- General Info
- Public Holidays
- Transportation
- Airport Info
- Main Attractions
Zhuhai is located in the south of Guangdong Province, on the west bank of the Pearl River and Sea-Going Outlets and on the shore of South China Sea. It faces Shenzhen and Hong Kong across the sea to the east and is connected with Macau by the overland route to the south. It is 140 kilometers away from Guangzhou to the north. The city has a total area of 7640 square kilometers, of which the land area is 1640 square kilometers. Zhuhai is one of the five largest special economic zones in China. The municipality exercises jurisdiction over the Xiangzhou District, the Doumen District, and the Jinwan District. The municipal government is stationed in the Xiangzhou District. By the end of 2005, the whole city had a permanent population of 141.57 million, of which 78.52 million have a domiciliary register.
Zhuhai is a garden style seashore tourist city, where colorful flowers bloom all the year around and trees and grass are luxuriant as far as the eye can see. The whole city is built as planned. On both sides of the even roads there are sweeping grasslands with flowers and all kinds of trees. Buildings along the roads have a variety of graceful designs with white as the predominant color. The bright color assorts especially with the style of the seaside city. Accommodation is quite complete with hotels, restaurants, resorts, an amusement park, golf courses and shopping centers. Zhuhai is continuously expanding. In 1999, it was granted "the International Award for Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment" by United Nations Center for Human Settlement and was the only winner of this award in China. It is also appraised as one of the top ten foreigners' favorite cities by the western media. There are two magnificent events which have an extremely positive influence at home and abroad. They are the motor races held on the international circuit in Zhuhai every year, which is a great appeal to the mass automobile sports lovers.
The International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition and the Zhuhai Film Festival are held every two years in Zhuhai. The main tourist attractions in and around include the large-scale historic and cultural landscape-- the New Summer Palace, the Four Buddhist Mountains Scenic Area, the Pearl Amusement Park, Jinzhou City, the Zhuhai Fishing Girl, and much more.
Area code：0756
Postal code: 519000
Tourist complaints: 0756-3336061
China Public Holiday Calendar 2009
1. New Year's Day: Jan 1-3, 2009 (THU-SAT)
New Year's Day is the first day of the year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome (though other dates were also used in Rome). In all countries including China using the Gregorian calendar, except for Israel, it is a public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the New year starts.
2. Chinese New Year: January 25-31, 2009 (SUN-SAT)
For millions of Asians, Chinese New Year is more than one special day. Families spend weeks preparing for the big event - cleaning house, painting doors and windows red, and cooking special foods. Celebrations for Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, last a full fifteen days. (Date of Chinese New Year Day: first day of the first Chinese lunar month).
3. Ching Ming - the Tomb Sweeping Festival: April 4-6, 2009 (SAT-MON)
A gravesite picnic? Why not? The Tomb Sweeping festival is a time for families to honor the memory of their ancestors. Along with “tomb sweeping” - performing standard gravesite maintenance such as removing debris from the gravestones and replacing dead flowers - family members offer gifts of food, fruit and wine to the departed. After a formal ceremony, the food is shared among family members. Another tradition is to burn incense to ward off any evil spirits that may be lurking.
4. International Labour Day: May 1-3, 2009 (FRI-SUN)
Like most countries in the world, Labour Day is celebrated on May 1, and is a public holiday in China. In the 1990s, the Labour Day holiday was extended from 1 day to 3 days. The Chinese government made it a 7 day holiday by moving the prior and upcoming weekends together with these 3 days. The Labour Day holiday was one of the three Golden Weeks in China, allowing millions of Chinese people to travel during this period. But Starting January 1, 2008, China reduced this holiday period down to 1 day, while simultaneously reviving three traditional Chinese holidays: Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
5. Dragon Boat Festival: May 28-30, 2009 (THU-SAT)
There are few sites more spectacular than a fleet of painted dragon boats racing toward the finish line, with a drummer in each boat hammering out the rhythm for the rowers to follow. The Dragon Boat Festival is China’s oldest festival. Find out more about this exciting event and learn how to make Zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves that are an essential feature of any Dragon Boat Festival celebration. (Date: fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month).
