex consists of Ming dynasty shrines, prayer halls, pavilions and gardens creeping up the hillside. It is a working temple, both fascinating and atmospheric, and is particularly vibrant in April and May during the festival of A-Ma, when it bustles with pilgrims. It is also busy at Chinese New Year with the deafening sound of firecrackers.
A single morning or afternoon should be adequate to see all the temple has to offer as well as the adjacent Macao Maritime Museum
Camoes Garden and Grotto
Camoes Garden was long a wild tract of land under Portuguese rule. Eventually it became the homestead of a merchant who was famous for raising hundreds of doves that occupied the grounds. The acreage was eventually given to the public and named for the 16th-century poet, Luis de Camoes, who supposedly spent time in Macau finishing his epic poem Os Lusiadas while in exile from Portugal. His bust stands in the grotto and is one of the park's most scenic sites.
Covering a sizable piece of land, the garden is a great place to spend an afternoon ambling around the winding paths and exploring hidden corners. Sociable locals congregate in the central area sporting caged birds of all kinds.
The trees here provide welcome shade in the summer months or escape the sun in the Luis de Camoes Museum, also situated on the grounds.
Extreme Sports: AJ Hackett Macao Tower
If you arrive in Macao with money in your pocket, a taste for extreme sports and no intention of hitting a casino, AJ Hackett Macau Tower might just become your home away from home. Off the tower, you can bungy jump, sky jump, sports climb on the bolted routes, trampoline and long-iron walk.
In 1987, the now-famous AJ Hackett bungy-jumped from the Eiffel Tower, bring international attention to the sport for the first time in history. Now the New Zealander operates adventure sports facilities around the world, including the activities at Macau Tower.
The bungy jump at Macau Tower is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world's highest commercial jump at 233 meters. You can also climb to the peak of Macau Tower which is 338 meters above street level and the Skywalk X in which guests can walk around the main observation deck (233 meters) on a narrow walkway outside the tower.
Sky jumps cost around 600 MOP for your first jump, but it's one-third the price if you do more than one (Tandem jumps are twice the price). Sports climbing costs 100 MOP. Bungy trampoline: 60 MOP. Bungy jumps cost around 900 MOP for the first jump and half price for second.
Hac Sa Beach
Hac Sa Beach (or Black Sands Beach) is an enormous crescent-shaped beach on Coloane Island. It's considered Macau's most popular and as the name implies, the sand is black (though much of the "native" sand has eroded into the sea and the city has replaced it with imported yellow sand). The water is relatively clean (the dark sand makes it look dirtier than it really is) for swimming.
In addition to the sand and sea, Hac Sa offers man-made facilities for entertaining beach goers. Adjacent to the beach is Hac Sa Sports and Recreation Park, whose facilities include a pool, tennis courts, golf course and various other sporting and leisure facilities.
Kun Iam Temple
Kun Iam Tong Temple is one of Macau's most interesting. Dedicated to Kun Iam, Goddess of Mercy, the temple was first built in the 13th century, although the present building only dates back to 1627. Today, the temple complex houses pictures and scrolls dedicated to Buddha and Kun Iam. Beautiful terraced gardens abound with bird life while numerous fortunetellers divine the futures of temple visitors. It is a lively and active temple and a great place to do some people watching while enjoying the peninsula's atmosphere.
The temple also has historical importance as the spot where the first Sino-American treaty was signed in 1844. The marble table on which the treaty was signed (declaring opium trade illegal) is on display.
Lou Lim Loc Gardens
The only classical Chinese style gardens in the Hong Kong and Macao region, the Lou Lim Loc Gardens are a harmonious and charming arrangement of pretty pavilions, delicate terraces, towers, ponds, bridges and winding corridors. The main body of the garden contains a zigzag bridge, spectacular rockery, a secluded bamboo wood and miniature waterfall. Small paths meander through the rockery and in summer the trees and plants flower while the garden's waterways can become completely obscured by lilies and beautiful lotus flowers in shades of pink and purple.
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