When is the best time to visit Zhuhai?

March to April and October to December are the classic windows. May to October is the rainy season with more showers and occasional typhoons. The climate is subtropical maritime — winters stay mild and summers are not as harsh as inland Guangdong.

How many days do I need in Zhuhai?

Two days covers the city coastline — the Fisher Girl, Lovers Road, Yeli Island, Shijingshan cable car and Yuanming Xinyuan. Three days adds an outlying island (Wailingding or Dong'ao), the Hengqin oyster dinner or a Haiquan Bay hot-spring evening.

How do I get from Guangzhou to Zhuhai?

The Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity rail is the easiest: 25 trains a day from Guangzhou South, first at 07:00 and last at 22:40, the fastest 72 minutes. Zhuhai Station sits just west of the Gongbei border with Macau.

How do I cross from Zhuhai to Macau?

Walk through the Gongbei Border Gate (or the newer Hengqin Port) to Macau — you need a Mainland Exit-Entry Permit plus a Macau visa endorsement before arrival. For a taster without the permit, take the Wanzai/Macau-loop cruise that circles Macau in about an hour.

Where is the best seafood in Zhuhai?

Two names: Hengqin Island for fat, sweet oysters (the 'big, fat, white, tender, crisp' five standards), and Wanzai Seafood Street on Nanwan Avenue — a hundred stalls where you pick the live seafood and the adjacent restaurants cook it. Budget RMB 50–100 per person.

Can you book my Zhuhai trip through ToursChinaTravel?

Yes. Email info@joyotour.com or message us on WhatsApp. Our team arranges hotels, island ferry tickets, hot-spring passes, Macau-loop cruises and guides — free of charge and without obligation.

Zhuhai Travel Guide 2026 — Lovers Road, Outlying Islands & HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

What's inside this guide Bucket List · Highlights · Q&A · Itineraries · Attractions · Activities · Where to Stay · Food · Getting Around · Shopping · Practical Info · Day Trips · Tips · Background · Plan Your Trip

Zhuhai Bucket Listthe little things that make this coastline unforgettable

1 · Walk Lovers Road at sunset

28 km of palm-lined promenade hugging Xianglu Bay — the locals say the road is as long as a couple's life together. Start at the Fisher Girl, drift east past Yeli Island and the Sun-Moon Shell opera house, and let the harbour lights come on.

2 · Eat Hengqin oysters until you burst

'Big, fat, white, tender, crisp' — the five-character slogan of Hengqin oysters, raised in the fresh-salt tide of the Pearl River mouth. Grilled with garlic on a street-side brazier is the definitive Zhuhai dinner.

3 · Take the Macau-loop cruise

No permit needed: an hour-long boat from Wanzai Harbour circles the Macau peninsula, the outer harbour and the bridges — a close-up of the casinos and the PRC's only Portuguese-flavoured skyline, in sea breeze.

4 · Barefoot on a Zhuhai beach

Xianglu Bay's urban sand is free; for proper empty beaches take the ferry to Dong'ao's Nansha Bay ('Diamond Beach') or Wailingding's Da Dong Bay — sand so fine the boats anchor just offshore.

5 · Ride the Shijingshan alpine slide

China's first tube-track mountain coaster — 650 m, 10.2° slope, the speed in your own hand. Cable car up, luge down, with a rooftop view over Zhuhai and Macau between them.

6 · Soak at Haiquan Bay or Yuwen Hot Spring

Zhuhai's two signature onsen-style resorts: Haiquan Bay's sea-thermal spring (wellhead 11 m self-flowing, open until 02:00) or Doumen Yuwen's wood-and-lamp garden — the perfect counterweight to a day on the beach.

Top Highlightswhat Zhuhai does best

No.1 · Lovers Road 情侣路

The 'Great Wall of Zhuhai' — 28 km of gritstone promenade, hills on one side, the sea on the other. Legend says the name was coined on an impromptu official walk with a visiting leader, after a couple were seen strolling hand in hand. In the local imagination it never ends: as long as the coastline, as long as love.

No.2 · Macau-loop cruise 澳门环岛游

Zhuhai and Macau face each other across a narrow channel. An hour's loop cruise from Wanzai or Jiuzhou Harbour glides past the outer harbour, the casino skyline and the bridges — the closest you can get to Macau without a permit.

