China guesthouse and hostel booking info, travel tips

Southeast Asian Leaders Agree to Form Free-Trade Zone by 2015

Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders agree at summit in Philippines to establish free-trade zone by 2015; pledge to intensify their fight against terrorism, protect region's migrant workers and improve their campaign against HIV/AIDS; also break from tradition of consensus and noninterference and agree to new charter with broad enforcement powers; group fails to find common ground on how to deal with Myanmar, which has come under fire for its poor human rights record

The Muslim Stereotype

I find the common American stereotypes of Islam profoundly warped.

Indonesian President Is Sworn In, Promising a Cleaner Government

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised a new era of cleaner government and renewed growth for Indonesia.

THREATS AND RESPONSES; President Seems to Gain an Asian Ally

Pres Bush and leader of Brunei, Sultan Sir Bolkiah Hassanal, meet at White House; they agree to expand intelligence-sharing as part of Washington's campaign against terrorism; photo

10 Asian Nations Join With U.S. in Pledge to Fight Terrorism

Ten Southeast Asian nations join United States in pledging to 'prevent, disrupt and combat' global terrorism through increased sharing of information and intelligence; declaration comes at end of conference of Assn of Southeast Asian Nations; it commits region that is battling extremist groups to strengthening counterterrorism training, exchanging financial and immigration data and working to create joint programs with US; Secretary of State Colin Powell, who signs agreement with Asean, seeks t...

Brunei: From Oil Rich to Garage Sales

Oil-rich tiny nation of Brunei is in state of financial collapse, hit hard by Asian economic crisis in 1997, drop in oil prices and by Prince Jefri Bolkiah's $15 billion spending spree; saga of profligate prince is latest cautionary tale about dangers of economic windfall; Nigeria, like Brunei, has been all but ruined by corruption spawned by discovery of oil; Brunei holds six-day auction of depleted assets of prince's construction and supply company, which went bankrupt in 1998; Prince Jefri, ...

How to Say No To a Sultan; Brunei and Its Leader Try Economic Discipline

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiash of Brunei, whose lavish spending helped push country into recession, now acts as economic disciplinarian, trying to less its dependence on oil production and into global economy; Brunei has been vowing to diversify its economy since mid-1980's, but reductions in dominance of oil have been achieved largely by raising government outlays; surging oil prices have taken some urgency out of reform drive; photos

Hints of Graft by Indonesian President

Protests against Indonesia's Pres Abdurrahman Wahid erupt into violence in capital of Jakarta as investigative committee submits report to Parliament suggesting he acted improperly in two multimillion-dollar corruption scandals; findings of six-month inquiry suggest Wahid may have been involved in embezzlement of $3.7 million from government agency and that he improperly accepted $2 million from Sultan of Brunei; photo

As in Manila, So in Jakarta? Upset of Leader Is Protests' Aim

Thousands of chanting protesters denounce Indonesia's president, Abdurrahman Wahid, in what has become daily ritual in Jakarta and other major cities; Wahid is embroiled in corruption inquiry, and protests are expected to grow; special parliamentary committee is expected to announce results of its investigation into charges that Wahid's personal masseur embezzled $3.7 million from state agency, and that Wahid failed to report secret $2 million gift from sultan of Brunei; Wahid took office with ...

GOLF: ROUNDUP; Wayne Smith Leads By One in Thailand

Golf Roundup; Wayne Smith takes lead after first round of Johnnie Walker Classic in Bangkok; Pres Clinton shows up at 11:30PM to play at Royal Brunei Golf and Country, after long day of summit meetings; he and Singapore Prime Min Goh Chok Tong play nine holes until 2AM, on lighted course in lush rain forest, despite flashes of lightning

REPORTERS' NOTEBOOK; An Oil Barony Knows How to Entertain Important Visitors

Reporters' Notebook vignettes from Pres Clinton's visit to oil-rich Brunei; photo of Pres Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, being greeted by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his two wives

WORLD BUSINESS; Southeast Asia Nervously Watches as Oil Prices Climb

High oil prices deal double-whammy to Southeast Asia's developing economies, raising cost of energy while curbing demand for exports region depends on for growth; prospect of fuel shortages and soaring prices in industrialized West means possible trouble for Southeast Asian countries still struggling to put financial crises of 1997 and 1998 behind them; thousands protest in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest oil producer, demanding that government scrap day-old increase in fuel prices; there i...

