Popular Culture Review Vol. 17, No. 2, Summer 2006 | Page 22

18 Popular Culture Review destination by shedding its hard-core gambling reputation. In the process, it has become a target of powerful casino interests in the United Sates, notably Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson, who have designs in molding Macau in the image of Las Vegas (Kirkland). For academicians, it has become a case study in cultural globalization. The concept of cultural globalization refers to cultural domination by powerful nations over weaker ones, leading to the homogenization of cultures in the likeness of the powerful nations. Specifically, it refers to the mass infusion of American popular culture into other countries since the 20th century, and the resultant development of American look-alikes (Crane). What’s happening in Macau today is a glaring example of this type of hegemony. History of Macau and Its Gaming Industry Macau, a small peninsula with a couple of equally small islands, is located on the southern coast of China. Originally known as Haojing (Oyster Mirror), it became a Portuguese colony for almost 400 years more or less by chance. (Historical information hereafter is mostly based on Fei’s work and the Wikipedia Encyclopedia.) In the mid 1500s, China reversed its closed-door policy and allowed foreign ships to anchor in some small seaports near Guangzhou. Foreigners were given permission to engage in trade onboard, rather than on shore. Portuguese ships began to anchor in Haojing. The cargoes of one of the ships were damped at sea. Its crew asked and was granted permission to land in order to dry the goods, which prompted other ships to seek the same privilege. After establishing a foothold, the Portuguese kept extending its stay and expanding its base. Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the British defeated the Qing army in the Opium War (1840-42). Sensing an opportunity, the Portuguese in Haojing, which was also known as Macau by that time, declared independence. After ignoring the declaration for decades, the Qing Court finally ceded Macau to Portugal in signing the Treaty of Peking (1887-88). In 1999 Macau was returned to China, and it is now operated as a Special Administrative Region (SAR). While Portuguese Macau was a beneficiary of the Opium War, it was also hurt by it. As a condition for peace, China gave Hong Kong to Britain and opened up other ports, such as Guangzhou and Shanghai, for foreign trade (Ebrey 239-240). Almost immediately, Macau lost its advantage as an entry port and plunged into financial chaos. What saved Macau was ‘"weixing,” a fo