2 Best Sights in Macau, China

Macau's most popular park is frequented from dawn to dusk by tai chi enthusiasts, palm readers, lovers, students, and men huddled over Chinese chess boards with their caged songbirds nearby. The gardens, which were developed in the 18th century, are named after Luís de Camões, Portugal's greatest poet, who was banished to Macau for several years during the 16th century. A rocky niche shelters a bronze bust of him in the park's most famous and picturesque spot, Camões Grotto. At the grotto's entrance a bronze sculpture honors the friendship between Portugal and China. A wall of stone slabs is inscribed with poems by various contemporary writers, praising Camões and Macau. In Casa Garden, a smaller park alongside Camões Garden, the grounds of a merchant's estate are lovingly landscaped with a variety of flora and bordered with a brick pathway. A central pond is stocked with lily pads and lotus flowers.

These beautiful gardens were built in the 19th century by a Chinese merchant named Lou Kau. Rock formations, water, vegetation, pavilions, and sunlight were all carefully considered, and the balanced landscapes are the hallmark of Suzhou garden style. The government took possession and restored the grounds in the mid 1970s, so that today you can enjoy tranquil walks among delicate flowering bushes framed with bamboo groves and artificial hills. A large auditorium frequently hosts concerts and other events, most notably recitals during the annual Macau International Music Festival. Adjacent to the gardens, a European-style edifice contains the Macau Tea Culture House, a small museum with exhibits on the tea culture of Macau and China (Closed Mon.).