Zhuhai is a seaside city in southern Guangdong, on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary, bordering Macau and linked to Hong Kong by a long sea bridge. Its name means "pearl sea". One of China's first special economic zones in 1980, it chose green planning and tourism over heavy industry and is often called a garden city by the coast.
Visitors come for the promenades and beaches of Xianglu Bay, watched over by the Fisher Girl statue, for islands scattered across the estuary, for easy day trips into Macau, and for the airshow that brings crowds every other November. With around 2.5 million people, Zhuhai feels calmer than its giant neighbours. High-rise apartments with sea views in Xiangzhou, newer homes on Hengqin island beside Macau, and quieter flats near the university town of Tangjiawan suit couples, families and visitors combining mainland China with Macau and Hong Kong.
Xiangzhou, the city core, stretches along the eastern shore. Its seafront between Jida and Xianglu Bay has promenades, parks and many apartment towers with sea views, a good base for couples and first-time visitors. Gongbei, at the southern end, sits right beside the main border crossing into Macau and Zhuhai railway station, with busy shopping streets and markets; it is practical for trips to Macau and trains to Guangzhou.
Hengqin, an island facing Macau's Cotai, is Zhuhai's newest district, with modern apartment buildings, large family resorts and Hengqin Port for Macau. Tangjiawan, in the north, is greener and quieter, with university campuses, an old town and the mangroves of Qi'ao Island nearby, and suits longer stays. Jinwan and Doumen, west of the Xi River, are more rural, closer to the airport and offer more space.
Foreign guests must have their stay registered with the police; see the rules below.
The coast of Xianglu Bay is the city's emblem. Here the Fisher Girl, an 8.7-metre granite statue by the sculptor Pan He, erected in 1982, stands on a boulder holding a pearl to the sky, inspired by a local legend of a daughter of the Dragon King who married a fisherman. A boardwalk and a long seafront road with cycle paths and small beaches make an easy walk or ride.
Zhuhai governs more than 200 islands in the estuary, most of them uninhabited. The Wanshan Archipelago lies offshore, and islands such as Dong'ao and Wailingding, the latter with coral reefs, are reached by ferry from Xiangzhou for beaches and hikes; check sailings, as they depend on the weather. Closer in, Qi'ao Island, linked by bridge, has a protected wetland with mangrove forest, and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins live in the estuary waters.
People have lived on these shores and islands since the Neolithic, and the area was long part of Xiangshan County, today's Zhongshan. As Macau grew under the Portuguese, the Ming built a border checkpoint at Gongbei in 1574. Qi'ao Island was an opium depot before the First Opium War, and in 1840 the British fought the Battle of the Barrier at the Gongbei border wall.
Zhuhai became a city in 1979 and one of China's first four special economic zones in 1980. After rapid early growth, officials turned towards environmental protection in the 1990s, limiting heavy industry and promoting greenery, tourism and cleaner sectors, an approach recognised by UN-Habitat in 1998. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge opened in 2018, and part of Hengqin is now a cooperation zone with Macau. Cantonese is the traditional language, though many residents speak Mandarin.
Macau is right next door. Gongbei Port, by Zhuhai railway station, is the main land crossing and is usually busy, and Hengqin Port, opened in 2020, has joint mainland and Macau checks in one building. The Historic Centre of Macao, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a short taxi or bus ride from either crossing.
The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, a 55-kilometre system of bridges, an undersea tunnel and artificial islands, brings Hong Kong around 40 minutes away by road, with cross-border buses from the Zhuhai port near Jiuzhou. Ferries also run from Jiuzhou Port to Hong Kong and Shekou in Shenzhen. Zhongshan, the birthplace region of Sun Yat-sen, lies just to the north. Macau and Hong Kong have their own immigration controls, so make sure your visa or visa-free status allows you to re-enter the mainland afterwards.
Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH), about 50 kilometres south-west of the city centre in Jinwan district, mainly handles domestic flights across China. Macau International Airport (MFM), just across the border, is closer to central Zhuhai and has more international routes, and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) can be reached by bridge bus or ferry.
The Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity railway links Guangzhou South station with Zhuhai station at Gongbei, beside the Macau border, in about an hour, with stops at Zhongshan and other towns; high-speed trains also continue to other Chinese cities. Within Zhuhai there is no metro, so buses, taxis and ride-hailing apps are the usual ways to get around, and shared bicycles suit the seafront. A car helps for the western districts, but visitors need a Chinese licence to drive.
Zhuhai has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, with long, hot and humid summers and short, mild, dry winters. Two rainy periods between April and October bring most of the year's rain, first the early-summer rains and then summer storms, and typhoons can strike, usually between June and October; follow official warnings and keep away from the seafront during storms.
October to December is usually the most pleasant time, with warm, sunny days and lower humidity, and the mild winter months suit walking and cycling along the coast. Summer is beach and island season, when ferries are busiest. The China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, usually held every two years in November, draws large crowds to Jinwan, so book early in airshow weeks, as you should around Chinese New Year and the early October holiday.
Mainland China requires every foreign visitor's accommodation to be registered with the police, under Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law. Hotels take care of it when you check in. If you stay in an apartment or a private home, you or your host must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival, at a police station or online, an option the National Immigration Administration has offered nationwide since September 2026. Agree with your host who will do it, register again if you return from Macau or Hong Kong to a new address, and check the current rules.
Some nationalities can enter visa-free for short stays and the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, whose entry ports have included Hengqin and the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge since November 2025, covers eligible travellers heading on to a third country, but the lists change, so check the National Immigration Administration before you go.
October to December is usually the most pleasant, warm and sunny with lower humidity, and winters are mild. Summer is hot, humid and stormy, with typhoons possible from about June to October, but it is also the season for beaches and island ferries. Book early for the airshow, usually held every two years in November.
Xiangzhou's seafront, between Jida and Xianglu Bay, suits couples and first-time visitors. Gongbei is practical for Macau and the train to Guangzhou, Hengqin offers modern apartments and family resorts beside Macau, and Tangjiawan is quieter for longer stays. Jinwan and Doumen give more space near the airport.
Cross on foot at Gongbei Port, next to Zhuhai railway station, or at Hengqin Port on Hengqin island, where mainland and Macau checks are in one building. Macau has its own immigration controls, so carry your passport and make sure you can re-enter the mainland if you plan to return.
By road over the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, Hong Kong is around 40 minutes away, with cross-border buses from the Zhuhai bridge port. Ferries also sail from Jiuzhou Port to Hong Kong. Allow time for immigration on both sides, and check that your visa allows re-entry to the mainland.
Yes. Hotels register foreign guests automatically. In an apartment or private home, you or your host must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival. If you come back from Macau or Hong Kong to a new address, the new stay needs registering too.
Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH), about 50 kilometres south-west of the centre, mainly serves domestic flights. Macau International Airport (MFM) is closer to central Zhuhai and has more international routes, and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is reachable by bridge bus or ferry for long-haul flights.
Yes. The seafront promenades and cycle paths, small beaches, island trips in summer and the large family resorts on Hengqin make it easy with children. The city is calmer than Guangzhou or Shenzhen, and apartments with kitchens and sea views are common in Xiangzhou and Hengqin.
Zhuhai is known for its green, seaside setting and the Fisher Girl statue at Xianglu Bay, for its islands, for being one of China's first special economic zones, for the bridge to Hong Kong and Macau, and for Airshow China, the international aerospace exhibition held every two years.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .