Dona Aida de Jesus is 96 years old and is one of the last custodians of a dying language on Macau, a small island off the coast of Hong Kong.

Chinese workers are industrious, committed to saving and willing to gamble enormous sums in the peninsula's sprawling casinos.

The world economy may be slumping, but don't tell that to Macau -- the former Portugese colony which is set to trump Las Vegas.

The world's largest casino-resort, a gaudy mix of baccarat, shops and Venetian canals, opened this week, aiming to accelerate Macau's heady transformation from gambling haven to Asia's top entertainment draw. The $2,4-billion Venetian Macao resort, built on a spit of reclaimed land called the Cotai Strip, seeks to capitalise on the casino boom by getting the millions of visitors to stay for more than just a turn at the tables.

There are no signs of life behind the bay windows of the cream-coloured seaside villas on a secluded side of Macau, reportedly home these days to the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "He's here in Macau. That's true," said a watchman, who looked at once amused and annoyed by the sudden interest in the four-storey homes.