Zhuhai travel guide

Zhuhai is a resort city located on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary, near Macau on the east shore of Zhongshan Island, of the central coast of southern Guangdong, China, on the southeastern edge of the Pearl River Delta. Its name literally means "pearl sea", which originates from the city's location at the mouth of the Pearl River meeting the South China Sea.

The Zhuhai area has been inhabited for thousands of years. Until the 1970s, Zhuhai was a group of fishing villages with a population of around 100,000. Since 1980, when it was designated a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by the central government, Zhuhai has expanded to include nearby areas and is now a fast-growing modern city with about 2.4 million inhabitants as of the 2020 census. However, it is still not as large and developed as neighboring cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

The city of Zhuhai itself is composed of Xiangzhou, Jida, Gongbei, Qianshan and New Xiangzhou. The other areas mentioned are districts within the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone.

Hotels in Zhuhai are reasonably priced. Travelers on tight budgets can opt for budget or midrange hotels. Most people choose to stay in Gongbei due to its proximity to attractions, nightlife, the Macau border, and its variety of conveniently located and reasonable hotels. Jida has primarily upscale hotels that business travelers sometimes opt for, which are usually conveniently located. Some are further away and require taking taxis or the bus. Further out, Xiangzhou also has a variety of options at different price ranges. The Northern districts of Tangjia and Jinding are further removed from the action of Zhuhai and offer very cheap hotels.

Getting in

Most visitors to China will require an advance visa. See Visas for details. Zhuhai is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which means that if you are only visiting the Zhuhai area directly from Hong Kong or Macau, a special SEZ visa can be obtained upon arrival. This allows you to visit Zhuhai for up to 3 days, but travelling beyond the city limits is strictly forbidden. This visa is available at the Gongbei and Hengqin (Lotus Bridge) land entry points from Macau, as well as at the Jiuzhou ferry terminal.

Getting around

Zhuhai is quite spread out. The terrain is coastal plain broken up by mountains or, seen from the sea, a series of bays and headlands. There are many clumps of development separated by hills, often parkland. You can walk or take a taxi from ¥10 (the first 3-kilometre); these are good options for moving within a single district. The University of Macau's campus on Hengqin Island is on land leased to Macau, meaning that you will have to pass through border control to access the campus from the rest of Zhuhai.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.