HONG KONG, Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As Macao celebrates the 25th anniversary of its handover from Portugal to China, CNN's Next Stop travels to this special administrative region (SAR) to explore how its people are driving economic development to sustain the region's legacy. Spanning 33.3 square-kilometres, Macao has transformed from a small Chinese fishing port into a bustling gaming hub. Now, the region is looking to diversify its industries once again. Originally built in 1928, Hotel Central was once the tallest building in all of Portugal's colonies, attracting the likes of Hollywood stars and even James Bond author Ian Fleming. However, it fell into decline after losing its gaming license in the 1960s. Decades later, businessman Simon Sio, who grew up across from the hotel, restored the iconic teal structure to its former glory. CNN takes a tour of the heritage hotel with Sio and learns about how preservation can help drive tourism. CNN then visits Nativo Toys, a designer toy company founded by Macao-born Anny Chong and her husband, Felipe Wong. Drawing from their backgrounds as artists, the couple created toy figurines that represent the Macao that they know and love. One of their flagship lines, MoeJoe, features funky canines with graffiti-style paint inspired by hip-hop culture. To these designers, a toy isn't just for kids. It's big business-especially to collectors from mainland China. Macao's craft brewery, Funny Eye, began as a hobby for three university friends who started brewing beer at home. Six years later, Funny Eye has its own brewery and tasting room, with specialty flavors like mango sticky rice ale and Portuguese egg tart beer. CNN speaks with founder Crystal Kwok about her passion for craft beer, Funny Eye's successes as well as the challenges of the region's startup landscape. Macao boasts a rich blend of history and heritage, with not only Chinese, but also European influences strongly reflected in its cuisine. Albergue 1601 is dedicated to preserving Macao's Luso-Asian heritage. The menu features traditional Portuguese dishes, and most of the wines are imported from Portugal. The restaurant's location, with a courtyard framed by two-century-old camphor trees, adds to the authenticity and catering to the evolving tastes of tourists. Built on reclaimed land, Macau International Airport is one of the smallest major airports in southern China. With Macao investing heavily in diversification beyond gaming, there is more need to increase connectivity between Macao and the rest of the world. As the SAR works to address the challenges of limited land and boost its tourism economy, operators at Macao's international airport say it's got a big role to play in the region. Next Stop (Macao) trailer: http://bit.ly/3BqETCc Next Stop (Macao) images: http://bit.ly/3MMlgXR Airtimes for 30-minute special: Saturday, 28th September at 12:30pm HKT Sunday, 29th September at 9:30am HKT Monday, 30th September at 3am HKT Sunday, 27th October at 6pm HKT About CNN International CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 475 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.
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