Casinos, Coastline & Colonial Streets - Macao & Zhuhai, China

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Commuters crossing a zebra crossing at golden hour in Zhuhai, palm trees silhouetted against a warm sunrise sky.

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This was technically a layover. I was heading to Shanghai and had a day in Macao, so I crossed the border into Zhuhai to spend the night. Landed, spent the evening wandering around Macao on the monorail, then crossed into mainland China to sleep.

An airplane wing cutting through a sea of clouds at cruising altitude, blue sky above and a dense white cloud layer below.
A wide-angle view of Macao Airport's tarmac at night, planes and ground crew lit up under bright floodlights.
The iconic figure-eight Ferris wheel of Studio City Macao glowing gold against a dark night sky.

Woke up in Zhuhai to that golden hour light. Headed down to Lover’s Road to cycle along the coast for a while. The sea, the breeze, the scenery along the way, it was the kind of thing you stumble into by accident and end up being really glad you did.

Commuters crossing a zebra crossing at golden hour in Zhuhai, palm trees silhouetted against a warm sunrise sky.
A small white lighthouse standing alone at the edge of the sea on a clear, hazy morning in Zhuhai.
A traditional red Chinese pagoda on a bridge in the foreground, with the two sweeping oval shells of Zhuhai Grand Theatre rising behind it across the water.

Crossed back into Macao around noon and squeezed in a few hours before my flight. Walked up Calçada da Guia, the narrow streets up there have a different character from the casino strip, older and quieter, and that’s where you get the view of Lisboa Hotel. Then headed down to Doca dos Pescadores before ending at the Ruins of St. Paul.

A busy Macao street viewed from above, packed with cars and motorbikes weaving between colonial-era shophouses.
A building facade wrapped entirely in traditional bamboo scaffolding, viewed from street level looking up in Macao.
The grand arched facade of a historic Macao building decorated with an oversized red Christmas bow and ribbon.
The ornate stone facade of the Ruins of St. Paul rising above the surrounding rooftops and trees in Macao.

Then straight to the airport and onward to Shanghai. Not bad for a layover.

-- Zhun Hao

Published: Dec 18 2025
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