Zhuhai Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Zhuhai (珠海 Zhū-Hǎi) [1] is a city in Guangdong province, China. By land, Zhuhai is connected to the former Portuguese colony Macau to the south, while former British colony Hong Kong lies across the sea to the east. The provincial capital Guangzhou is about 150km to the north.
Zhuhai means Pearl Sea; this is where the Pearl River (珠江 Zhū-Jiāng) flows into the South Sea (南海 Nán-Hǎi).
Contents |
Understand
History
The Zhuhai area has been inhabited for thousands of years. Until the 1970s, Zhuhai was a group of fishing villages with a population of 100,000 or so. Since 1980, when it was designated a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by the central government, it has expanded to include nearby areas and is now a modern city with well over a million inhabitants.
Economy
Economically, it is one of the fastest growing cities in China due to its SEZ status, superb location at the Pearl River Delta and close proximity to Asia's economic powerhouse Hong Kong as well as Macau where most of the investments are pouring in from. However, it is still lagging behind neighbouring cities like Shenzhen and Dongguan.
Ecology
Zhuhai is one of China's cleanest and prettiest cities, and received numerous accolades for its excellent ecological development effort. In 1998, it was given the International Award for Best Practices in Improving Living Environment by the United Nations Center for Human Settlements. It is also commonly agreed to be one of the best cities in China to retire in.
Climate
The weather in Zhuhai is sub-tropical. Temperature varies between 10C degrees in winter (Dec to Feb) to a hot and humid 35C degrees in summer (Jun to Sep). Typhoons are also a possibility in summer. The best times to visit are spring and fall.
Legend
Legend has it that an angel descended to earth one day and fell in love with the beauty of the land. Reluctant to return, she turned herself into a fisher girl, weaving nets and searching for precious pearls to earn a living. In addition, she unselfishly used her knowledge and powers to heal villagers who were ill, and so she was well loved by one and all. Soon she met a young fisherman named Hai Peng and they fell in love. Not long after, however, Hai Peng listened to malicious accusations and demanded the fisher girl to give him her magical bracelets as a token of her affection. The fisher girl tearfully explained the origin of the bracelets. While she was still the daughter of the South Sea Dragon King, the eight bracelets were given to her by the eight palace mistresses, to guard her against the thought of abandoning immortality. She would die if she even removed one. Tragically, Hai Peng did not believe her story and turned to leave. The fisher girl, to prove her love for Hai Peng, removed her bracelets and died in his arms instantly. Hai Peng was filled with remorse and grief. His great sorrow moved the Jiu Zhou Huan Elder, who taught him the way to bring the fisher girl back to life. For this he had to go to the Jiu Zhou Island to find the Resurrection Grass, which must then be fed with man's blood. After much difficulty, Hai Peng found the grass and grew it with his own blood. Days turned to years, and the grass was finally ready and used to revive the fisher girl. Henceforth, the fisher girl became a true mortal. On the day of their wedding, all the girls together found a gigantic, magical pearl at the seashore. In gratitude, the fisher girl presented this to the reverent Elder.
- Fisher girl: 渔女
- Hai Peng: 海鹏
- Dragon King of the South Seas: 南海龙王
- Jiu Zhou Huan Elder: 九州环长老
- Resurrection Grass: 还魂草
Districts
Listed from North to South.
- Jinding (金鼎 Jīn-Dǐng) - A village whose main attraction is an excellent Pizza place run by an Englishman - reached via 3, 10 or sightseeing bus.
- Tangjiawan (唐家湾 Táng-Jiā-Wān) - A moderate size town with a good street food late at night.
- Xiangzhou (香洲 Xiāng-Zhōu) - Government offices, residential districts is the area locals mainly go shopping in. Several big department stores, some bars and restaurants.
- Jida (吉大 Jí-Dà ) - Has lots of offices, high end hotels and shopping complexes.