No.3 · China International Aviation & Aerospace Expo 中国航展

One of the world's five major air shows, held on even-numbered Novembers at Zhuhai Airshow Centre — fighter aerobatics, heavy-lift drones and civil-aircraft debuts on a purpose-built tarmac. Book hotels months ahead.

No.4 · Zhuhai International Circuit 国际赛车场

China's permanent FIA-grade circuit hosts GT and touring-car rounds — on off weekends the karting track opens to the public, and track days let ordinary visitors slide the same tarmac as the pros.

No.5 · 'Oyster' feast 横琴蚝

The estuary's fresh-salt tide makes Hengqin oysters the city's signature: large, fat, milky-white, tender and crisp. Grilled with garlic on the half shell at the Hengqin eco-oyster farm or the Wanzai seafood street is the local ritual.

No.6 · Natural hot springs 温泉

Two resorts anchor the coast: Haiquan Bay in the southwest (a sea-thermal spring self-flowing 11 m, open 09:00–02:00) and Doumen Yuwen Hot Spring at the foot of Mount Huangyang — garden pools, lantern light, and a full evening of unknotting.

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Zhuhai

When is the best month to go?

March–April and October–December. May–October is the rainy season (and typhoon season, June–October, roughly four storms a year), but the city stays green and the hotels cheap. Winter is mild — January rarely dips below 10°C.

Do I need Cantonese to get by?

No. Zhuhai is one of the original reform-era windows — most residents are transplants and Mandarin works in every shop, hotel and taxi. Cantonese is heard in the older old-town corners, but it never blocks a meal.

What should I buy as a souvenir?

Dieshi oyster sauce, Wanzai salted fish, Huangyang litchi, Xiaotu Hill kumquat and Zhuhai's dried-seafood baskets. For something polished: Hengqin oyster sauce and vacuum-packed Doumen double-shell crab.

Is Zhuhai expensive?

Not by Pearl River Delta standards. The PDF baseline is RMB 700–1,000 per person a day all-in: seafood dinner RMB 50–100, a clean business hotel RMB 220–350, buses RMB 1.5–2. The big spends are the Haiquan Bay hot spring (RMB 168), island ferries and the Macau-loop cruise.

Is it easy to combine Zhuhai with Macau or Hong Kong?

Extremely. Gongbei Border Gate is a 10-minute taxi from Lovers Road; Hengqin Port is 20 minutes from the oyster farms. Jiuzhou Harbour runs 28 sailings a day to Hong Kong and 46 to Shenzhen Shekou; the HZMB coach crosses in about 40 minutes.

Can you book the whole trip through ToursChinaTravel?

Yes — email [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp. We book hotels, island ferries, hot-spring passes and the Macau-loop cruise free of charge, no obligation.

Sample Itinerariestwo, three or four days on the Pearl River estuary

Zhuhai in Two Days: Coastline & Gardens

The city essence: the Fisher Girl and Lovers Road, Yeli Island and the Sun-Moon Shell, Shijingshan cable car and alpine slide, then Yuanming Xinyuan and the Macau-loop cruise. Highlights: Fisher Girl · Lovers Road · Yeli Island · Yuanming Xinyuan View day-by-day plan →

Day 1

Fisher Girl, Lovers Road & Shijingshan. Morning: walk to the Zhuhai Fisher Girl (free, all day) on the rock in Xianglu Bay — Zhuhai's 1982 emblem. Stroll east along Lovers Road past the urban beach; buses 9 and 99. Cross the Yanqiao Bridge to Yeli Island and the white-shell Zhuhai Opera House , lunch on the floating Deyue Fang restaurant. Afternoon: Shijingshan Park — cable car up (round trip ¥55 adult / ¥30 child), luge down the 650 m tube track, rooftop views over Zhuhai and Macau. Evening: seafood dinner on Lovers Road and the beach music vibe in Jida.

Day 2

Yuanming Xinyuan & the Macau loop. Morning: Yuanming Xinyuan (free with ID, 10:00–22:00) — the 1:1 selection of 18 of Beijing's Old Summer Palace scenes on Dashilin Hill. Buses 1/13/14/25/40/60/62/69/609. Lunch nearby, then the Wanzai Macau-loop cruise from Wanzai — an hour circling the Macau peninsula and outer harbour, with the casino skyline close enough to read. Sunset: dinner at Wanzai Seafood Street (Nanwan Avenue, ¥50–100 pp) — pick live fish and hand it to the adjacent cook.

