Nicknamed ‘Vegas of the east’, Macau is one of the world’s largest gambling centres and the only city in China where gambling is legal. A former Portuguese colony, Macau’s free port status has made the city one of the cheapest shopping destinations in China attracting thousands of tourists each year. With ample shopping and entertainment venues and luxury accommodation like at Galaxy Hotel, Macau has become one of China’s main tourist destinations.

Senado Square lies in Macau’s main shopping district where its streets are lined with shops that sell items ranging from clothing to electronics at duty-free prices while further north fashionable Rua S. Domingos is home to clothing and cosmetic shops. Visit Rua da Palha and purchase handmade crafts, glassware and Macanese water lily-inspired porcelain ornaments before venturing along Rua de S. Paulo to buy antiques and replicas of traditional Chinese furniture. When shopping for jewellery near the historic St. Paul’s church and electronic items in the iconic red buildings of the Red Market, be careful to avoid fraudsters and make your purchases at certified stores. Shop for unique Macanese memorabilia at the weekly Taipa Flea Market in Taipa Village near Galaxy Macau Hotel Resort and sample the local cuisine at one of the market’s food stalls.

Many of Macau’s modern, up-market shopping malls are attached to the city’s lavish casino resorts. Shoppes at Venetian Macau, a part of the Venetian Hotel (the world’s largest and Macau’s first Las Vegas-style resort casino) houses over 300 shops that sell high-end international brands and luxury items within its one million square foot retail space with a distinct Venetian flair that includes gondola rides and ‘street performers’ in the mall’s own St. Mark’s Square. The city’ other luxury malls include Shoppes at Four Seasons, The Boulevard at City of Dreams, One Central Macau, Wynn Esplanade and New Yaohan shopping mall. While in Macau, the Macau Wine Museum offers expert advice on making the best purchase of premium Douru or Alentejo wines from Portugal at duty free prices.

Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.

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