- Gongbei (拱北 Gǒng-Běi) - The main tourist area with cheap hotels, lots of cheap clothing, electronics, souvenirs, walking street (步行街 Bù-Xíng-Jiē) and bar street (酒吧街 Jiǔ-Bā-Jiē). At the southern edge of Gongbei, you find an underground shopping center and the Macau border.
- Doumen (斗门 Dǒu-Mén) - In the West; the local airport is here. There are also hotspring areas here.
Get in
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VISA
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By plane
Zhuhai Airport (ZUH) [2], a moderately sized modern airport, connects the area with many Chinese cities, but not many international destinations. Budget carrier Spring Airlines [3] flies here daily from Shanghai.
To reach Zhuhai from outside China, fly to Hong Kong, Macau or Guangzhou. All have large modern airports with many international connections and all are within an hour or two of Zhuhai.
- From the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) [4], an express bus service that goes to Zhuhai is available. Costs ¥90 and takes approximately 2.5 hours.
- From the Macau International Airport (MFM) [5], the best way to get to Zhuhai is via the Express Link service, skipping the Macau immigration and customs altogether. Once you get off your flight, instead of going through immigration, look for the Express Link (China) sign and follow it. This will lead you past a transit security scan station where you must pick up an Express Link card, and upstairs into the departure hall. Go to the ticket counter at Gate 8, present your card and buy a ticket for the coach that goes to the Gongbei border (past Macau, before Zhuhai). The coach fare is ¥52 and the ride takes only 15 minutes.
- Coach departure times are 1100h 1130h 1200h 1230h 1300h 1445h 1700h 1730h 1800h and 1845h.
- If you need to check in any bags for your flight, remember to have them "blue tagged" during your flight check-in for this Express Link service. Present your luggage tags at the coach ticket counter and pick up your bags at the bus bay later.
- The option to skip the Macau immigration is not available on the return. Allocate *lots* of time for immigration for the trip back, especially at the China end on a weekend, which could easily take an hour unless you have access to the Diplomat queue (e.g. with an APEC Business Travel Card). Starting off at the Zhuhai border 3 hours before your flight departure time would be a good idea. Anything less is a big risk. Once out of the China customs (before entering Macau), there is a little ticket booth to the left where you can get a shuttle bus ticket to the airport for ¥35. The bus will be waiting on the left once you leave the Macau immigration hall. Buses run at 10 minute intervals.
- From Hong Kong Airport take the airport subway to Kowloon, then a taxi to the China-Hong Kong Ferry Terminal (s:中港城码头 t:中港城碼頭). See below for more details.
By boat
| Shekou Ferry Terminal | China Ferry Terminal | HK-Macau Ferry Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Every 30 mins from 07:30 to 18:30 | 07:30 | 08:40 |
| 08:30 | 10:30 | |
| 09:30 | 12:30 | |
| 11:30 | 14:30 | |
| 13:30 | 16:30 | |
| 15:30 | 19:30 | |
| 17:30 | 21:30 |
There are several ferries per day from HK-Macau Ferry Terminal 港澳码头 (Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong), China Ferry Terminal 中港城码头 (Kowloon, Hong Kong) and Shekou Ferry Terminal 蛇口港 (Shekou, Shenzhen) arriving at the Zhuhai Jiu Zhou Ferry Terminal 九洲港. There is a taxi rank and bus stops directly outside. Visas can be purchased here for most nationalities (not American citizens).
By train
A light railway to Guangzhou is due to open in 2008, and will cut travel time to 56 minutes.
By car
It is possible to drive across the border from Macau.
A proposal for a Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (港珠澳大桥) has been put on the table for ages, and looks to be approved by all parties soon. This will cut the travelling time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai by car to under an hour.
By bus
Hundreds of buses come from Guangzhou every day, usually via the Jingzhu (Beijing-Zhuhai) Highway (京珠高速). You can catch one at:
- China (Marriott) Hotel (中国大酒店)
- Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (广州白云机场) just inside the Arrival Hall
- Garden Hotel (花园酒店)
- Provincial bus station (省汽车站)
- Tianhe Dasha bus station (天河大厦车站)
- Liuhua bus station (流花车站) directly opposite the provincial train station
just to name a few. From any of these, the trip will cost ¥60 to ¥65 and take about 2.5 hours. Buses leave every half hour and go to Gongbei. Along the way, they usually make a stop at Xiangzhou (香洲 Xiāng-Zhōu) and Suidaonan (隧道南 Suì-Dào-Nán).