6. Mid-Autumn Mooncake Festival: October 3, 2009 (SAT)
When the autumn harvest moon is at its fullest, the Chinese celebrate by lighting colorful lanterns and enjoying delicious mooncakes. Learn more about the legends behind the festival and try some mooncake recipes. (Date: fifteenth day of the eighth Chinese lunar month). The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 3, which is during the National Day holiday of 2009.
7. National Day: October 1-8, 2009 including Mid-Autumn Festival (THU-THU)
The new China was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tian’anmen Square, Beijing. The Central Government passed the resolution and declared that October 1 is the Chinese National Day. The National Day Holiday is a golden week in China. When the anniversary is a multiple of five (e.g. the 50th, 55th, or 60th), large scale official celebrations may be held, including an inspection of troops on Tiananmen Square. The year of 2009 is the 60th anniversary. The Mid-Autumn Festival of 2009 is in the National Day period. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 3, which is during the National Day holiday of 2009, thus they were combined. The October 1 to 8 National Day holiday will be the longest since China introduced the Golden Week holiday in 2000.
Zhuhai has perfect transportation networks and quite convenient external access. It has initially established a comprehensive sea-land-air three-dimensional traffic and transportation network with the airport and harbor as the center. The city has seven first-class ports. It is merely over ten minutes' walks to and from Macau. The land transportation is even more convenient. The Lingding Ocean Bridge which leads to Hongkong is under construction. Work has also started on the construction of The Guang-zhu railway. In the near future the international city layout of Zhuhai will be established.
Air
Zhuhai Airport is located at the southwest tip of Sanzao Island in the West Zhuhai, 31 kilometers away from the urban areas. The airport is surrounded by the sea on three sides.. With all the indexes reaching the international advanced level, the airport has reached the standards of the international first-class civil airport. It covers an area of 92 thousand square meters and composed of the hall in general, the departure hall and the sightseeing hall. The embarking and disembarking passengers use different paths. As a modern airport, it has direct flights to and from more than 20 major cities, such as Chongqing, Shanghai, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Beijing, Chengdu, Changsha, etc.
There will always a bus heading for the urban areas when every flight arrives at the Zhuhai airport，20yuan/person. If you want to take a taxi, you can choose from the red ones. Most of these taxis take passengers to the airport and the drivers are reluctant to return with an empty car. Therefore the taxi fare is relatively cheap and can be bargained at about 50yuan.
Most of the ticket offices in Zhuhai often practise ticketing business of the Zhuhai airport, the Guangzhou Baiyun airport, and the Shenzhen airport.
Highway
Based on the high-grade arterial highways, Zhuhai highways system centers on the city and radiate to nearby counties and towns. It has established a land way traffic network system which connects major towns, ports, the airport and the harbor. There are highway coaches to and from many major southern cities in the country.
Waterway
The Zhuhai harbor has eight port areas, with Gaolan and Jiuzhou as the main ports. There are in total 5 first-class ports and 17 second-class ports. The Jiuzhou port is a oceanic traffic conjunction of the South China and the Asia-Pacific Region and has a direct navigation to and from large harbors within the province and beyond. There are daily boats coming and going between Hongkong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. There are also 24 navigations every day from the Jiuzhou Harbor to Hongkong with a single trip of 70 minutes, and 50 navigations (fliers) every day heading for Shekou with a single trip of merely one hour.
Railway
Although there are no railways in Zhuhai, there are many train ticket offices, selling tickets for trains starting from the Guangzhou, which bring great convenience to train travelers. Be forwarned though, those offices don't deal with ticket cancellation. You have to go Guangzhou Railway Station in case you want to cancel your train travel plan.
Urban transportation
The city transportation is very convenient and road infrasturcture reaches the level of a modern motropolis. Flowers dotted- roads and belevards crisscross the city proper and connect everyscenic attraction.
Public buses
Public bus routes reach every corner of the city proper. All buses are very new with tidy inner appearance. Bus station waiting halls are unique harbor style garden. Most of the buses are equipped with self-service coin boxes and have no conductors. Therefore, passengers shall prepare enough small changes in advance before taking a bus.(2.5 yuan for the air-conditioned bus, 1.5 yuan for the common bus).