Zhuhai 3-Day with Wailingding Island

Two days on the city coastline plus a ferry out to Wailingding — fishing-village lanes, Da Dong Bay beach, and the 'Tipping Lotus' lookout over the Lingding Channel. Highlights: Lovers Road · Wailingding · Hengqin oysters · Macau loop View day-by-day plan →

Day 1

Fisher Girl, Lovers Road & Yeli Island. Walk the Fisher Girl at Xianglu Bay, drift east along Lovers Road to Yeli Island and the Sun-Moon Shell opera house. Afternoon: Shijingshan cable car and luge. Evening: dinner at Wanzai Seafood Street.

Day 2

Wailingding Island. Early from the hotel to Xiangzhou North Pier for the 08:20 ferry to Wailingding Island (¥85, 1.5 h). Wander the fishing-village lanes, swim at Da Dong Bay , walk to the Beidi Bell and the 'Twin Peaks Panorama' lookout over the Lingding Channel. Lunch on fresh-off-the-boat seafood. Return on the 16:20 ferry. Sunset back on Lovers Road.

Day 3

Yuanming Xinyuan, Macau loop & Hengqin oysters. Morning: Yuanming Xinyuan (free with ID) — 18 scenes of the Old Summer Palace at 1:1 scale. Midday: the Wanzai Macau-loop cruise, an hour circling the peninsula and passing close under the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge . Afternoon: taxi to Hengqin Island for garlic-grilled oysters at the eco-oyster farm, a stroll around Lijunpangdou Square , and the border vista.

Zhuhai 4-Day: Bridge, Islands & Hot Springs

The full sweep: city coastline, Wailingding day-trip, Hengqin oyster dinner and HZMB cruise, then a Haiquan Bay hot-spring night to finish. Highlights: HZMB cruise · Wailingding · Haiquan Bay · Hengqin oysters View day-by-day plan →

Day 1

City coastline. Fisher Girl , Lovers Road , Yeli Island and the Sun-Moon Shell, Shijingshan cable car and luge. Dinner at Wanzai Seafood Street.

Day 2

Wailingding Island. 08:20 ferry from Xiangzhou North Pier to Wailingding (¥85, 1.5 h). Fishing village, Da Dong Bay beach, Beidi Bell and the Twin Peaks lookout. Return 16:20.

Day 3

HZMB cruise & Hengqin. Morning Bay cruise from Wanzai — close passes of the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge artificial islands and the Macau outer harbour (from ¥128). Afternoon: Hengqin Island — oyster-farm lunch, Lijunpangdou Square , the Portuguese-style facades.

Day 4

Yuanming Xinyuan & Haiquan Bay. Morning: Yuanming Xinyuan (free with ID, 10:00–22:00). Afternoon and evening: bus 608 to Haiquan Bay — the sea-thermal spring (¥168, 09:00–02:00 next day), the Mystery Island theme park and the fisherman's wharf dinner theatre. Finish with a soak under the lanterns before the late bus back.

All three plans are bookable end-to-end by our team — see the full day-by-day Zhuhai itineraries hub, or the day-tour pages for single-day options.

Top Attractionstickets, hours, buses & insider tips

The Zhuhai Fisher Girl — city emblem at Xianglu Bay

Zhuhai Fisher Girl 珠海渔女

The city's emblem: an 8.7 m granite statue raised in 1982, the first large coastal statue in China, standing on a rock in Xianglu Bay — a girl in a pearl necklet holding a pearl high toward the sky. Best at sunset; free, all day. Buses 9 and 99 stop at 'Zhuhai Fisher Girl'.

Admission	Free
Best season	late afternoon

Tips: Visit: 30–60 min

View details →

Lovers Road — the 28 km palm-lined coastal promenade

Lovers Road 情侣路

Zhuhai's 'Great Wall' — 28 km of rectangular gritstone paving that follows the coastline from the Zhongshan border to the Modaomen estuary. Walk or cycle between the Fisher Girl and Yeli Island at golden hour; the city beach and the Sun-Moon Shell opera house are along the way. Free, all day.

Admission

Free

Tips: Buses: 4/9/13/99 to Lovers South (Gongbei)

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Zhuhai Opera House — the Sun-Moon Shell on Yeli Island

Yeli Island & Sun-Moon Shell 野狸岛

The closest island to downtown, linked by the Yanqiao Bridge and looped by Lovers Road from three sides. Free and open all day — and home to the Zhuhai Opera House, a pair of gleaming white shells that has become the city's modern emblem. Buses 7, 8, 13 and sightseeing line 2.