Zhuhai has several bus stations:
- One is underground, accessed from the underground shopping centre at the Macau border.
- The main Gongbei bus station is off to your right as you leave the underground shopping center.
- Xiangzhou also has a large intercity bus station. Take #2 or #10 city bus to reach it from Gongbei.
On foot
You can walk across the border from Macau at Gongbei.
Get 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.
- Within any district, you can walk or take a taxi from ¥10.
- To move between districts, use buses. These are ¥1 to ¥3, depending how far they go and whether they are air-conditioned.
- The double decker sightseeing bus bus goes to most areas between Gongbei and Jinding for ¥3. Padded seats and good air conditioning make it a lot more comfortable than city buses for long trips. Last run is at about 7pm.
Talk
Because many people are from other parts of China, Mandarin is more common than in nearby cities. Cantonese is also widely spoken, being the lingua fraca of Guangdong province. English is not commonly understood.
See
- 8.7m tall Fisher Girl statue (渔女 Yú-Nǚ), the city's symbol, along Lovers' Road (情侣路 Qíng-Lǚ-Lù). Take the sightseeting, 9 or 99 bus.
- Take a walk along the coastline by Lovers' Road. Majestic view of the Macau skyline across the border, but the sea tends to be brown and muddy most of the time.
- Swimming and sunbathing on the beach of several islands (50 mins by boat from Zhuhai).
- Pearl Land (珍珠乐园 Zhēn-Zhū-Lè-Yuán), an amusement park in excess of 40,000 sqm on the coastal road north of town, near the Zhuhai International Circuit. Entrance fee is ¥60 for adults and ¥30 for children under the height of 1.4m. Take the sightseeing, 3, 10, 68 or 69 bus.
- An amusement park to the West of town.
Do
Motorsports
Go to the Zhuhai International Circuit (珠海国际赛车场) where you can:
- Watch international auto and motorcycle racing, including the FIA GT Championship and Pan Delta Super Racing Festivals.
- Receive expert instruction and spend a half hour on the actual race course in a formula car for $1500 HKD.
- Rent go carts and motorcycles for use on a separate track.
Golf
There are several golf courses in the area. These are popular with Hong Kong players who come on weekends as they are cheaper and less crowded than those in Hong Kong. For more details see Golf in China. There is also a driving range in Jida, use the number four bus.
Learn
- Beijing Normal U and Beijing Institute of Technology, on a side road just before Jinding, 69 bus from town or 70 from Jinding.
- Harbin Institute of Technology and Zhong Shan U, on main coast road North of town: 3, 10, 69 or sightseeing bus.
- Several universities West of town, towards Doumen.
Buy
The legal tender is the Chinese Yuan, also called Renminbi (RMB) or people's money. Some merchants may also accept Hong Kong dollars or Macau Patacas on a one-to-one basis against the RMB in Zhuhai, but you cannot count on this.
The official receipt issued by merchants in China (for the purpose of tax collection by the government) is called Fa Piao (发票 Fā-Piào). Always ask for one if you need to declare your expenses. They are available from hotels, taxis and restaurants etc.
At the border
There is a huge underground shopping complex (拱北地下广场 Gǒng-Běi-Dì-Xià-Guǎng-Chǎng) right at the Macau border in Gongbei. In the picture, the entire open concrete area has two floors of shops under it. There are several hundred shops, many with goods targeted to tourists -- clothing and shoes, jade and other jewellery, crafts including a lot of Tibetan stuff, consumer electronics, and so on.
There are also many CDs and DVDs, mainly unlicensed copies. Also available in abundance here are imitation watches with incredible resemblance to the real stuff (Rolex, Breitling, Patek Philippe and Omega, just to name a few). Even among these fakes, differences in grade can be seen for the same model in different shops. Whatever you buy here, always bargain and bargain hard.
