The Macao Special Administrative Region (hereinafter referred to as "Macao") is located on the west bank of the Pearl River Delta, connected to Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province in the north, facing the South China Sea in the south, and facing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region across the Pearl River estuary in the east. Macao is composed of four parts, namely Macao Peninsula, Taipa Island, Coloane Island and Cotai Reclamation Area. With a total area of 29.5 square kilometers and a population of more than 500000, Macao is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
Macao used to be a small fishing village, originally called Haojing or Haojing Macao, because Pokou could be called "Macao" at that time. Macao and its adjacent coastal areas are rich in oysters (oysters). The inner wall of oyster shells is as bright as a mirror, so Macao is called oyster mirror. Later generations changed the name to a more elegant "Haojing". According to the Macau Chronicle published during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, "Haojing is named after the Ming History. There are two bays in the north and south, five or six miles from the east to the west, and half way from the south to the north, which can be used to berth ships. Or the two bays in the south and north, which are as round as mirrors, are called Haojing." From this name, a series of Macao nicknames such as Haojiang, Haijing, and Jinghai are derived.
The name of Macao comes from a Chinese goddess whom fishermen admire very much, Tianhou, also known as Niangma. It is said that when a fishing boat was sailing on a sunny, calm day, it encountered violent wind and thunderstorm, and the fishermen were in danger. At the critical moment, a girl stood out and ordered the storm to stop. The wind stopped unexpectedly, the sea also recovered calm, and the fishing boat arrived at Haijing Port safely. After landing, the girl walked towards the Mage Mountain, suddenly a halo shone, and the girl turned into a wisp of smoke. Later, people built a temple at the place where she landed to worship her mother.
In the middle of the 16th century, when the first group of Portuguese arrived in Australia, they asked the residents about the local name. The residents mistakenly thought that they meant a temple and said "Ma Ge". Portuguese translated "MACAU" with its pronunciation, which became the origin of Macao's Portuguese name. Over the next four hundred years, East and West cultures have been blended here, leaving many historical and cultural heritage, making Macao a unique city.
Since December 20, 1999, Macao has become a special administrative region of China. Under the guidance of the "one country, two systems" policy, Macao implements a high degree of autonomy, enjoys executive power, legislative power, independent judicial power and power of final adjudication, while Macao's social and economic characteristics will be preserved and continued.
Since its return, Macao has developed well in all aspects, especially in tourism and gambling. On July 15, 2005, China's "Macao Historic City" was more successfully listed in the World Heritage List, and famous entertainment and holiday hotels around the world were also completed in Macao. Combining various Chinese and Western cultures, sports activities, local cuisine and tourism and entertainment facilities, Macao has gradually moved towards a world-class tourism and leisure center, And gradually become one of the richest cities in the world.
