It's not just glitzy casinos in Macao, there's quality tourism too

The first fireworks show in the 30th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest featured teams from the Philippines and Malaysia. Photos: Macao Government Tourism Office

Sitting on the western side of the Pearl River Delta in southern China, the Macao Special Administrative Region has taken 20 years to transform itself from a place dependent on casinos to a modern city looking to further expand its tourism opportunities.

Governed by the “one country, two systems” principle with “Macao people administering Macao”, and enjoying a high degree of autonomy, the region has seen its GDP jump from US$6.1bil (RM25.4bil) in 1999 to US$54.56bil (RM227.1bil) in 2018, an increase of over eightfold.