Zhuhai overview 珠海

About Zhuhai

A first visit works well as a sequence of waterfront viewpoints, with a separate transfer between longer sections. The coastline is extensive, so choose a specific stretch rather than attempting the entire road. Doumen’s old commercial streets and the offshore islands require their own excursions and add different settings to a longer stay.

Archaeological evidence shows human activity in the Zhuhai area from over 6,000 years ago, with Neolithic and Bronze Age sites such as Baojingwan on Gaolan Island and Houshawan on Qi'ao Island (淇澳岛) yielding pottery, stone and jade rings, tools, discs and petroglyphs. Xiangshan County (香山县) was established in 1152, during the Southern Song dynasty, then covering the area of present-day Zhuhai, Macau and Zhongshan. Zhuhai was established as a city in 1979 and designated a special economic zone in 1980, one of the earliest such zones in China; the zone's area was later expanded to cover the whole city by 2010.

Zhuhai is located in southern Guangdong, bordering Zhongshan to the north and Jiangmen to the west, with Macau adjoining to the southeast and Hong Kong across the Lingding Ocean (伶仃洋) to the east. Its sea area covers 6050 square kilometers and includes 262 islands, giving rise to its description as the 'City of a Hundred Islands'. Since the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Zhuhai has been the only city on the Chinese mainland connected by land to both Hong Kong and Macau.

What to look for

• The Fisher Girl statue marks a seaside viewpoint on Lovers’ Road.
• The shell-shaped opera house occupies Yeli Island, with an exterior that can be appreciated separately from a performance.

Location & getting there

Getting to Zhuhai

For the waterfront circuit, use the Fisher Girl stop on Lovers’ Road or the opera house at 129 Yuwan Road on Yeli Island. Zhuhai railway station serves the Gongbei side of the city, from which local transport is needed to these northern waterfront sights.