Guangdong · China

Zhongshan travel guide

Zhongshan is a city in Guangdong, China, home to about 4,418,000 people.

Best months
October to February
Nearest airport
SZX48 km · Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport
Currency
CNYrenminbi
Time zone
Asia/Shanghai
Language
Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese

About

About Zhongshan

Zhongshan, alternately romanized via Cantonese as Jungsaan, is a prefecture-level city in the south of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province, China. As of the 2020 census, the whole city with 4,418,060 inhabitants is now part of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen conurbation with 65,565,622 inhabitants.

Zhongshan is in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province, on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary. It is connected by road and rail to Guangzhou (capital of Guangdong Province) to the north and Zhuhai to the south. Hong Kong can be reached by ferry and Macao via Zhuhai. Zhongshan covers an area of 1,800 km² and has a permanent population of some 4.4 million in 2020. Zhongshan has nurtured numerous prominent historical figures throughout its history.

Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

Things to do

What to see and do in Zhongshan

See

The main sights in Zhongshan's downtown area are not far apart and could be covered in a single day on foot. Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street (孙文西路文化旅游步行街) is lined with beautiful old European-style buildings, many of which now have shops on their first floors.

  • Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street
  • China Radio Museum (Zhongshan)
  • Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
  • Xiangshan Commercial Culture Museum
  • Zhongshan Cartoon Museum
  • Zhongshan Museum
  • Zhongshan Museum of Art
  • Qi River Park
  • Yixian Lake Park
  • Zhongshan Park
  • Baiyi Temple
  • Fufengwen Pagoda

Do

  • Changjiang Water World
  • Chung Shan Hot Spring Golf Club
  • Qi River Cruises
  • Zhongshan Culture & Art Center
  • Zhongshan Hot Spring Resort
  • Zhongshan Sky Wheel

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

Where to stay

Hotels in Zhongshan

1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.

HotelTypeOpenedFrom centreWebsite
Shangcheng Resort Zhongshanhotel11.6 km

When to go

The best time to visit Zhongshan

The most comfortable months for a city stay in Zhongshan are October to February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; June is the wettest, with about 346 mm of rain.

0°16°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec346 mm
Average highAverage lowRain per monthComfortable months

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 Zhongshan: airports and arrival

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX), about 48 km from the city centre in a straight line; Macau International Airport (MFM, 49 km) and Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH, 59 km) are also within reach.

Getting in

From Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), direct ferries are available to Zhongshan. To take the ferry to Zhongshan, go directly to the ticket counter without passing through Hong Kong immigration or customs; see Hong Kong International Airport for details. Hong Kong allows travelers from many nations to enter visa-free, and Chinese visas are easy to obtain at many locations. This will generally involve one or two nights' stay in Hong Kong. The closest airport to Zhongshan City is Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN).

Getting around

You can travel around Zhongshan easily on the city buses. Over 80 bus lines operate in Zhongshan, most of which are self-service so have correct change of ¥2 when you board each bus. Some buses are more expensive and can cost as much as ¥10; some of these will have an attendant who can give change. The sights of Zhongshan are wide spread and no special tour lines and sightseeing buses are available. However, there are city buses running to some scenic spots. For example, Bus No.2 passes Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall. Bus 33 can help you getting to the beautiful water town in Minzhong Town.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

large airport

SZX · Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport

48.0 km from the centreICAO ZGSZ
large airport

MFM · Macau International Airport

49.4 km from the centreICAO VMMC
large airport

ZUH · Zhuhai Jinwan Airport

58.7 km from the centreICAO ZGSD

Local knowledge

Eating, drinking and staying safe in Zhongshan

Drink

Beware: Chinese bars/disco are extremely loud and you can lose your hearing if you are a frequent guest. Expat bars are among the few places that one can have nice beer and still speak.

Stay safe

Zhongshan is a reasonably safe place with a low crime rate, but occasionally trouble may occur, especially, as everywhere, late at night around bars. Caution and common sense are advised at all times. Pickpockets, although not plentiful, are about and the foreign traveler is often a target. Be careful. In Zhongshan, there are many people on electric bikes and scooters everywhere and they don't follow traffic regulations. Some bike lanes on are sideways. Watch where you are going! On addition to that, traffic can be problematic, as there are no pedestrian signs and are just based on the vehicle traffic lights. Also, some cars are allowed to turn on reds, so be careful.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.

Questions

Zhongshan: questions travellers ask

When is the best time to visit Zhongshan?

The most comfortable months for a city stay in Zhongshan are October to February. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; June is the wettest, with about 346 mm of rain.

Which airport is closest to Zhongshan?

The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX), about 48 km from the city centre in a straight line; Macau International Airport (MFM, 49 km) and Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH, 59 km) are also within reach.

What currency is used in Zhongshan?

renminbi (CNY).

Nearby

Destinations near Zhongshan

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.