China’s city of Macau old-world charm blends harmoniously with modern extravagance. A Portuguese Colony until 1999, Portuguese-inspired architecture, museums and cuisine stand as a testimony to the city’s rich Colonial history while the modern Macau hotel offers luxury accommodation and world-class gambling.
Home the world renowned Guia Circuit, Macau hosts the annual Formular 3 Grand Prix in November. The 602 km Guia Circuit which runs through Macau’s narrow streets past the Galaxy Macau Hotel Resort is known as one of the world’s most challenging racing tracks similar to the racing circuit in Monte Carlo. Located next to Guia Circuit is the famous Grand Prix Museum which is dedicated to the Grand Prix’s history in Macau. Built in 1993 on the 40th anniversary of Grand Prix racing in Macau, the Grand Prix Museum houses memorabilia from Macau Grand Prix including trophies, championship records, photographs and videos with some exhibits dating to 1954 when the Macau Grand Prix began. The Museum’s pride is its collection of over 20 Formular One racing cars and motorcycles that participated in the Macau Grand Prix including the famous racing car driven by Aryton Senna. A must visit destination for racing enthusiasts, the museum’s racing car simulators offer visitors a virtual Formular One racing experience.
Situated next to the Grand Prix Museum is Macau’s Wine Museum that pays tribute to the city’s colonial past and growing wine culture. Spanning an area of 1400 square meters, the museum opened in 1995 and today boasts a collection of over 1115 brands of wine with some dating to the 1800s. With its interior designed to resemble a Portuguese wine cellar, the museum’s three designated areas showcase the history of wine making, the preparation of wine and the museum’s extensive wine collection. Among the museum’s oldest artifacts are the 18th century porcelain bricks with paintings of grape wine and vineyards that show the importance of wine in the Portuguese culture. Visitors can participate in wine tasting sampling over 50 types of newly brewed wine and purchase wine from the museum’s Wine shop.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.