**Travels in Macau: A time-space fantasy through the East and the West**
In early summer 2025, I set foot on Macau, the "pearl of the motherland", and started a fantasy journey of culture, food and adventure in the interweaving of historical relics and modern neon lights.
**Historical imprint: Echoes of the years in the old city**
The first stop is the Ruins of St. Paul's. The front wall of this Baroque church, which has experienced vicissitudes of life, has a new look in 2025. When night falls, the light show reproduces the original appearance of the church with holographic projection. The mottled stone carvings dance with digital light and shadow, as if telling the fusion of Portuguese charm and Lingnan culture in the 16th century. Passing through the colorful graffiti wall of Love Lane and entering the holy treasure house of the Rosary Church, more than 300 Catholic relics and the gilded relief of the altar silently interpret the heavy history of the "Oriental Vatican". Climb up the Guia Fortress, where the first modern lighthouse on the Chinese coast and the murals of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows complement each other, overlooking the panoramic view of the peninsula, where the skylines of the old and new cities collide.
**A feast for the tongue: a taste carnival of market life and luxury**
The soul of Macau is hidden in the fireworks of the streets. There is a long queue in front of Andrew's Bakery on Guanye Street. The freshly baked Portuguese tarts are crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside, and the caramel aroma hits the taste buds directly; the pork chop buns at Dalilaiji, thick-cut pork chops wrapped in crispy bread, paired with a cup of Hon Kee hand-made coffee, instantly wake up the morning. In the evening, move to the Bay Restaurant, where the salty fragrance of Portuguese baked duck rice and the dense cod balls interpret the localization of Portuguese cuisine to the fullest. If you want to experience luxury, the lake view afternoon tea at Wing Lei Palace interprets the exquisite aesthetics of the "food island" with gold foil shrimp dumplings and black truffle siu mai.
**Entertainment secrets: from high altitude limits to virtual fantasy**
Macau Tower is a paradise for adventurers. Standing on the 338-meter-high glass plank road, overlooking the blue waves of the Pearl River Estuary, my heartbeat resonates with the sea breeze; if it's not exciting enough, the VR bungee jumping device takes me to jump into the virtual cloud, and the superposition of technology and adrenaline makes me dizzy. Going to the Venetian, the gondola driver sings Italian folk songs, and the Baroque domes and duty-free shop windows on both sides of the canal interweave into a paradise of consumerism. After nightfall, the upgraded version of "The House of Dancing Water" at City of Dreams is staged, and the audio-visual feast of water curtain blasting and high-altitude stunts draws a magical end to this day.
**Epilogue: The charm of the Macao River in one city with thousands of faces**
Before leaving, I sat alone on the black sand beach of Coloane Island. The waves gently caressed the fine sand, and the neon lights of the Macau Tower on the opposite bank flickered. The diverse faces of this city - the vicissitudes of history, the fireworks of food, and the cutting edge of technology - quietly merged in the sound of the tide. Just like the symbiosis of the ruins of the Ruins of St. Paul's and VR projection, Macau has always been writing a unique legend of "Oriental Monte Carlo" in the tension between tradition and modernity.
**Practical Tips**:
- Transportation: Make good use of the hotel's "Lucky Car" for free shuttle, and walk through the old town to add more charm.
- Avoid the crowds: Visit the Ruins of St. Paul's at 7 am to enjoy the unmanned secret place; Guanye Street has a peak passenger flow in the afternoon, so it is recommended to find food during off-peak hours.
- Technology experience: The AR guided tour of the Macau Museum and the VR church restoration project of the Ruins of St. Paul's make history "alive".