Admission	Free
Best season	sunset + lights

Tips: Visit: 1.5–2 h

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Yuanming Xinyuan — a 1:1 replica palace garden of Beijing's Old Summer Palace

Yuanming Xinyuan 圆明新园

South China's only imperial garden — a 1:1 selection of 18 of Beijing's 40 Yuanmingyuan scenes rebuilt on Dashilin Hill. Free with a valid ID; open 10:00–22:00, with a separate night show after 18:00 (summer) or 18:30 (winter). Buses 1/13/14/25/40/60/62/69/609.

Admission	Free (ID required)
Hours	10:00–22:00

Tips: Night show: separate ticket

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Wailingding Island — fishing village and turquoise cove

Wailingding Island 外伶仃岛

Where Wen Tianxiang wrote 'Since ancient times, who has ever escaped death? I will leave my loyal heart to shine in the pages of history.' The island is known for odd rocks, fishing and swimming — Da Dong Bay beach, the Beidi bell and the 'Twin Peaks Panorama'. Ferries from Xiangzhou North Pier 08:20 and 14:30 (return 10:10, 16:20); 1.5 h, RMB 85.

Admission	Island free
Cruise	¥85, 1.5 h
Hours	all day

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Nansha Bay beach on Dong'ao Island — the diamond beach of the Wanshan group

Dong'ao Island 东澳岛

The classic Wanshan-group island: 15 km of coastline, Nansha Bay ('Diamond Beach') with fine sand and clear water, plus the Qing-dynasty gun emplacement, beacon tower and cliffs. RMB 10 entry; 06:00–19:00. Ferries from Xiangzhou 50 min, from Hengqin 45 min, from Shekou 1 h 20.

Admission	¥10
Hours	06:00–19:00
Cruise	50 min from Xiangzhou

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An artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge 港珠澳大桥

55 km of bridge-and-tunnel across the Lingding Channel — the world's longest sea-crossing. You can see it from Lovers Road or the Macau-loop cruise; the Wanzai 'Zhuhai-Macau Bay Cruise' passes close under the bridge's Hong Kong-bound approach. Day cruises from about RMB 128.

Cruise

from ¥128

Tips: Departures: Wanzai Harbour, daytime + night

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Meixi stone archway — the 'number one paifang' in Lingnan

Meixi Memorial Archway 梅溪牌坊

Courtyard of stone paifangs granted by the Guangxu Emperor to Wu Fang, the Qing consul in Honolulu — a rare Lingnan blend of Western ornament and Chinese masonry. RMB 65 adult / 25 child-student; 08:30–18:00. Sightseeing bus and routes 26/36/70.

Admission	¥65 / ¥25
Hours	08:30–18:00

Tips: Visit: 1.5 h

View details →

More in the region: Miaowan Island ('China's Maldives', ferry connections), Feisha Beach on Gaolan Island (peak ¥38, off ¥28), Crocodile Island feeding shows (¥20–30), Hengqin Island (oysters + Lijunpangdou Square), Qiao Island, Tangjiawan Ancient Town, Shijingshan cable car & luge and the Zhuhai Museum. Browse every Guangdong sight on the Guangdong attractions page.

Activities & Festivalsspeed, oysters and the sea

Shijingshan alpine slide 石景山滑道

China's first tube-track luge: 650 m long, 10.2° slope, average 0.8 m off the ground, speed controlled by the rider. Cable car up (round trip ¥55 adult / ¥30 child; one-way ¥30/¥20), luge down. Cable hours Mon–Fri 09:00–17:30, Sat–Sun 08:30–18:00. Buses 2/4/13/20.

Karting & racing 国际赛车场卡丁车

The Zhuhai International Circuit opens its karting track to the public between professional meetings — an afternoon of slide-and-bump on the same tarmac as the GT series. The city also has several smaller karting parks for families.

Golf 高尔夫

'Islands, hot springs and golf' are Zhuhai's three tourism brands. The Cuihu Golf Club is the city's classic 18-hole course (weekday ¥780, holiday ¥1,150 incl. cart and caddie); Dongfang and Wansheng village clubs round out the options.

