LV Sands Borrows to Fund Cotai Macau

July 3, 2008 | By macau macao In casino, macao, macau, sands | Comments(0)

Bloomberg.com: Asia

Las Vegas Sands Corp., the world’s largest casino company by market value, may borrow about $7 billion to expand and refinance debt for projects in Macau, according to three people familiar with the deal.

The company is in talks with lenders for the deal, which would be its biggest outstanding loan, to help fund new casinos and hotels in the former Portuguese colony, said the people, who declined to be identified because the information isn’t public. It may also replace $3.3 billion of loans taken in 2006 to finance its Venetian casino resort in the city, the people said.

The loan will help Las Vegas Sands fund $12 billion in spending on a 20,000-room hotel and casino complex in Macau, the place that overtook the Las Vegas Strip in 2006 as the world’s biggest gambling hub. Las Vegas Sands shares fell to the lowest in 2 1/2 years and have shed more than half their value in 2008.

Pope sees Hong Kong and Macau Bishops

July 2, 2008 | By macau macao In hong kong, macao, macau, people | Comments(0)

Pope Benedict XVI praised the visiting bishops of Hong Kong and Macau
for showing that “one can be authentically Catholic and authentically
Chinese,” and he prayed “the day will soon come” when mainland bishops
too can visit the Holy See.

On June 27, the pope first welcomed Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of
Hong Kong in his private library for a private audience and then
invited Coadjutor Bishop John Tong Hon to join them. Next he received
Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng of Macau privately, and finally all three
pastors met him as a group for almost an hour.

The pope and cardinal exchanged prepared texts and later gifts. Pope
Benedict gave each a pectoral cross, and they presented him a crystal
containing a picture of a flower emerging from the snow, symbolizing
the resurrection of the Church in China.

more

Free Movement between Macau and Hong Kong Coming Up!

July 2, 2008 | By macau macao In macau | Comments(0)

The residents fo Macau and Hong Kong will be able to move between their borders with greater ease in the short term, the Macau secretary for the Economy and Finance said
Monday.

He said that there was a bilateral consensus, “on the procedures and ease of entry and exit of borders that is more convenient for residents from both sides,” and added that work was due to be concluded by the end of the year.

The simplification of border procedures will make travel easier for Hong Kong’s 7 million inhabitants and the 530,000 people living in Macau.

more from macauhub

June 16, 2008 | By olamacau In macau | Comments(0)

Wynn Macau Opening Ceremony

Beautifully elegant. Typically Wynn

Cougar-Studio Trip to Macau 2007

June 14, 2008 | By olamacau In flickr, photos | Comments(0)

Enjoy the wonderful photos of Flickr’s Cougar-Studio

Apple iPhone to Comes To Macau

June 13, 2008 | By macau macao In macau | Comments(0)

Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd., an affiliate of Hutchison Whampoa, said it has signed with Apple to sell the popular iPhone in Hong Kong and Macau by the end of this year.
apple iphone in macau

  • $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB version
  • The 8GB model will come in black only, while Apple promises the 16GB version in black and white.
  • With support for three 3G bands (850, 1900, 2100) and both UMTS and
    HSDPA networks, the iPhone 3G is well positioned for using high-speed
    networks all around the world.
  • uses Assisted GPS supplemented by satellites.

Macau International Fair to take place from 23 to 26 October

June 13, 2008 | By macau macao In macau | Comments(0)

The 13th Macau International Fair (MIF) is to be held
between 23 and 26 October organised by the Macau Institute for
Promotion of Trade and Investment, the institute said Wednesday.

In a statement, the institute said that MIF 2008 would be themed,
“Macau – An Efficient Platform for Business as a Means of Support for
the Advantages of Regional Cooperation,” and will be held at the
Venetian Macao, centre for Conventions and Exhibitions, Cotai Strip™.

The 12th Macau International Fair, that took place in October 2007,
generated business estimated at US$493 million, attracted 52,576
visitors, of whom some 10,000 were professionals from 31 countries and
regions, which represented a 48 percent increase relative to the 2006
event.

The 12th Macau International Fair had a total of 889 pavilions, which was an increase of 172 percent on the previous year.

The Institute said in statement that it had promoted MIF 2008 abroad as
had happened at the “12th East-West China Co-operation and Investment
Trade Fair” in Xian, at the “Guangzhou Fair,” at the “3rd Expo Central
China” in Wuhan, and the “IV Meeting of Businesspeople for Economic and
Commercial Cooperation between Chin and the Portuguese-speaking
countries,” in Cape Verde.