Elsewhere in Gongbei
- Yingbin Road (迎宾路 Yíng-Bīn-Lù) is the main street that goes straight north from the border. Number one and number two North exits from the underground complex lead to opposite sides of Yingbin Road. It has several large shopping complexes with everything from cheap Chinese goods to trendy pricey international brands. On the left, there is Wanjia Department Store (万佳百货 Wàn-Jiā-Bǎi-Huò) which is the most recognizable landmark in Gongbei by name. Any local or taxi driver will know where it is. Slightly further up, there is also the Yingbin Plaza (迎宾广场 Yíng-Bīn-Guǎng-Chǎng) on the right which has a McDonalds on the ground floor and a KFC right above it. More of the shops here are fashion wear based.
- Lotus Road (莲花路 Lián-Huā-Lù) is a walking street, meaning a pedestrians only street. It is parallel to Yingbin Road mentioned above and a block east of it. At the South end, it starts on the West side of the bus station, opposite the Northeast exit from the underground complex at the Macau border. The merchandise available here is similar to what you find in the underground shopping mall, mostly clothing and electronics. There is also a Bank Of China branch here with ATMs for foreign cards. In the middle stretch, there are many bar booths right out on the street with a few stools on each of the four sides. Drinks are cheap (10-15 for beer or coffee), and casual approaches by prostitutes are common.
- On the other side of the bus station is a street with a few restaurants including a good Thai one (look for elephants on the sign), hotels and shops. Follow it a few blocks and it turns into Bar Street; see the Drink section.
Jida
The main drag in Jida is Jǐngshān Road (景山路) which has a large shopping area covered by two blocks of classy department stores:
- Zhu Hai Shopping Mall (珠海百货 Zhū-Hǎi-Bǎi-Huò)
- Duty Free Shopping Mall (免税商场 Miǎn-Shuì-Shāng-Chǎng)
- Your Family Store (又一家 Yòu-Yī-Jiā)
- Tong Luo Wan Shopping Mall (铜锣湾 Tóng-Luó-Wān)
From Gongbei, take a number 2 or 10 bus.
Xiangzhou
Xiangzhou has plenty of shops, and is generally less tourist-oriented than Jida or Gongbei. The main street has the Japanese department store Jusco and a number of other shops including several fairly large shopping complexes along the street North of Jusco. There is a nice T-shirt shop, much better than the usual tourist trash, about 20 meters from Jusco. From the border, take a number 2 or Sightseeing bus to reach this area.
On the second corner South of Jusco are two large buildings full of computer and electronics shops.
Golf equipment
Golf equipment is readily available and cheap in Zhuhai, but nearly all "brand name" clubs are bogus and often of poor quality as well. There are several small golf shops in the underground shopping center at the border, some on Lotus Road, and two larger ones across the road from the driving range.
Eat
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including drink: | |
| Budget Mid-range Splurge | Under 20 RMB 20-80 RMB over 80 |
Cantonese cuisine is commonplace. Seafood is a local specialty.
One large and popular high-end seafood place is on a boat in Xiangzhou harbour. From Gongbei, take #9 or Sightseeing bus along Lover's Road until you see an island and bridge on your right, just as the bus turns left. Get off and walk across the bridge. From Jusco, walk South on the main street to the first corner and turn left. The bridge is one block in front.
Shi Shen Seafood City has two locations, one in a interesting old building a bit North of town on the coast road (#3, #10 or Sightseeing bus) and one near the border, a short distance along the road by the clock tower.
Food from other regions of China is also available. Hunan and Sichuan food is common, one well-known Hunan place is Huo Gong Dian in Gongbei.
