(The original Chinese version of this article was written on April 24, 2012, and its translated in January 2020.)
The bus crossed the bridge, left the bustling downtown area, and left the casinos. During the rush, I was driven into the streets where the daily life of Macau was taking place.
Arrived and got off, when I was crossing the streets, I felt they appeared much narrower compared to those in mainland China. Looking up, I saw houses standing on both sides of the road, and the sky is between the close gaps. Those buildings are in characteristics of Cantonese style, and some of them are traditional Cantonese riding towers. For the students from Guangzhou, I could not help feeling familiar and strange.
The houses were all in gray and black as if covered with years of unwashed dust and oil fume from the kitchen, wires on the walls, and neon signboards, making the entire house look even older. They stand in stark contrast to the luxurious and magnificent casinos and cabaret hotels. If tourists from the Mainland see them, they will be amazed by this "weird" contrast.
I cleared my thoughts and looked around. Crowds of people were on the street: older women with pale hair but fancy clothes, well-dressed students, trendy young people, office workers in suits, and so forth. The windows of various shops are filled with small snacks, some are dim-sum, including the freshly baked barbecued pork with hot steam, and other shops are hanging quilts. At this moment, Cantonese, with various accents floating in my ears, endless yelling, chatting noises, mixed with the whistle of cars on the road, and the sound of food stirring in the pan. What I saw and heard on the streets of Macau was so similar to my hometown. However, the details determined the essential difference between the two.
I remember when I was in the third year of middle school, the school organized a "Discover Guangzhou" event, which was to find the architectural monuments that were forgotten by the rapid development of Guangzhou. When I was walking on the Zhongshan 5th Road, for the first time, I was surprised that in the city where I lived, there were still trees and buildings from the Qing Dynasty, the antique Xiguan mansion, and the never torn rock roads. I always remember the names of those ancient streets: Qi Zhurong, Gaudi Street, Xu Di, and Longjin Street. When I was walking there, it was as if my whole person would melt into history; that was also the first time I felt that the city's modernization. It is/should be rooted in the citizens' accumulation of life. The memory of this life precipitated the city's construction. The antique style of a town was polished by time and carried the warmth of a long time ago.
In 2010, to host the Asian Games, the Guangzhou Municipal Government spent 200 billion yuan on painting all the old buildings in the city with new colors. At first glance, the whole town seemed to have become more “international" and "metropolitan” overnight. Still, those buildings had repainted in the old downtown area turned like giant funny clowns under the “glossy” appearance. Although the government's approach satisfies the vanity of the people, the real presence of a city should not be concealed under the rigid hypocrisy. Comfortable and warm lives in the city no longer exist.
When the government in the mainland became shameful of our past and tried to transform and improve it, Macau has kept it as it is. The markets and daily livings in Macau have always been the original. I have never thought that the mandatory transformation would instead obliterate the most authentic things in our lives. The old streets and shops have retained the people's legacy. Changing the physical construction of a city is like erasing memories, whose consequences are often painful.
Coming back with my thoughts, I continued to walk in the Red Street market. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of this place. Although noisy, it did not make me feel impetuous. The day was getting dark, and every window was lit with orange lights. Those lights represent the hard-working of many people during the day and their eagerness to return home. At that time, I couldn't help hoping that my hometown could be like this, the street still retains the quaint and warm taste, how I wish I could walk on the streets of my hometown, and enjoy the spirit of lives with others.
There is a unique beauty of humanity in the eaves and tiles in the streets of Macau. It was built by the citizens in accordance with their real heart and enjoy the happiness brought by life. Perhaps over time, things will change. Macau's streets and markets will change over the years, but people will never forget that it is the breath of life that infiltrates people's hearts.