The article analyses a special identity of people living in Macao (Macau) - one of two special administrative regions of PRC along with Hong Kong. The territory of Macao became a part of Portuguese empire in 1557. Until the second half of the 19th century it was not a typical colony, because the Portuguese authorities paid rent to China for the land. Besides, the existence of Portuguese Macao brought certain benefits for China, e.g., mediation in trade with Japan. During the colonial period there was formed a new creole ethnic group known as Macanese - descendants of Chinese and Portuguese, who played a key role in shaping of a unique culture of Macao, combining both Portuguese and Chinese features. The Macanese never made the majority of the population, which had always been mainly composed of ethnic Chinese, but their influence on political and cultural life in Macao was great. 

The territory was returned to China in 1999 in accordance with ‘one country, two systems’ principle, meaning large autonomy of the former colonies - Hong Kong and Macao - under the rule of PRC. This led to a rapid growth of population due to migrant flow from Mainland China and resulted in gradual “mainlandisation” of former Portuguese territory. Nowadays the inhabitants of Macao mainly associate themselves with PRC, which makes Macao totally different to the neighboring Hong Kong where people mostly oppose themselves to Mainland China. On the other hand, Macao inhabitants have a strong feeling of local identity which is largely connected with the Portuguese legacy of the autonomy, although they are not straightly connected with it.