From left: Macao legislator Agnes Lam Iok-fong; Lin Guangzhi, director of the institute for Social and Cultural Research at Macau University of Science and Technology; Legislator Ho Ion-sang; Ha Chonieng, executive vice-president of the Macao Jiangmen Communal Society CHINA DAILYMacao's success story is built largely on the efforts of its citizen volunteers, contributing to help make the city a better place to live. There are more than 8,500 citizens' associations in the city.

A good example of this is the disastrous floods in Macao after Typhoon Hato struck last year, causing 10 deaths and injuring 200 people.

"It was unimaginable to see Macao in such an 'end of the world' and devastated situation. Volunteers from associations took it as a matter of course to clean the city," said Fu U-on, head of the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macao, as he recalled the widespread destruction.

With a volunteer network of more than 4,000 people, the association quickly mustered a team of nearly 2,000 to help get the paralyzed city back to work. They dealt with fallen trees and the aftermath of the high tides that flooded streets and inundated cars in underground garages.

Elevators in high-rises stopped functioning when the power blacked out, leaving many elderly people stranded, with no way of getting food or water.

"We climbed flights of stairs and knocked on every door to distribute water and lunchboxes to the needy," Fu said.