WORLD BUSINESS BRIEFS: ASIA; COCA-COLA BUYS FRANCHISEE

Coca-Cola acquires its Singapore-based franchisee for seven Asian countries in exchange for shares in Australia's Coca-Cola Amatil valued at $271.3 million; buys stake in franchisee, F&N Coca-Cola, from Fraser & Neave; Coke gets control of its franchises in Brunei, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Vietnam with sale

The Royal Treatment; Ruling Family Feuds as Oil Income Drops in Brunei

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei is facing both bitter family feud and free fall in oil prices, which has thrown his country into financial bind; recent celebration marking crowning of Sultan's eldest son, Prince al-Muhtadee Billah, is coupled with economic crisis in which Sultan recently stripped his brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, of his posts as head of Brunei Investment Agency and its largest conglomerate, reflecting allegations that Prince squandered billions on bad investments and proflig...

World News Briefs; Brunei Sultan Selects Son as Heir Apparent

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah selects his 24-year-old son, Prince al-Muhtadee Billah, as future ruler of Brunei

Sixty kilometres west across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong lies the tiny Portuguese enclave of MACAU . A mere sliver of mainland and a couple of islands covering about twenty-four square kilometres in total, the territory is geographically and economically a midget compared to its booming cousin across the water, and the Macanese transfer of sovereignty back to China in 1999 - two years after Hong Kong's - had none of the drama or controversy that surrounded that of Hong Kong. As in its larger neighbour, Hong Kong, the majority of Macau's population are Cantonese-speaking Chinese. However this has not prevented the territory from developing an atmosphere distinct not only from Hong Kong but from other parts of southern China. With outdoor cafés, charming Portuguese place names, public squares, the odd palm tree and numerous Portuguese restaurants, there is a definite whiff of southern Europe in the air.

However, by the millions of gambling fanatics living in nearby Hong Kong (and increasingly Shenzhen and Guangzhou as well), Macau, with its liberal gambling laws, is seen as little more than one giant casino . It is largely as a spin-off from the colossal gambling trade that money is being pumped in, allowing large-scale construction to take off, including that of Macau's own (underused) airport on the island of Taipa. New highrise hotels, highways and bridges are appearing, and even Hong Kong-style land reclamation has begun in earnest.

Nevertheless, temptations for non-gamblers remain. With a colonial past predating that of Hong Kong by nearly three hundred years, Macau's historic buildings - from old fortresses, to Baroque churches, to faded mansion houses - are still plentiful, while the crumbling backstreets around the port are reminiscent of Hong Kong as it might have been fifty years ago. Finally, the two islands of Taipa and Coloane , now being linked to the peninsula by bridges and land reclamation, contain pockets of total tranquillity with fine beaches and restaurants.

Considering that costs are a good deal lower here than in Hong Kong, and the ease of travel between Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, it's a great pity not to drop in on the territory if you are in the region. A day trip from Hong Kong is possible (tens of thousands do it every weekend), though you need a couple of nights really to do the place justice.

The Macau currency is the pataca (abbreviated as "ptca" in this book; also sometimes seen as "M$"), which is worth fractionally less than the HK dollar, and is very nearly equivalent to the Chinese yuan. HK dollars (but not yuan) are freely accepted as currency in Macau, and a lot of visitors from Hong Kong don't bother changing money at all. Like the Hong Kong dollar, the pataca is set to continue its status as a separate currency for the foreseeable future.

Visa regulations are not set to change either. Citizens of Britain, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Canada, USA and most European countries are automatically granted permission to stay twenty days on arrival. If in doubt approach the nearest Chinese Embassy or Macau tourist office. In Hong Kong there's Macau tourist office at Room 1303, Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Road, Central (tel 2549 8884).