Walking North from Jusco on the main street, there are many restaurants:
- Turn right at the first corner (KFC) for a big seafood place and a good Sichuan place
- At the seafood place, turn left, and 20 meters along the side street is an alley on your right with assorted cheap plain restaurants
- At the end of the alley, turn left for more of the same including good Muslim noodles about half a block along on your right
- Back on the main street, turn left at first pedestrian overpass for good Dong Bei (Northeast China) food
There is a fine Xinjiang place on the #4 bus route, one stop North of the Jida ferry port. That is part of a cluster of mid-range restaurants in a newly developed area.
For a cheap and filling snack, look for the tiny noodle places run by Muslims.
Non-Chinese food
There are two pizza places run by foreign residents, both good:
- Dynamics Pizza [6] is in Xiangzhou, set back from the street on the main street a couple of blocks North of Jusco, opposite the Post Office. Prices are reasonable, ¥8-10 for beer and ¥15 to 50-odd for pizza.
- Mr Pizza is in Jinding (#3, #10 or Sightseeing bus to first bus stop after you turn into Jinding, then cross the street).
There are also several Pizza Huts, but Dynamics or Mr Pizza are both much better and considerably cheaper. There is also a local chain called Pizza Coffee, with reasonable prices but without pizza that appeals to Western tastes.
Good, but relatively expensive places:
- Indian Kitchen, Jida — #4 bus, 2 stops South of the port
- Roman restaurant, Jida, Texan chef, 100 RMB steak or 50 RMB burritos, good 68 RMB dinner buffet — #4 or Sightseeing bus, look for the airplane on a stand in front of a shopping center near the beach. Owner and his daughter both speak excellent English, most staff have some English. Wednesday nights foreigners get a discount on beer.
The Thai restaurant on the lower floor of the border shopping area and the one down the street from the clock tower are both good, and reasonably priced. There are several other Thai places around town, and a Korean one in Jida.
There are several Japanese restaurants in town.
- Jusco has good sushi on the third floor.
- There is a large upscale Japanese restaurant on Lovers' Road in Gongbei, a block from Bar Street.
- Takumi Ken, on the #4 bus route, one stop South of the port.
Do not go to the Indian Restaurant in Gongbei for the food. There are no curries; the specialty is tolerable steak at high prices. However, you might consider going for the decor, which is American plains Indian with a few pieces of Northwest coast art. The waitresses look rather cute in fringed skirts with feathers in their hair. It is a couple of blocks North of McDonalds on the main street from the West end of the border shopping area.
The Bali restuarant — in Jida, near the driving range, on the #9 route — looks Indonesian, but when this writer went for lunch, the menu had only Chinese and some Western dishes. Perhaps in the evening they fire up the barbeques outside and try to live up to their name.
To shop for imported groceries, try Jusco on the main street in Xiangzhou, or Carrefour out near the end of the #7 and #9 bus lines, or the Zhuhai Deli [7]. Jusco has a reasonable bakery, albeit with a few odd items like tuna doughnuts.
Drink
There are many bars on "bar street" (jiuba jie) one block inland, a 20 minute walk from the Gongbei border; just follow the street with the clock tower on it until it becomes bar street. Some, particularly Cohiba, are expat hangouts. These are generally expensive (¥20 to ¥30 for beer), but may be worthwhile if you crave Western food or live music.
For a unique experience, have a beer or coffee at one of the dozen open-air bar booths along Lianhua Road. There are two groups of bars with the one nearer the border emphasizing food and the one further along emphasizing drinking. Drinks are cheap (¥10 or ¥15 for a bottle of beer or cup of coffee), and you get to meet all sorts of travellers, expats, local wannabes and working girls. Hanging out here is one of the most relaxing things to do in Gongbei. Be cautious though, especially late at night. Most stalls are open till 3am.
There used to be tiny outdoor bars in front of the Jusco store in Xiangzhou. These have closed, but walk through Jusco, turn left and at the end of the Jusco building you will find a small bar run by a former outdoor bar owner, complete with many of the expat customers who used to hang out out front.
Sleep
Gongbei
There are at least a dozen hotels within walking distance of the Gongbei border, mostly either cheap or mid-range (¥170 to ¥400). You can bargain the prices and normally they have "special prices", around half the listed price. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to see a low price on the sign, but find when you go in that only more expensive rooms are available.