There are tourist buses equipped with with air-conditioning facilities and the close circuit television. The main tourist routes are the East and West Routes. Buses on the East Route run every thirty minutes; buses of the West Route run every twenty minutes.
Taxis
There are more than 1000 taxis passing through all the streets in Zhuhai. They stop at your wave of hand and charge at marked price. The starting fare is 10 yuan (13 yuan 12:00 p.m.), plus 2.4 yuan for each additional kilometer after that. If you encounter unreasonable charges or bad service quality , you can make a complaint by dialing the phone number marked on the taxis. Complaints call：0756--2261133.
To many people, the Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue is the landmark of the city. Standing elegantly at Xianglu Bay, she drapes a fishnet and holds a pearl high in the air with both hands up to the sky. The statue symbolizes a vigorous and lively Zhuhai welcoming visitors from all over the world.
As a beautiful coastal city, Zhuhai has enchanting natural scenery and abundant historical sites, most scattered in its east Xiangzhou and west Doumen Districts.
Attractions in Xiangzhou District
As the location of municipal government, Xiangzhou District is the most flourishing district and has most of the city's important tourist attractions. To tour Xiangzhou, you can start from Jiuzhou City and follow the routes of the sightseeing bus.
1. West Line
Sightseeing Bus 01 running between Jiuzhou City and Fenghuang Mountain Scenic Area is a good choice for touring the attractions in the west part of Xiangzhou. You can arrange your schedule as follows:
New Yuanming Palace
Specialties: Based on the original Yuanmingyuan Garden in Beijing, it is an imitation garden comprising eighteen of the original forty sights. The delicate Chinese palaces, buildings, and pavilions show the imperial architecture of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) and classical garden layout of south China. The Western architecture in the west part of the New Yuanming Palace manifests classic European style.
Location: Lanpu, Jiuzhou Avenue, Jida
Other Bus Routes: 13, 25, 30, 40, 60, 69, 99, 201, 202, 206
Dream Water City
Location: Lanpu, Jiuzhou Avenue, Jida (near New Yuanmingyuan Garden)
Other Bus Routes: 13, 25, 30, 40, 60, 69, 99, 201, 202, 206, or you can go there on foot after visiting the New Yuanmingyuan Garden.
Meixi Royal Stone Archways Tourist Area
Specialties: This tourist area consists of four parts: three exquisite granite archways built in the Qing Dynasty; the former residence of Chen Fang, an outstanding overseas Chinese and first Chinese consul in Hawaii in the late Qing Dynasty; the personal garden of Chen; the Chen's family graveyard.
Location: Meixi Village, Qianshan Town
Other Bus Routes: 26, 99
Agricultural Scientific Academy
Specialties: It offers a marvelous agricultural world with various special fruits and vegetables such as huge pumpkins, multicolored eggplants, and many other peculiar plants, as well as lovely animals. You can dine on pollution-free food there. Shopping, accommodations, and entertainment are also available.
Location: at the foot of Shuanglong Mountain, Meixi Village, Qianshan Town
Other Bus Routes: 26, 99
2. East Line
Sightseeing Bus 02 running between Jiuzhou City and Dajinding provides you with an ideal route touring the attractions in the east part of Xiangzhou. The following is for reference:
Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue
Location: Xianglu Bay, Middle Qinglu Road, Xiangzhou District
Other Bus Routes: 9, 99
Here, you can take a free walk along the beautiful Qinglu Road, or you can go to the Shijingshan Mountain Scenic Area on foot. It is located at the North Haibin Road west of the Qinglu Road, consisting of a park and Shijingshan Cable. The park has distinctive stone sculptures and caves, various plants, and an amusement center. You can also take a cable car to appreciate the charming Zhuhai scenery.
