Zhuhai
Discover Zhuhai
Zhuhai (珠海; Zhūhǎi in Mandarin, Jyūhói in Cantonese) is a city in Guangdong Province, China. The name means Pearl Sea; Zhuhai is where the Pearl River (珠江; Zhūjiāng) flows into the South China Sea (南中国海 Nánzhōngguóhǎi or simply 南海 Nánhǎi). Zhuhai is known for its beautiful long coastline, waving palm trees, open spaces, low population density, and its many islands; Zhuhai's nicknames are the city of romance (浪漫之城) and the city of a hundred islands (百岛之市). Zhuhai serves as the gateway to the former Portuguese colony of Macau, as a tourist destination for Chinese, and as a playground for hedonistic Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan visitors who come for Zhuhai's very colorful nightlife.
Taste of Zhuhai...
Cantonese cuisine is commonplace, but street food stalls and restaurants featuring food from all over China are also easily found. Seafood is a local specialty. Other tasty local grub in Gongbei can be found on any of the side streets off of Lianhua Lu (Lotus Road). For a cheap and filling snack, look for the tiny noodle places run by Muslims. Food from other regions of China is also available. Hunan and Sichuan food is common. Within walking distance north of Jusco on the main street of Xiangzhou, there are many restaurants: There is a fine Xinjiang restaurant on bus 4 route, one stop north of the Jida ferry port. That is part of a cluster of at least a dozen mid-range restaurants in a newly developed area. Around the border shopping area, there are a number of good and reasonably priced Thai restaurants. There are several good pizza places, popular with the local expatriate community: Pizza can also be found in other local restaurants, including a local chain called Pizza Coffee, but the pizza is not very appealing to Western tastes. There are several notable Japanese restaurants in Zhuhai: Zhuhai is known for its nightlife due to its status as a tourist destination for Chinese nationals, and as a playground for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan businessmen looking for female company.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsMost visitors to China will require an advance visa. See Visas for details. Zhuhai is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which means that if you are only visiting the Zhuhai area directly from Hong Kong or Macau, a special SEZ visa can be obtained upon arrival. This allows you to visit Zhuhai for up to 3 days, but travelling beyond the city limits is strictly forbidden. This visa is available at the Gongbei and Hengqin (Lotus Bridge) land entry points from Macau, as well as at the Jiuzhou ferry terminal. While in theory citizens of all countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the PRC are eligible for this visa, in practice citizens of rich developed countries are more likely to be approved, while citizens of poor developing countries are likely to be rejected, so you might want to obtain a full Chinese visa in advance to be safe. This visa costs ¥160 for most nationalities and ¥450 (December 2008) for UK citizens....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting 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. You can walk or take a taxi from ¥10 (the first 3-kilometre); these are good options for moving within a single district. The University of Macau's campus on Hengqin Island is on land leased to Macau, meaning that you will have to pass through border control to access the campus from the rest of Zhuhai. On the other hand, you do not need to pass through border control to access the campus from Macau. Zhuhai has an extensive bus system. The fare for a ride is ¥1 regardless of distance; pay in the box in front of the driver, or by Alipay or transit card (see below). Bus 10 will cross all of the Zhuhai SEZ north to south or south to north. By taking bus 10 it is possible to conveniently move between Gongbei, Xiangzhou, Tangjia, and Jinding.
Where to Stay
Hotels in Zhuhai are reasonably priced. Travelers on tight budgets can opt for budget or midrange hotels. Most people choose to stay in Gongbei due to its proximity to attractions, nightlife, the Macau border, and its variety of conveniently located and reasonable hotels. Jida has primarily upscale hotels that business travelers sometimes opt for, which are usually conveniently located. Some are further away and require taking taxis or the bus. Further out, Xiangzhou also has a variety of options at different price ranges. The Northern districts of Tangjia and Jinding are further removed from the action of Zhuhai and offer very cheap hotels. Most budget travelers opt for low end hotels, and there are a number of legitimate cheaper hotels in Gongbei with low prices between ¥160 and ¥230. Talking your way into Chinese only hotels may land you prices in the ¥120 to ¥150 range.
Money & Budget
Always inspect the product before paying for it and leaving the shop. Also, note down where you bought the item. You will never get a refund, but Gongbei shop owners are surprisingly diligent about protecting their reputation, so they will more than likely exchange defective merchandise. The main drag in Jida is Jingshan Road (景山路; Jǐngshānlù) and it has two blocks of nice department stores: To shop for imported groceries, including items such as cheese, chocolate, and milk, try Cantonese cuisine is commonplace, but street food stalls and restaurants featuring food from all over China are also easily found. Seafood is a local specialty. Other tasty local grub in Gongbei can be found on any of the side streets off of Lianhua Lu (Lotus Road).
Language & Talk
Cantonese is the main local language of Zhuhai, it being a part of the Pearl River Delta. However, due to the massive influx of immigrants from other parts of China over the last three decades, Mandarin is now the lingua franca. That said, Cantonese is more commonly heard here than in Shenzhen. The local dialect in the Doumen district is similar to Taishanese, and has limited mutual intelligibility with standard Cantonese. English is not widely spoken, but some people, especially the young, speak it. Zhuhai is one of the most popular cities for foreigners in China, and because of that, you can find some speakers of European languages here. Most visitors to China will require an advance visa. See Visas for details.