China Airshow 中国航展

Biennial in even-numbered Novembers — one of the world's five major air shows, China's only state-approved international aerospace exposition. Fighter aerobatics and drone displays over the Zhuhai Airshow Centre; book hotels six months ahead.

Zhuhai Half Marathon 珠海半程马拉松

Every December, a famous domestic half — much of the route runs along Lovers Road past the Fisher Girl, routinely called 'the world's most beautiful marathon' for its seaside stretch.

Beach Music Party & Dragon Boat 沙滩音乐派对 / 国际龙舟赛

Early-October beach-music festival at the city beach, themed 'Love and Sharing' — the city's signature summer close. The international dragon-boat regatta races 800 m lanes on the river every Duanwu (5th day of the 5th lunar month), with men's and women's international divisions.

Where to Stayfrom a hostel bunk to a seaside resort

Zhuhai has more than 300 hotels, hostels and inns across every district and price band — book early during the November airshow and December marathon. Stay around Gongbei for Macau access, Jida/Xianglu Bay for the coastline. Every hotel below is bookable by our team; browse the full Guangdong hotels directory.

Zhuhai International Student Hostel 珠海国际学生旅馆

One of China's first three student hostels, inside the Zhuhai Resort complex — hillside, sea-view and cheap, ideal for backpackers. Dorm beds ¥60 (¥50 with HI card); breakfast ¥5, lunch/dinner ¥10. Address: 9 Shihua East Road, Jida, Xiangzhou · Phone: Not published.

Wanghailou Hotel 珠海望海楼酒店

On Haibei North Road above Xianglu Bay, next to Shijingshan Park, the Fisher Girl and Yeli Island — a 10-minute walk from the duty-free malls and Jida sky-line. From ¥168. Address: 3 Haibei North Road, Xiangzhou · Phone: Not published.

Bihai Hotel 珠海碧海酒店

Right on Lovers Road by Xianglu Bay, backed by green Shijingshan hill — Zhuhai's only three-star business hotel with floor-to-ceiling sea-facing glass. Watch the sunrise from bed. From ¥220. Address: 1 Binhai Road, Xiangzhou · Phone: Not published.

Yuehai Hotel 珠海粤海酒店

On the busiest pedestrian street, facing Macau across the channel — the Zhuhai hotel that won the international 'Golden Key' service award, with a revolving rooftop restaurant used by Deng Xiaoping on his southern tour. From ¥350. Address: 1145 Yuehai East Road, Gongbei · Phone: Not published.

Zhuhai Resort Hotel 珠海度假村酒店

A hillside sea-view resort in Jida, 'a garden within the garden city' — three years running China's best-starred hotel, with environment-art and presidential-suit awards. From ¥330. Address: 9 Shihua East Road, Jida, Xiangzhou · Phone: Not published.

Haiquan Bay Resort 海泉湾维景大酒店

Two five-star resort hotels anchoring the southwest bay — sea-thermal springs, the Mystery Island theme park, fisherman's wharf dinner theatre and a golf course. The place to base a hot-spring night. Address: Haiquan Bay, Jinwan · +86 756 772 8888 (main line).

Yuwen Hot Spring Resort 御温泉渡假村

Doumen's famous Japanese-style onsen resort at the foot of Mount Huangyang — outdoor pools, lanterns, wood-and-stone baths and the evening 'Miao Hui' buffet. Room + spring packages book up weeks ahead in winter. Address: Yuwenquan Village, Doumen · Phone: Not published.

Gongbei business hotels 拱北商圈酒店

Walk-out options for the border: a full ring of mid-to-upscale hotels between Yingbin Road, Yuehai East Road and Lovers South Road, within 10 minutes of Gongbei Border Gate and the Macau-loop cruise pier. Browse Guangdong hotels for current rates.

Food & Restaurantsthe flavours of the Pearl River estuary

Garlic-grilled Hengqin oysters on the half shell

Hengqin oysters 横琴蚝

The signature: raised in Hengqin's tidal mix of fresh and salt water, graded 'big, fat, white, tender, crisp'. Garlic-grilled on the half shell at the Hengqin Oyster Eco-park (57 Baogong Road, Hengqin) is the classic; in town, Shishen Seafood City (437 Tangqi Road, Tangjiawan, ~¥100 pp) does the cheese-baked version.

