The beginnings of tourism in Macau and Canton in the XIXth century: from a border territory to an urban place

Abstract

This text aims to present a broad reflection on the beginnings of Macao and Canton transformation process into tourist places. This exploratory study is conducted through an analysis of Western travelers’ accounts in Macau and Canton, between the 1830s and the 1870s. We can observe how recreational or tourist use of urban space contributes to the overall transformation of the perception of these cities that appear, in this context, less fragmented and segregated. The first tour guides on Canton and Macau emphasize the transformation of the representation of these border territories, which were until then seen as a simple zone of contacts and trade exchanges between China and the West. Macau and Canton are then described as urban places, inserted in an international tourist circuit and that have acquired a cosmopolitan dimension.