Little Macao became caught up in the waves of Hong Kong's return to mainland China and was eventually handed over from Portugal to the People's Republic some years after its more famous brother. Today, the fate of Maca is still intertwined with that of Hong Kong. It just takes one hour to travel across the Pear River from Hong Kong by boat, the Hong Kong Dollar is unanimously accepted and also the political system is almost identical. After a very successful early start, it never became the economic powerhouse like its neighbor.

Whereas Hong Kong is one of the most important financial centers in Asia and the world, Macao looks like a blend of Las Vegas, Lisbon and Disney World. An exotic melange of Portuguese Barock, traditional Chinese buildings and temples and huge casino resorts and hotels, dwarfing their sister casinos in Las Vegas.