The fair will include pavilions for provinces and municipalities of
mainland China, Macau, European Union countries and Portuguese-speaking
countries, Portugal, international trade and investment agencies,
international conventions and expositions and themed product
exhibitions.

There will also be pavilions dedicated to “World Expo Shanghai 2010” and Taiwan.

The Macau Institute for Promotion of Trade and Investment and the Macau
Commercial Association also plan to create an area for small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with 140 pavilions, which is over 20
more than those at MIF 2007.

Source: Macauhub
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Macau Events in May

May 19, 2008 | By macau macao In macao | Comments(0)

The following are the events in May as per the Macau Tourism Office.

Macau Arts Festival

Organized by the Cultural Institute together with other cultural associations and institutes of Macau. Programmes range from concerts, dance, painting exhibitions, Chinese opera, theatre etc. Check out http://www.icm.gov.mo

Feast of Bathing of the Lord Buddha
May / 8th day of the Fourth Moon

This is the day when devotees of Buddha cleaned and purify his images in Buddhist Temples across Macau.

Feast of the Drunken Dragon
May / 8th day of the Fourth Moon
Read about the festival here.

Tam Kong Festival
May / 8th day of the Fourth Moon

This colourful festival celebrates the birthday of the God Tam Kong, a child god said to control the weather and help the sick.

Second in popularity only to A-Ma among the fishing community, Tam Kong’s festival includes a Chinese opera, a procession through the streets and lively lion dances. Devotees will make traditional offerings and explode firecrackers in Tam Kong Temple in Coloane Village.

Procession of Our Lady of Fátima
13th May

This is an annual procession of Marian devotees. Starts from Sao Domingos Church and snakes all the way up the Penha Chapel where a short consecration ceremony is held. The event commemorated the miracle of Fátima in Portugal in 1917.

Feast of Drunken Dragon - Macau

May 14, 2008 | By macau macao In macao | Comments(0)
The Feast of Drunken Dragon is celebrated with processions of people drinking and spitting Chinese rice wine. This festival is celebrated in Chinese cities of Macau, Zhuhai and Zhongshan.

For the past 50 years local Macau fresh fish traders from every food markets take part in the celebration and play “drunken dragon dancing”. This traditional feast takes place on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calender and coincides with the Buddha’s Birthday and the Feast of God Tam Kung.

The Feast of Drunken Dragon tradition relates that the feast originated in Qing Dynasty in mainland China where the villagers were attacked with a plague. Calling on Buddha, the villagers paraded a Buddha statue when suddenly a python appeared and blocked the parade. A drunk monk came to the rescue, chopped the python into three parts, danced with glee, and threw the body parts into the nearby river.

Immediately the python’s blood changed the river into red and the python emerged from the waters and flew to the sky. Everybody believe this to be a good omen. People actually believed the python was a sacred dragon sent by heaven. And to prove this, the reddish river weeds became medicinal and when eaten can cure the plague illness very fast.

In Macau the Feast of Drunken Dragon parade begins at the Kuan Tai Temple near Senado Square with the traditional eye-dotting ritual. The procession then proceeds to visit every fresh food market. At every stop the celebrants dance the “drunken dragon dance” while drinking and spitting out strong Chinese wine.

Another popular Feast of Drunken Dragon tradition is the giving away of free lunch boxes the Red Market and Sao Domingos Food Market. These “longevity rice” is said to give a long life and blessings of more offsprings and wealth. Free longevity rice boxes are also handed out a Iao Hon, Holland Garden, Toi San and Patene.

Macau Pahiyas 2008 Celebration

May 8, 2008 | By macau macao In macau, people | Comments(0)

The Macau Pahiyas 2008 was successfully celebrated last Sunday, 3 May 2008.

Macau Pahiyas 2008 Celebration

Check out the Photos by Toni Olaer

A tradition from the Philippines took place in Macau on May 3, when the
6th San Isidro Pahiyas Festival was celebrated in Amizade Plaza.

The sun came out after a week of showers. An estimated 3,000 strong number of people saw the different events of the 12 hour event.

According to Rodantes Quejano, organizing committee chairman and vice president of the Quezonian Association, organizers of the event, although the festival’s actual organization was done by the Quezonian Association, a local group of Quezon Province natives established in 2001, the festival was “created through the efforts of all the communities in Macau.”

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