Dong'ao island seafood — fresh-off-the-boat Cantonese cooking

Wanzai Seafood Street 湾仔海鲜街

Zhuhai's best-known food street on Nanwan Avenue, facing Macau — a hundred live-seafood stalls in two rows, where you pick the fish and hand it to the adjacent restaurant to cook. Budget ¥50–100 pp; the most theatrical dinner in the city. Also try the Doumen self-service seafood street by Baiteng Lake.

Deyue Fang — the floating palace restaurant on Yeli Island

Deyue Fang 得月舫

Zhuhai's famous 'dining ship': a Qing-palace-style floating restaurant on Yeli Island in Xianglu Bay, right next to the Sun-Moon Shell. Cantonese set menus and sea views, ~¥135 pp. Address: Mingting Park, Yeli Island, Lovers Road.

A stroll along Lovers Road after dinner in Zhuhai

Local dishes & cheap eats

Zhuhai's signature line-up: Doumen double-shell crab (only 10 chosen from every 1,000 jin — a rare delicacy), Hengqin oyster, Baiteng lotus root (floury, sweet, almost no strings), and the city's ten famous dishes elected in 2006 — including abalone-sauce Hengqin oyster and the secret-recipe double-shell crab at Yili Restaurant. Cheap Cantonese roast-meat plates at Guangxiang Roast Meats (26 Xingfu Road) run about ¥12.

Getting There & Aroundair, intercity rail, ferry and two wheels

By air

Flights to Zhuhai Jinwan International Airport

By air

Zhuhai Jinwan International Airport sits 35 km from the city (and about the same from Macau), with domestic routes to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an and Sanya. Direct airport express buses run to downtown, Macau, Zhongshan and Jiangmen; city bus 207 reaches the terminal. Airport enquiries: +86 756 777 8888.

By intercity rail Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity rail

By intercity rail

Zhuhai has no long-distance trunk line but shares the Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity rail: 177.3 km opened end-to-end in December 2012, 25 trains a day from Guangzhou South 07:00–22:40, fastest 72 minutes. Zhuhai Station sits just west of Gongbei Border Gate (buses 1/2/10/11/31/32/101/207/601/608); Zhuhai North serves the high-tech zone (K1/3A/65 + campus shuttle).

By coach & ferry Long-distance coaches from Zhuhai's three terminals

By coach & ferry

Three long-distance terminals: Zhuhai Coach Station (59 Zijing Road, Xiangzhou — the biggest, to Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and across Guangdong); Qiguan Coach Station (Jida Jingyuan Road — Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shantou); Gongbei Coach Station (17 Shuiwan Road — Guangzhou, Foshan, Hainan, Hunan, Henan). By sea: Jiuzhou Port runs 28 sailings a day to Hong Kong, 46 to Shenzhen Shekou, 5 Macau-loop and 2 night cruises; tickets +86 756 333 3359 (domestic), +86 756 333 2113 (Hong Kong).

Around town Taxis and city buses in Zhuhai

Around town

Taxis flag down at ¥10 + ¥2.4/km (after midnight ¥13 start, +30% night surcharge; over 20 km add 30% empty-return). Complaint line +86 756 226 1133. City buses ¥2 air-con / ¥1.5 regular, mostly un-manned — carry change. The sightseeing bus runs East and West lines every 20–30 minutes, 07:00–21:00, ¥2. Public bicycles: 90 minutes free, then ¥1/hour on the city card.

Shopping & Souvenirsoyster sauce, salted fish and litchi

Gongbei commercial ring 拱北商圈

Zhuhai's oldest and busiest shopping belt — bounded by Yingbin Road, Yuehai East Road, Lovers South Road and Gongbei Border Gate. Duty-free shops, malls and pedestrian streets are all within walking distance of the Macau crossing.

Seaside ring 海滨商圈

Newer leisure-shopping strip around the Riyuebei/Jida area: Outlets discount wear, the Yi Jing Bay Hotel, the Guohui centre and a string of Western bars and restaurants — a seaside high-end leisure belt.

Wanzai dried-seafood market 湾仔海味市场

Wanzai was a fishing village; after urbanisation the former fishermen built a salted-fish and dried-seafood trade that is now one of Zhuhai's signature souvenir stops — stacks of cured fish, shrimp roe and oyster sauce.

What to buy

Dieshi oyster sauce (exported to Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia), Huangyang litchi from the west mountain, Wanzai salted fish, Xiaotu Hill kumquat (a classic Spring Festival potted plant, and a cough-and-phlegm remedy). Full local-product guides live on the Guangdong specialties page.