MACAU CHINA
Most Popular Provinces: Beijing - Changsha - Chengdu - Chongqing City - Guangzhou - Guilin - Hangzhou - HongKong - Kunming - Lhasa is occupied - Macau - Nanjing - Sanya - Shanghai - Suzhou - Xi'an	LATEST NEWS LATEST NEWS Southeast Asian Leaders Agree to Form Free-Trade Zone by 2015 Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders agree at summit in Philippines to establish free-trade zone by 2015; pledge to intensify their fight against terrorism, protect region's migrant workers and improve their campaign against HIV/AIDS; also break from tradition of consensus and noninterference and agree to new charter with broad enforcement powers; group fails to find common ground on how to deal with Myanmar, which has come under fire for its poor human rights record The Muslim Stereotype I find the common American stereotypes of Islam profoundly warped. Indonesian President Is Sworn In, Promising a Cleaner Government Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised a new era of cleaner government and renewed growth for Indonesia. THREATS AND RESPONSES; President Seems to Gain an Asian Ally Pres Bush and leader of Brunei, Sultan Sir Bolkiah Hassanal, meet at White House; they agree to expand intelligence-sharing as part of Washington's campaign against terrorism; photo 10 Asian Nations Join With U.S. in Pledge to Fight Terrorism Ten Southeast Asian nations join United States in pledging to 'prevent, disrupt and combat' global terrorism through increased sharing of information and intelligence; declaration comes at end of conference of Assn of Southeast Asian Nations; it commits region that is battling extremist groups to strengthening counterterrorism training, exchanging financial and immigration data and working to create joint programs with US; Secretary of State Colin Powell, who signs agreement with Asean, seeks t... Brunei: From Oil Rich to Garage Sales Oil-rich tiny nation of Brunei is in state of financial collapse, hit hard by Asian economic crisis in 1997, drop in oil prices and by Prince Jefri Bolkiah's $15 billion spending spree; saga of profligate prince is latest cautionary tale about dangers of economic windfall; Nigeria, like Brunei, has been all but ruined by corruption spawned by discovery of oil; Brunei holds six-day auction of depleted assets of prince's construction and supply company, which went bankrupt in 1998; Prince Jefri, ... How to Say No To a Sultan; Brunei and Its Leader Try Economic Discipline Sultan Hassanal Bolkiash of Brunei, whose lavish spending helped push country into recession, now acts as economic disciplinarian, trying to less its dependence on oil production and into global economy; Brunei has been vowing to diversify its economy since mid-1980's, but reductions in dominance of oil have been achieved largely by raising government outlays; surging oil prices have taken some urgency out of reform drive; photos Hints of Graft by Indonesian President Protests against Indonesia's Pres Abdurrahman Wahid erupt into violence in capital of Jakarta as investigative committee submits report to Parliament suggesting he acted improperly in two multimillion-dollar corruption scandals; findings of six-month inquiry suggest Wahid may have been involved in embezzlement of $3.7 million from government agency and that he improperly accepted $2 million from Sultan of Brunei; photo As in Manila, So in Jakarta? Upset of Leader Is Protests' Aim Thousands of chanting protesters denounce Indonesia's president, Abdurrahman Wahid, in what has become daily ritual in Jakarta and other major cities; Wahid is embroiled in corruption inquiry, and protests are expected to grow; special parliamentary committee is expected to announce results of its investigation into charges that Wahid's personal masseur embezzled $3.7 million from state agency, and that Wahid failed to report secret $2 million gift from sultan of Brunei; Wahid took office with ... GOLF: ROUNDUP; Wayne Smith Leads By One in Thailand Golf Roundup; Wayne Smith takes lead after first round of Johnnie Walker Classic in Bangkok; Pres Clinton shows up at 11:30PM to play at Royal Brunei Golf and Country, after long day of summit meetings; he and Singapore Prime Min Goh Chok Tong play nine holes until 2AM, on lighted course in lush rain forest, despite flashes of lightning REPORTERS' NOTEBOOK; An Oil Barony Knows How to Entertain Important Visitors Reporters' Notebook vignettes from Pres Clinton's visit to oil-rich Brunei; photo of Pres Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, being greeted by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his two wives WORLD BUSINESS; Southeast Asia Nervously Watches as Oil Prices Climb High oil prices deal double-whammy to Southeast Asia's developing economies, raising cost of energy while curbing demand for exports region depends on for growth; prospect of fuel