Take a walk on the wild side

Beyond its rich culture, yummy Portuguese egg tarts and almond cookies as well as glitzy casinos, Macau has picturesque hills and streams for tourists to savour as well.

Those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life can experience Macau on A Tour Of Nature And Creativity.

This walk starts from the ancient temple, Pou Chai Sim lun (Kun lam Tong). The temple, which was built in 1627, has a few halls dedicated to Buddha and the Goddess of Mercy, or Kun lam. It is famous with worshippers and behind the temple is a big garden with different vegetation.

After this stop, take a 10-minute walk and drop by the Communications Museum, which displays interactive exhibits and showcases artefacts and equipment, including those related to the evolution of the systems and techniques used in long-distance communications.

Next up, take time to get some fresh air at the Macau Reservoir, a mere five-minute walk away.

Visitors can stroll along the reservoir, enjoy the scenery and simply relax at this stop, before the next activity - taking the Guia Cable Car to the midpoint of Guia Hill. The Guia Cable Car is the only cable-car system in Macau. With a journey time of just over a minute, covering 186m, it is the shortest cable-car ride in the world.

Once you disembark from the cable car, it is a 10-minute walk to the Guia Fortress and Guia Lighthouse.

Both the fortress and lighthouse are symbols of Macau's maritime, military and missionary past.

The fortress was built by the Portuguese between 1622 and 1638. The Guia Chapel is located inside.

The 91m-tall lighthouse, built in 1864, was the first lighthouse on the Chinese coast, and is still in use today. There, you can get a panoramic view of Macau and a breathtaking view of the Pearl River estuary.

After touring the area, take a 10-minute walk to the Tap Seac Square, which is steeped in a South European style and is the largest square in Macau. Near the square, there are restaurants popular with the locals, offering different cuisines from Thai to Vietnamese and vegetarian food.

After eating your fill, take a short walk to the Dr Sun Yat Sen Memorial House. It showcases the books, letters, photos and old newspaper accounts of the man who is commonly known as the father of modern China.

Near the memorial house lies the Lou Lim leoc Garden, which features a variety of beautiful bonsai. One can take in the view from the Macau Tea Culture House, where visitors can also learn about the tea cultures of China and the West.

The last stop on this trail will be St Lazarus Church, a Catholic church. Built in 1569, it is one of the three oldest churches in Macau.

Outside the church is the St Lazarus Parish, which features many Portuguese buildings and paving. A lot of movies have been filmed there too, and the region is the heart of the cultural and creative industries in Macau.

You will take about 150 minutes to complete this trail, if you spend less than 10 minutes at each stop.

But it is better to take your time to unwind and take in the idyllic sights, as Macau is a paradise of charming places waiting to be discovered.

limyihan@sph.com.sg

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