'Far better' life, greater sense of security

For Macao resident Chiang Peng Kuan, the pre-handover days were the hardest, as gang wars were the order of the day.

"They (the gangsters) used to open fire at random. We didn't dare go outside after ten in the evening," the 59-year-old bus driver, who works for the local branch of China Travel Service, recalled.

Ten years after Macao's return to the motherland however, Chiang has nothing to complain about. He described the security situation as "far better" than earlier. "Now, if you go outside at night, there will be no problem," he said.