Gongleyuan Garden
Location: Eling Mountain, Tangjiawan Town
Other Bus Routes: 3, 10, 66, 68, 69, 85 (at Tangjia stop)
Pearl Land Amusement Park
Location: Tangjiawan Town
Other Bus Routes: 3, 10, 66, 68, 69
3. South Line
There are several attractions in the south part of Xiangzhou. You can first take the Nos.5, 14, 30, or 60 buses to Nanping to visit Yang's Ancestral Hall. Situated at Beishan Village in Nanping Town, Yang's Ancestral Hall was built in 1868 as a sacrifice hall in the village. The whole construction is designed as a symmetrical Chinese garden on a central axis. The delicate carvings inside the hall indicate the proficient and artistic techniques of ancient Chinese architecture in the Qing Dynasty.
After visiting Yang's Ancestral Hall, you can take Nos.5, 14, 30, 60, or 61 buses to Zhuxian Dong. Located between two mountains, it is a popular destination renowned for its enchanting natural beauty. Then you can take Nos.5, 14, or 30 buses to Wanzai Town to visit Macao Street, which has an architectural style like that of Macao.
Attractions in Doumen District
For touring Doumen District, you can first take the Nos.301, 503, 504, 601, 602, or 609 buses to the Baiteng Lake. The lake covers an area of 10 square kilometers (about 3.86 square miles). Various resorts at the lakefront are ideal places for you to relax.
Here, you can take the No.609 bus to the Huangyang Mountain Scenic Area. The beautiful Huangyang Mountain claims to be the peak in the Pearl River drainage area. Green tea fields, clear springs, deep pools, lovely waterfalls, and various scenic spots in the mountain are appealing. Among all the attractions, Jintai Temple is the most famous. The temple, facing a reservoir and surrounded by mountains in the other three directions, is a hot destination for Buddhists.
If time permits, take the No.609 bus to go to the famous Yuwenquan Hot Spring Resort.
Special Tourist Attractions
Macao Sea Area Cruise is a distinctive feature of a Zhuhai tour. You can take a sightseeing ferryboat at certain ports. During the cruise, you can see many famous sights of Macao, including the Macau-Taipa Bridge, the Friendship Bridge, Lisboa Hotel, the government building of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Lotus Flower Monument, and Macao International Airport. You can alternately choose a night cruise, appreciating the appealing night piece of the sleepless city of Macao.
Island Tours are popular in Zhuhai. The city has 146 islands scattered in the expanse of the South China Sea and you should not miss the most beautiful ones:
Jiuzhou Island, the nearest to the city, is a convenient and ideal resort for a weekend. You can take the Nos.3, 4, 12, 23, 25, 26, 99 buses, or Sightseeing Bus 02 to get to the Jiuzhou Port, and take a ferryboat to Jiuzhou Island. Please note that the ferryboats are available only on Saturdays and Sundays, and the fare for a round trip is about CNY 30 per person.
Qi'ao Island, located in the north sea area of Zhuhai, is renowned for its many historical attractions such as Shaqiu Site, Tianhou Palace of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), and Wenchang Palace of the Qing Dynasty. Being connected with the city by bridge, the island can be directly reached by the No.85 bus.
Hengqin Island in the south part of Xiangzhou District can also be reached directly by the No.14 bus.
Gaolan Island to the southeast of Zhuhai is famous for its Flying Sandy (Feishatan) Beach and the Moya Stone Carving of Chinese Bronze Age about 3,000 years ago. You can take the No.605 bus from Xiangzhou Bus Station in the city center, and then take the No.706 bus to Gaolan Island.
Wanshan Archipelago includes many charming islands such as Wanshan Island, Guishan Island, Wailingding Island, Dangan Island, and Dong'ao Island, which claims to be the most beautiful island of Zhuhai and has plenty of historical sites. You can take the bus No.11 or No.56 to get to Xiangzhou Beidi Port, and then go to these islands by ferry.
Besides enjoying the natural scenery of forest and sand beaches, the many choices for fun today make Zhuhai's island tours more fascinating than ever. You can enjoy sports such as swimming, diving, surfboarding, parasailing, and beach volleyball playing. Or you can take a motorboat or a yacht around the island. Bathing, fishing, camping and dining on fresh seafood are also interesting.