shortages and soaring prices in industrialized West means possible trouble for Southeast Asian countries still struggling to put financial crises of 1997 and 1998 behind them; thousands protest in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest oil producer, demanding that government scrap day-old increase in fuel prices; there i... WORLD BUSINESS BRIEFS: ASIA; COCA-COLA BUYS FRANCHISEE Coca-Cola acquires its Singapore-based franchisee for seven Asian countries in exchange for shares in Australia's Coca-Cola Amatil valued at $271.3 million; buys stake in franchisee, F&N Coca-Cola, from Fraser & Neave; Coke gets control of its franchises in Brunei, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Vietnam with sale The Royal Treatment; Ruling Family Feuds as Oil Income Drops in Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei is facing both bitter family feud and free fall in oil prices, which has thrown his country into financial bind; recent celebration marking crowning of Sultan's eldest son, Prince al-Muhtadee Billah, is coupled with economic crisis in which Sultan recently stripped his brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, of his posts as head of Brunei Investment Agency and its largest conglomerate, reflecting allegations that Prince squandered billions on bad investments and proflig... World News Briefs; Brunei Sultan Selects Son as Heir Apparent Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah selects his 24-year-old son, Prince al-Muhtadee Billah, as future ruler of Brunei Province of Macau Sixty kilometres west across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong lies the tiny Portuguese enclave of MACAU . A mere sliver of mainland and a couple of islands covering about twenty-four square kilometres in total, the territory is geographically and economically a midget compared to its booming cousin across the water, and the Macanese transfer of sovereignty back to China in 1999 - two years after Hong Kong's - had none of the drama or controversy that surrounded that of Hong Kong. As in its larger neighbour, Hong Kong, the majority of Macau's population are Cantonese-speaking Chinese. However this has not prevented the territory from developing an atmosphere distinct not only from Hong Kong but from other parts of southern China. With outdoor cafés, charming Portuguese place names, public squares, the odd palm tree and numerous Portuguese restaurants, there is a definite whiff of southern Europe in the air. However, by the millions of gambling fanatics living in nearby Hong Kong (and increasingly Shenzhen and Guangzhou as well), Macau, with its liberal gambling laws, is seen as little more than one giant casino . It is largely as a spin-off from the colossal gambling trade that money is being pumped in, allowing large-scale construction to take off, including that of Macau's own (underused) airport on the island of Taipa. New highrise hotels, highways and bridges are appearing, and even Hong Kong-style land reclamation has begun in earnest. Nevertheless, temptations for non-gamblers remain. With a colonial past predating that of Hong Kong by nearly three hundred years, Macau's historic buildings - from old fortresses, to Baroque churches, to faded mansion houses - are still plentiful, while the crumbling backstreets around the port are reminiscent of Hong Kong as it might have been fifty years ago. Finally, the two islands of Taipa and Coloane , now being linked to the peninsula by bridges and land reclamation, contain pockets of total tranquillity with fine beaches and restaurants. Considering that costs are a good deal lower here than in Hong Kong, and the ease of travel between Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, it's a great pity not to drop in on the territory if you are in the region. A day trip from Hong Kong is possible (tens of thousands do it every weekend), though you need a couple of nights really to do the place justice. The Macau currency is the pataca (abbreviated as "ptca" in this book; also sometimes seen as "M$"), which is worth fractionally less than the HK dollar, and is very nearly equivalent to the Chinese yuan. HK dollars (but not yuan) are freely accepted as currency in Macau, and a lot of visitors from Hong Kong don't bother changing money at all. Like the Hong Kong dollar, the pataca is set to continue its status as a separate currency for the foreseeable future. Visa regulations are not set to change either. Citizens of Britain, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Canada, USA and most European countries are automatically granted permission to stay twenty days on arrival. If in doubt approach the nearest Chinese Embassy or Macau tourist office. In Hong Kong there's Macau tourist office at Room 1303, Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Road, Central (tel 2549 8884).

LATEST NEWS