Guangdong · China
Zhanjiang travel guide
Zhanjiang is a city in Guangdong, China, home to about 6,981,000 people.
- Best months
- November to March
- Nearest airport
- ZHA37 km · Zhanjiang Wuchuan International Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang is a coastal city in southern China, located on the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong province. It is a prefecture-level city which administers the entire Leizhou Peninsula and lies directly opposite to Haikou, the capital of the Hainan province, across the Qiongzhou Strait.
Zhanjiang was a small fishing port when it was under French occupation in the early 20th century. French colonizers forced the Qing Dynasty to agree to a 99-year lease in 1899 (in a manner similar to what British colonizers did with Hong Kong's New Territories) and renamed the city as Fort Bayard — some old colonial buildings still survive. That said, mismanagement and fierce competition with other neighbouring cities failed to create another Hong Kong for the French, and they returned Zhanjiang to China in 1946 due to unprofitability.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Zhanjiang
See
- Cathedral of Saint Victor
- Former Site of French Legation in Guangzhouwan
- Former Site of Guangzhouwan French Police Station
- Guangdong Ocean University Museum of Aquatic Organisms
- Guangzhouwan Museum of History and Folk Culture
- Zhanjiang Museum
- Cunjin Bridge Park
- Haibin Park
- Leiqiong Global Geopark Zhanjiang District
- Sanlingshan National Forest Park
Do
- Movie theaters
- Haibin Hotel and Hotsprings
- Body Sculpture Fitness Club
- Dragon Boat Festival
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Zhanjiang to stay in
Zhanjiang is separated as two major districts: Chikan and Xiashan, in which Xiashan is more developed and newer than Chikan, but both districts also have plenty of hotels.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Zhanjiang
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Jiali International Hotel | 2.1 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Zhanjiang
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Zhanjiang are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; August is the wettest, with about 319 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Zhanjiang: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zhanjiang Wuchuan International Airport (ZHA), about 37 km from the city centre in a straight line; Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY, 121 km) and Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK, 140 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Zhanjiang is at the base of the Leizhou Peninsula that points toward the island province of Hainan. Travellers often pass through Zhanjiang en route to Hainan. There are trains and buses to and from nearby mainland cities and boats to Haikou, capital of Hainan. The boat is an hour's bus ride away from Zhanjiang. There are 3 major train stations and an airport that serve Zhanjiang. Buses also run daily to most nearby cities. The downtown bus terminal next to the downtown train station (end of Jiefang West Rd) has one bus daily to Kaiping at 14:00.
Getting around
Zhanjiang is almost like two cities combined. The northern half, composed of Chikan district (赤坎区 Chìkǎn qū) and Mazhang District (麻章区 Mázhāng qū) and the southern Xiashan District (霞山区 Xiáshān qū) are separated by a less developed corridor. The main bus routes (2, 11, 12, 22) travel from the northern districts to Xiashan and back. Smaller buses and other routes can allow you to explore more areas of the individual districts. The Zhanjiang bus company has a list of its routes (公司所有线路) on its web site (in Chinese only). Taxis in Zhanjiang are fairly cheap, starting at ¥5.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
ZHA · Zhanjiang Wuchuan International Airport
BHY · Beihai Fucheng Airport
HAK · Haikou Meilan International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Zhanjiang
Eat
Local specialties include seafood, sugarcane, charcoal-grilled oysters (炭烧蚝) and chicken (湛江鸡). The Lianjiang area is known for its red oranges (红江橙).
Drink
Zhanjiang has a small bar street (酒吧街 jiǔbā jiē) in Xiashan District. Unfortunately, most places do not serve cocktails or shots, but instead tend to sell liquor by the bottle. Beers in the bar also tend to be about three to four times more expensive than on the street. Some Western-style restaurants such as Steakking Kitchen Production and the West Coast Coffeehouse (西海安 xīhǎi ān) do sell mixed drinks and shots. Also, Wal-Mart has the best selection of spirits for sell if you would like to make your own drinks.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Zhanjiang: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Zhanjiang?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Zhanjiang are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; August is the wettest, with about 319 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Zhanjiang?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zhanjiang Wuchuan International Airport (ZHA), about 37 km from the city centre in a straight line; Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY, 121 km) and Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK, 140 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Zhanjiang?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Zhanjiang
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.