Macau's streets have been packed in the run-up to the Lunar New Year after pandemic controls were abruptly lifted. Mainland Chinese tourists filled winding passages leading up to the historic Ruins of Saint Paul's, as stores sold local snacks such as almond cookies and meat jerky. The city of some 700,000 is the only place in China where casinos operate legally and for years has relied on mainland Chinese gamblers as its economic lifeline. STOCKSHOTS