4. Individual visitors

In 2003, tourists from selected cities on the Chinese mainland were authorized to travel to Macao as individual tourists, which helped boost Macao's tourism. In 2013, ten years after the policy was implemented, 49 mainland cities and 22 provinces were included, providing Macao with a direct income of over 19.2 billion dollars.

5. Moderate and diversified development

China has continued to promote moderate and diversified development in Macao. Based on Macao's specific situation, with limited resources and a key focus on the gambling industry, having moderate and diversified development is the right approach. In recent years, to reach its goal of moderate and diversified development the Macao SAR government has greatly encouraged activities like non-gambling tourism, the cultural and creative industries, the convention and exhibition industry, and the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

6. HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Starting from Lantau Island in Hong Kong, the Y-shaped Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will have a total length of almost 50 km, of which about 35 km will be built over the sea, making it the longest cross-sea bridge in the world. Construction started on Dec. 15, 2009. The bridge is expected to be completed by 2016.

7. World Heritage

The historical center of Macao was listed as a world heritage site in 2005. With its historic streets, residential areas, religious buildings, and Portuguese and Chinese architecture, the historic center of Macao provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. The site also contains a fortress and a lighthouse, the oldest in China. It bears witness to one of the earliest and longest-lasting encounters between China and the West, based on the vibrancy of international trade.

Key words outline Macao’s changes in 15 years (2)