Expat Advice: Culture Shock in Macao, China, China

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Macao, China

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

Expatriates living in Macao may find the language barrier and local cultural habits to be quite challenging. Macao is a region historically and culturally influenced by Portugal and China, and this combination of cultural elements may be difficult for some expats to understand. Additionally, expats may find the Macanese version of Cantonese - a hybrid of Portuguese and Chinese languages - to be quite difficult and may require additional language learning. Another cultural element to be aware of is the tradition of gambling and generally more relaxed attitude to gaming and betting. This could be seen as very different to the conventions in other countries and can take a while to get used to.