Practical Informationhospitals, numbers and local habits

Hospitals

Zhuhai People's Hospital emergency · +86 756 222 2571. Zhuhai Hospital of TCM emergency · +86 756 335 1343. Gongbei Hospital emergency · +86 756 888 5463.

Helpful numbers

Zhuhai Tourism Bureau office · +86 756 336 6901 / +86 756 336 6903. Tourism complaints · +86 756 333 6061. Airport enquiries · +86 756 777 8888. Jiuzhou Port tickets · +86 756 333 3359.

Language

Mandarin works everywhere. Locals speak a coastal Cantonese dialect; service staff in hotels and on the Macau-loop cruise handle basic English. Macau-bound travellers need a Mainland Exit-Entry Permit with a Macau endorsement before arrival.

Cost of living

Mid-range by Pearl River Delta standards: the PDF baseline is RMB 700–1,000 per person a day. Seafood dinner RMB 50–100, business hotel RMB 220–350, buses RMB 1.5–2. The marked-up items are Haiquan Bay (¥168), Wailingding ferry (¥85) and the Macau-loop cruise (¥128+).

Health & air quality

Zhuhai records about 225 Grade-I (excellent) and 140 Grade-II (good) air days a year — one of the cleanest major cities in the delta. Watch for typhoons June–October (about four a year, one severe on average) and the occasional winter cold snap.

Day Trips From Zhuhaiislands, bridges and hot springs in one day

Wailingding Island Day Trip

The 08:20 ferry from Xiangzhou North Pier, fishing-village lanes, Da Dong Bay beach, rock scrambling and a seafood lunch — back on the 16:20. The Lingdingyang of Wen Tianxiang's poem.

Ferry ¥85 · 1.5 h each way

View the plan →

Lovers Road, Yuanming Xinyuan and the Macau-loop cruise day trip

City Coast & Macau-loop Day Trip

Fisher Girl, Lovers Road, Yeli Island and the Sun-Moon Shell in the morning; Yuanming Xinyuan and the Wanzai Macau-loop cruise in the afternoon; Wanzai seafood street at night.

Fisher Girl + Lovers Road free · Cruise from ¥128

View the plan →

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge cruise day trip

HZMB Cruise & Hengqin Oyster Day Trip

Morning cruise past the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge artificial islands, then afternoon at Hengqin — oyster-farm lunch, Lijunpangdou Square and the Hengqin Port crossing vista.

Cruise from ¥128 · Oysters ¥50–100 pp

View the plan →

Travel Tipsfive things to remember

1 · Carry 5-jiao change for the bus

Most Zhuhai buses are un-manned: ¥2 air-con, ¥1.5 regular. Exact change is the rule, and conductors do not sell tickets — ¥0.5 coins in your pocket save the 'wrong coin' shuffle.

2 · Book the island ferries the day before

Wailingding and Dong'ao ferries run on fixed schedules (Wailingding 08:20 and 14:30 from Xiangzhou North Pier). In summer and holidays they sell out — book through your hotel desk or the pier ticket office a day ahead.

3 · Seafood safety: six taboos

Don't eat undercooked shellfish, dead shellfish, or combine seafood with vitamin-C tablets / large fruit / beer / post-meal tea. The local rule protects you from the classic seafood-stomach mishap.

4 · Taxis: metered, and agree night prices

Flag-down ¥10 + ¥2.4/km; after midnight ¥13 start and +30% night surcharge. Refuse any 'fixed price' near the station — and call +86 756 226 1133 if a driver overcharges.

5 · Bring a permit for Macau, not a wish

The Macau-loop cruise lets you see the skyline without a permit. To actually walk into Macau you need a Mainland Exit-Entry Permit plus a Macau endorsement — arrange it at home, not at the border.

Background & Historya fishing coast turned SEZ

Geography & climate

Zhuhai sits on the southwestern side of the Pearl River estuary in southern Guangdong — 604 km of coastline, 146 islands (hence 'City of a Hundred Islands'), facing Hong Kong across the channel and joined to Macau on the south. The inland is mostly plain and low hill, with some low mountains and tidal flats. Climate is a subtropical maritime monsoon: mild, humid, with 225 Grade-I and 140 Grade-II air days a year. Typhoons run June–October (about four a year, one severe on average); winters are mild, occasionally cold-snapped.

