Zhongshan
Discover Zhongshan
Zhongshan (中山; Jūngsāan in Cantonese, Zhōngshān in Mandarin) is a city in Guangdong Province just north of Zhuhai. Zhongshan is most famous as the birthplace of Chinese national hero Sun Yat-Sen (for whom the city was renamed after his death). It's now something of a manufacturing center, like the rest of the Pearl River Delta, but it's quieter than the other cities in the area and still has lots of farmland and small towns. Zhongshan is in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province, on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary. It is connected by road and rail to Guangzhou (capital of Guangdong Province) to the north and Zhuhai to the south. Hong Kong can be reached by ferry and Macao via Zhuhai.
What to Experience in Zhongshan
Taste of Zhongshan...
Beware: Chinese bars/disco are extremely loud and you can lose your hearing if you are a frequent guest. Expat bars are among the few places that one can have nice beer and still speak. Zhongshan is a reasonably safe place with a low crime rate, but occasionally trouble may occur, especially, as everywhere, late at night around bars. Caution and common sense are advised at all times. Pickpockets, although not plentiful, are about and the foreign traveler is often a target. Be careful. In Zhongshan, there are many people on electric bikes and scooters everywhere and they don't follow traffic regulations. Some bike lanes on are sideways. Watch where you are going! On addition to that, traffic can be problematic, as there are no pedestrian signs and are just based on the vehicle traffic lights. Also, some cars are allowed to turn on reds, so be careful.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFrom Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), direct ferries are available to Zhongshan. To take the ferry to Zhongshan, go directly to the ticket counter without passing through Hong Kong immigration or customs; see Hong Kong International Airport#By ferry for details. Hong Kong allows travelers from many nations to enter visa-free, and Chinese visas are easy to obtain at many locations. This will generally involve one or two nights' stay in Hong Kong. The closest airport to Zhongshan City is Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN). (You will have to have your Chinese visa organised before departure from your country of origin. This can be done at any consulate.) Travelers have easy access to airport shuttle buses between CAN and Zhongshan: price: ¥68/person, 150 minutes. From Shenzhen Airport (SZX), there are buses and ferries connecting to Zhongshan (see below). High-speed ferries sail between 22.57269113....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You can travel around Zhongshan easily on the city buses. Over 80 bus lines operate in Zhongshan, most of which are self-service so have correct change of ¥2 when you board each bus. Some buses are more expensive and can cost as much as ¥10; some of these will have an attendant who can give change. The sights of Zhongshan are wide spread and no special tour lines and sightseeing buses are available. However, there are city buses running to some scenic spots. For example, Bus No.2 passes Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall. Bus 33 can help you getting to the beautiful water town in Minzhong Town. The highly praised green cascade of the Yangtze River can be visited by Bus No.006. Get off the bus at Changjiang Leyuan. Zhongshan Spring and gulf course are easy of access with Bus No.11 A and B, Bus 12 Zhongshan-Zhuhai Bus can take you there straight from the city center. You need to change at the Zhuhai terminal to Zhuhai Bus 10. There are more than 1000 taxis in Zhongshan.
Where to Stay
Zhongshan is a reasonably safe place with a low crime rate, but occasionally trouble may occur, especially, as everywhere, late at night around bars. Caution and common sense are advised at all times. Pickpockets, although not plentiful, are about and the foreign traveler is often a target. Be careful. In Zhongshan, there are many people on electric bikes and scooters everywhere and they don't follow traffic regulations. Some bike lanes on are sideways. Watch where you are going! On addition to that, traffic can be problematic, as there are no pedestrian signs and are just based on the vehicle traffic lights. Also, some cars are allowed to turn on reds, so be careful.
Money & Budget
There is an antique furniture shopping area in the Zhongshan Sanxiang Guhe area. The prices are high by national standards and expats should bargain fierce (hire local to assist) as Chinese business people are good bargainer. Most of the pieces look like real antiques, but are actually newly made replicas from tropical rain forest wood. Guzhen town at the border of Jiangmen is lighting central. If you're feeling hungry or underdressed, too bad—the central town core is light shop after light shop selling everything from bulbs to chandeliers to accessories. Hotels will have multiple light shops in the lobby and banks are rare because they can't compete against the rents offered by light shops.
Language & Talk
Zhongshan is a linguistically diverse city, with Cantonese being the lingua franca, and several other closely-related dialects being spoken by residents in different districts. The main dialect in Shiqi District, the historical downtown area, is the Shiqi Dialect, which is similar to Cantonese but differs significantly in pronunciation and tone structure, making it tricky to understand even if you are fluent in standard Cantonese. Several languages from the Min (Fujian) family of Chinese languages are the main languages in some parts of the city, while Hakka is the main language in some other parts of the city, though speakers of these languages are usually able to speak Cantonese as well.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Zhongshan is a reasonably safe place with a low crime rate, but occasionally trouble may occur, especially, as everywhere, late at night around bars. Caution and common sense are advised at all times. Pickpockets, although not plentiful, are about and the foreign traveler is often a target. Be careful. In Zhongshan, there are many people on electric bikes and scooters everywhere and they don't follow traffic regulations. Some bike lanes on are sideways. Watch where you are going! On addition to that, traffic can be problematic, as there are no pedestrian signs and are just based on the vehicle traffic lights. Also, some cars are allowed to turn on reds, so be careful.
Glimpses of Zhongshan
a body of water with a bridge in the background
a body of water surrounded by power lines
a tree with red ribbons hanging from it's branches
greyscale photo of doors
brown and white concrete building near green trees during daytime
a close up of a lizard on a rock
a statue of a woman surrounded by flowers
A white plate topped with different types of food
a reflection of a building in a body of water
A tall clock tower towering over a city
a body of water with a bridge in the background
a body of water surrounded by power lines
a tree with red ribbons hanging from it's branches