- Friendship Hotel, opposite the Gongbei border. If you are at the border, facing town, it is to the left of the bus station. Directly across the street as you emerge from the Northeast exit of the underground complex.
- Taking Yingbin Road North from the border, turn left at the first street for two fairly large mid-range hotels. Or turn right at McDonalds for several more including some fancier ones.
- Jiuzhou Hotel, find the road that goes North along the East side of the bus station. Hotel about a half block along it on the right. The sign in the window says ¥120.
- In the middle of the walking street bar area is Da Hai Hotel with clean rooms, television, air-conditioning, at ¥130 a night. Some rooms even have bathtubs, unusual in China. On the left, toward the North end of the bar strip. This is a great place to stay, provided you don't mind a few filghts of stairs, music from nearby bars audible until the wee hours, or that some rooms are rented by the hour.
- There are several other hotels along the same street.
- There are cheaper options available. On the walking street there are at least three massage parlours. If you arrive after 9pm you may pay ¥60 to ¥88 (depending on the room type) for 2 hours traditional Chinese massage and they will let you sleep until midday without additional payment. In one establishment you have the room to yourself, it has television and air-conditioning, in others you share a room with 4 other guests.
Xiangzhou
- If you turn left (South) on the main street as you come out of Jusco, there are three hotels in the first block. Two large ones on your right (across the street) and a small one a block along on your left, ¥80. Several more are on various back streets North of Jusco, in the ¥100-¥120 range.
- Touts outside the Xiangzhou bus station offer accommodation, often in private apartments with the family on bunk beds in the living room so the bedrooms can earn money. ¥50 a night is usual. These are usually clean and have a TV in every room, but up several flights of stairs and with a squat toilet.
Budget
- There is a HI youth hostel in Zhuhai which is located in the "Zhuhai Holiday Resort". This is in Jida, on number 4 bus route.
Mid range
Splurge
- Grand Bay View Hotel, Gongbei - nice views
- Harbour View hotel, Jida - located next to the only decent beach in downtown Zhuhai.
- Holiday Inn (假日酒店 Jià-Rì-Jiǔ-Diàn), Jida - international, western managed, clean rooms, within walking distance to shopping area.
- Nanyang Seascape (南洋海景 Nán-Yáng-Hǎi-Jǐng), Gongbei - has beds like rock, smelly lobby and lifts, the location is good though.
- Yindo (银都 Yín-Dū), Gongbei - the first 5-star hotel in Zhuhai but it's too old. Feels more like a 3.5 star.
Contact
The area code for Zhuhai is 0756. When calling from overseas, dial +86 0756 XXXX-XXXX
Get out
Zhuhai has several islands, accessible by ferry. Some have uncrowded beaches.
One of the biggest Chinese antique furniture market areas is a 30 minute drive away in Guhe, Zhongshan. You can take a taxi (¥30-¥50) or get a bus near the border (¥2-¥4) to get there.
The bus to Guangzhou costs ¥60 or ¥65, runs every half hour, trip takes 2.5 hours. You can board at either the underground station in Gongbei to get to Garden Hotel (花园酒店), or from near the Gongbei border to get to the Provincial bus station (省汽车站) or Tianhe Dasha (天河大厦) bus station.
There are also buses to most nearby cities, including Shenzhen (cheaper than the ferry), and overnight buses to Guilin, Xiamen, Zhanjiang and Beihai.
The Xiangzhou bus station has a direct overnight bus to Yangshuo which is cheap (¥110) but fairly uncomfortable. Unlike most overnight busses it has no on-board toilets but it makes several stops during the 12 hour trip.
Neighbouring Macau can be reached on foot or by car through the Gongbei border crossing, by ferry from Wanzai area, or on foot or by car through the Lotus Bridge from Hengqin (the latter is currently only open to goods vehicles, as the Zhuhai side immigration and customs building is undergoing reconstruction).
| This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow! |
