A Far Eastern Focus Point

Na secção literária da edição de sábado, 15 Novembro 1941, o jornal australiano The Age publica um artigo sobre Macau da autoria de S. K. intitulado A Far Eastern Focus Point. Inclui duas fotografias da cidade.

Contexto: A China estava sob ocupação japonesa desde 1937 e Macau mantinha, tal como Portugal, uma posição de neutralidade sobre o conflito; a segunda guerra mundial, iniciada na Europa em 1939, estava prestes a alastrar ao Oriente. Para além das questões geopolítica, o autor do artigo aborda também a questão do jogo, em especial o praticado no Hotel Central.

A Far Eastern Focus Point

Macao 
Its Reviving Importance

Macao, Portuguese colony and Chinese city, neighbor to Hong Kong comes more important as the Far Eastern crisis develops. In name and determination it is still a friend of the British  Empire, for the population, mainly Chinese and Portuguese, are naturally more in favor of the democracies than of imperialistic Japan. The question is, however, whether they will be able to hold their position or whether they will surrender to the invading Nippon army. 

Macao's best chance is to remain neutral. Whether it will succeed in doing so is, very much a question of circumstances.

Portugal Arrives

Macao's might, as with practically everything Portugal possesses, lies in its tradition. It is the oldest European settlement in China. It was founded as early as 1557, in times when the Far East, especially the Empire of the Son of Heaven, was but a myth to European nations.

China, however, did not recognise it as a Portuguese territory; Dutch armies attacked its 11 square miles, but heroism, bloodshed, despair and a terrific determination retained the island for the Portuguese until, in 1887, China finally gave it to Portugal as a gesture of gratitude for making the waterways safe from the pirates.

Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Macao was the chief port for Western trade with China, but foreign factories established at Canton, Hong Kong and Shanghai broke down the Portuguese monopoly of trade in the Far East and the colony declined in commercial importance. But this is not the only reason. Macao was an ideal-port for the comparatively shallow-draught vessels of the early days. The coming of modern ships proved a severe blow to Macao's trade, which moved principally to Hong Kong. Macao became of secondary Importance.

Now, however, the tide slowly turns, and the Portuguese colony in the Far East might play the same role as Portugal plays in Europe at the present time. 

Admission Free

To say that Macao is fascinating is not exaggeration. Even the name represents someone's fantasia. In Europe - apparently it came from Portugal - "macao" is a gambling game. Macao the town is again mainly popular because of its gambling dens. It takes four hours to get there from Hong Kong in a crowded 800-ton ship, such as the steamer Chun Chow, which sails from Victoria with a few Europeans and roughly 2000 Chinese. The latter are mostly  refugees from Canton and distant Chinese provinces and those who for some reason or other cannot stay in Hong Kong. 

Macao belongs to the group of those rare places in the world where there is still free entrance.

As we draw near to the inner harbor the first surprise is the quietness — so unusual for a Far Eastern port - Portuguese battleships and soldiers can be seen. The Chinese are kept first lighthouse built on the China coast. (...)

Passing monuments and churches in ruins we arrive at a Chinese temple, full of ornaments. This belongs to Ma Kok Miu, the Queen of Heaven. The legend says that it was built when she herself was living on earth, and, further, that she watched and helped the building of the house where she was to be worshipped. It was standing as it did when the Portuguese arrived, but then the island was called Amagau.

Macao's Casinos

The evening brings out the real reason for visiting Macao. The Hotel Central is a modern  seven-story building. It rises above the masses of houses yith a certain majesty, and looks down on the streets full of swarming Chinese. This is the most popular gambling house on the island. There is a tablet on the gate with an English inscription: "First Class Gambling Place."

There are second class gambling places also; that is why the distinction is so pronounced. The Portuguese are prohibited from gambling. Other Europeans and Chinese, however, can try their luck. At the entrance it can be seen that there are only Chinese guests. The greatest gambling takes place on the first floor, where men, women and children with shining eyes - some from the play, others from opium and the fever of gambling combined - watch the roulette wheel or other games. The "casino" is so famous that chips can be bought here for any currency in the world. The second floor is the restaurant; the third floor is for gambling again -  with the difference that here not men, but women, conduct the game. There are more women with their admirers and members of the family here than on the first floor. The seventh floor is for dancing.

When we embarked on the British steamer at dawn in the milky fog to return to Hong Kong the Portuguese war ships were still at their berths. They wait and guard the peculiar colonial  outpost in the tide of historical events: while the masses of the people on the island still carry on under the illusion that gambling and life have the same value.