A brief history

The name 'Zhuhai' ('Pearl Sea') comes from its position at the Pearl River's mouth — genealogies from the Ming Yongle era already mention a 'Tang Zhuhai', and the 1911 school song of Tangjia Sanfeng School sings of 'Zhuhai before, Goose Peak behind'. A local legend adds that an Arab Muslim merchant ship sank here in Tang times, scattering treasure divers still dredge up today. In 1980 Zhuhai became one of China's first four Special Economic Zones — a fishing town that grew into the 'Romantic City' and 'Happiness City' on the delta.

The culture in words

'Live by the sea, play on the sea, eat the sea' — the three-character local motto. The outlying islands are where Wen Tianxiang, in 1279 on his way to captivity, wrote the line every Chinese schoolchild knows: 'From antiquity, who has ever escaped death? I will leave my loyal heart to shine in the pages of history.'

Plan Your Zhuhai Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place

Everything on ToursChinaTravel is bookable through our team by email or WhatsApp. Here's where each part of your Zhuhai trip lives on the site.

More Guangdong attractions on ToursChinaTravel

Zhuhai Travel Guide — Lovers Road, Islands & the Big Bridge

Zhuhai Bucket Listthe little things that make this coastline unforgettable

1 · Walk Lovers Road at sunset

2 · Eat Hengqin oysters until you burst

3 · Take the Macau-loop cruise

4 · Barefoot on a Zhuhai beach

5 · Ride the Shijingshan alpine slide

6 · Soak at Haiquan Bay or Yuwen Hot Spring

Top Highlightswhat Zhuhai does best

No.1 · Lovers Road 情侣路

No.2 · Macau-loop cruise 澳门环岛游

No.3 · China International Aviation & Aerospace Expo 中国航展

No.4 · Zhuhai International Circuit 国际赛车场

No.5 · 'Oyster' feast 横琴蚝

No.6 · Natural hot springs 温泉

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Zhuhai

When is the best month to go?

Do I need Cantonese to get by?

What should I buy as a souvenir?

Is Zhuhai expensive?

Is it easy to combine Zhuhai with Macau or Hong Kong?

Can you book the whole trip through ToursChinaTravel?

Sample Itinerariestwo, three or four days on the Pearl River estuary

Top Attractionstickets, hours, buses & insider tips

Activities & Festivalsspeed, oysters and the sea

Shijingshan alpine slide 石景山滑道

Karting & racing 国际赛车场卡丁车

Golf 高尔夫

China Airshow 中国航展

Zhuhai Half Marathon 珠海半程马拉松

Beach Music Party & Dragon Boat 沙滩音乐派对 / 国际龙舟赛

Where to Stayfrom a hostel bunk to a seaside resort

Zhuhai International Student Hostel 珠海国际学生旅馆

Wanghailou Hotel 珠海望海楼酒店

Bihai Hotel 珠海碧海酒店

Yuehai Hotel 珠海粤海酒店

Zhuhai Resort Hotel 珠海度假村酒店

Haiquan Bay Resort 海泉湾维景大酒店

Yuwen Hot Spring Resort 御温泉渡假村

Gongbei business hotels 拱北商圈酒店

Food & Restaurantsthe flavours of the Pearl River estuary

Food & Restaurantsthe flavours of the Pearl River estuary

Hengqin oysters 横琴蚝

Wanzai Seafood Street 湾仔海鲜街

Deyue Fang 得月舫

Local dishes & cheap eats

Getting There & Aroundair, intercity rail, ferry and two wheels

By air

By intercity rail

By coach & ferry

Around town

Shopping & Souvenirsoyster sauce, salted fish and litchi

Gongbei commercial ring 拱北商圈

Seaside ring 海滨商圈

Wanzai dried-seafood market 湾仔海味市场

What to buy

Practical Informationhospitals, numbers and local habits

Hospitals

Helpful numbers

Language

Cost of living

Health & air quality

Day Trips From Zhuhaiislands, bridges and hot springs in one day

Day Trips From Zhuhaiislands, bridges and hot springs in one day

Travel Tipsfive things to remember

1 · Carry 5-jiao change for the bus

2 · Book the island ferries the day before

3 · Seafood safety: six taboos

4 · Taxis: metered, and agree night prices

5 · Bring a permit for Macau, not a wish

Background & Historya fishing coast turned SEZ

Geography & climate

A brief history

The culture in words

Plan Your Zhuhai Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place