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Shopping in Macau the best shopping in the region
Macau is a place where you can purchase almost all sorts of merchandise and fulfil all your shopping desires. Luxury items are cheaper here than in most other cities in the region. Jewellery (particularly gold), Chinese antiques, porcelain, electronic items, mobile phones, watches, cashmere sweaters and silk clothing are available at very reasonable prices. Manufacturing for the export market is one of the main business in Macau, so there is an abundance of goods for sale at bargain prices, and shopping can be fun and economical. The best buys are in jewellery, clothing, toys, antiques and reproduction furniture and electronic goods.
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Clothing
- discount stores
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Clothing - discount stores
Macau has more than 500 active garment factories, and most of these
produce clothing for markets in Europe, the US and Australia. Although
you will
find all sorts of clothing in Macau, jeans, children's wear and sports
clothes are probably the most readily available.
Many bargain clothing shops will not allow customers to try on clothing,
but they will always have a tape measure handy to check the fit. Be sure
you have the right size, because the more inexpensive shops will not
accept returned merchandise.
Traditional Chinese styles updated to a high fashion look are very popular
these days. You can find dressy and casual tops with Mandarin collars
and frog closings in a wide variety of interesting and attractive fabrics
at
the markets around S. Domingos Church near the Senado Square <I Si Ting
Chin Dei>, and in the Three Lamps district (Rotunda de Carlos da Maia <Sam
Jan Dang>) near the Red Market <Hung Kai Si>.
Furniture and antiques - authentic or reproductions
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Furniture
and antiques - authentic or reproductions
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There are many good shops selling authentic antiques and fine reproductions
all over Macau, and even in Coloane village <Lou Wan Si Kui>, but the most
convenient area to find a concentration of these is on Rua de S? Paulo <Tai
Sam Pa Kai>, Rua das Estalagens <Chou Toi Kai> and Rua de St.Ant?io <Fa
Vong Tong Kai>, all in the neighborhood between Senado Square and the
Ruins of St. Paul's, at the foot of Monte Fort.
Most of the people in these shops are multilingual and can give you information
about the type of furniture you are interested in, the materials used, and
the origin of each piece. Many old items come from the mainland and have been
restored
expertly, with damaged parts repaired and old metal fittings replaced. Others
are well-constructed replicas of classic pieces in beautiful modern wood. If
you don't see exactly what you are looking for, ask, since many shops can show
you catalogs with photographs of popular styles or classic designs that can
be made to order. If an item is a genuine antique, you may be able to obtain
a certificate
of authenticity. Most shops will ship your purchases anywhere in the world,
for a reasonable fee.
Other antique items can also be found in abundance, many of them in the furniture
shops. Of special interest are wood and lacquer boxes, bronze items, old coins,
woodcarvings of all sizes and heirlooms of various types. Old Chinese paintings
are popular nowadays, and these can be found in many shops in the neighborhood
mentioned above.
The best neighbourhoods to shop: around the Senado Square and the Red Market
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Senado
Square
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The Senado Square <I Si Ting Chin Dei> is the historic heart of Macau, and also the location of one of the newest and best municipal markets, surrounded by several blocks of bustling street stalls. The square itself is a historic site, with the 16th century S? Domingos Church at one end and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau building on the other, on what used to be Macau's main shopping street, Avenida Almeida Ribeiro <San Ma Lou>. In the narrow streets leading off the main square a wealth of inexpensively priced goods of all kinds can be found, with a good selection of local and international snacks conveniently nearby.
Clothing is the biggest item here, and you'll find vendors specializing in locally manufactured baby clothes, undergarments, shoes, or accessories as well as jeans, sweaters, t-shirts and sportswear in all sizes and styles.
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Red
Market
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Nearby, the Sun Star City on Rua de Pedro Nolasco <Pak Ma Hong> and Sportstar, a two-storey arcade of specialty shops on Rua da Palha <Mai Chou Tei Kai> offer a delightful variety of clothing, watches, stylish and original accessories like sunglasses, handbags, shoes and novelty items.
On the other side of Avenida Almeida Ribeiro <San Ma Lou> lies an area that is a little harder to find but an interesting excursion for more adventurous shoppers. Follow Rua do Dr. Soares uphill behind the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau building until you reach Rua de Felicidade <Fok Long San Kai>, then turn right. Continue down past the restored 19th century shop houses in what was once a thriving red-light district, and you will find a part of town that is less visited by tourists and a fascinating place to browse among shops selling jewellery, curios, dried beef and even live snakes. At the end of the street lies the Porto Interior <Noi Kong>, lined with old and two storied houses that in times past held ship's chandlers shops and now still house a few such establishments, rare glimpses of the old Macau that are fast disappearing. Adjacent to the old Ponte e Horta <Si Da Hau> municipal market, the Opium House has recently been restored and classified for its historic significance.
The Red Market <Hung Kai Si> is located on the corner of Avenida Almirante Lacerda and Avenida Horta e Costa, in an area that has some of Macau's most interesting 20th century architecture. The market was built in 1936 by the Macanese architect J?io Alberto Basto in the Art Deco style and is classified as an architectural heritage site. It still houses a vigorous trade, with vendors selling dried foods, fresh produce, fish and meat. In earlier times the market was closer to the waterfront, and vendors bought their goods directly at the nearby harbor. Today, all kinds of fish and seafood still arrive twice a day, and live poultry share quarters with fresh flowers, fruit and other produce.
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Three
Lamps
< Sam Jan Dang> |
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Avenida Horta e Costa <Kou Si Tak Tai Ma Lou> is a long shopping street that begins at the Red Market and extends as far as the Flora Garden <Yee Lung Hau> beneath Guia Hill <Chung San>. The avenue has several upmarket shops specializing in, among other things, clothing and shoes, electronic items, and cameras. But the best bargains are found in the streets surrounding the avenue. The historic "Three Lamps" <Sam Jan Dang> area is a dense and vibrant network of street vendors and tiny shops selling many kinds of goods at bargain prices. The neighborhood begins at Rotunda de Caros da Maia, with the three streelamps that give it its name, and sprawls over several square blocks, with most shops located on Rua de Manuel de Arriaga and Rua de Tom?Pires.
