The city of Zhuhai itself is composed of Gongbei, Jida and Xiangzhou. The other areas mentioned are districts within the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone.
North to South along the coast, the main districts are:
Jinding (金鼎; Jīndǐng) – Zhuhai's northernmost district is a factory town whose main attraction is a very large and lively nighttime outdoor BBQ; see the Eat Section for details. Jinding definitely has a working class edge, and is worth visiting for the BBQ alone, but wandering around may give you a different perspective to the ones you have previously experienced elsewhere in Guangdong Province. Visit Jinding to experience the real China before heading back to your more affluent Guangdong stomping grounds. Jinding can be reached via bus 3 or 10, or via sightseeing bus 2.
Main commercial area of Tangjia at night.
Tangjiawan (唐家湾; Tángjiāwān) – Tangjia is moderate sized town located between Jinding and Xiangzhou. Like Jinding, Tangjia's salt-of-the-earth qualities are more evident than its southern neighbors. Best known for the large Dragon Union Opera House which, as the name suggests, puts on live variety shows semi-regularly, its primary function is serving as a gigantic karaoke house that mixes karaoke with all-inclusive adult entertainment. The Old Chinese Junk is a very nice western pub with a rooftop deck and good western food, see the Eat Section for more details.
Xiangzhou skyline seen from Jinshan Park
Xiangzhou (香洲; Xiāngzhōu) – Government offices, big department stores (including Jusco), and some bars and restaurants are scattered throughout this district. This is the area where the locals mainly go shopping.
Jida, with Mao's personal jet
Jida (吉大; Jídà) is along the coast between Xiangzhou and Gongbei. This district has a lot of offices, high-end hotels and shopping complexes. This is not a particularly useful district to mention for directions, except for the fact that a Jida location assures you that the location is fairly near to the water and that a taxi driver will likely take the road right along the coast until you get there.
Gongbei shopping on Lotus Road
Gongbei (拱北; Gǒngběi) is the main tourist area with a wide variety of inexpensive hotels, clothing, electronics, souvenirs, food, drink, and colorful entertainment in relatively close proximity to the Macau border crossing. Lianhua Lu (Lotus Road; 莲花路; Liánhuālù; sometimes called Walking Street; 步行街; Bùxíngjiē) while interesting any time of day, is truly a must-see spectacle at night, with dozens of small outdoor-bar stalls which are always packed at night. Here you can see people drinking, playing dice with bar girls, and watching (or interacting with) working girls and passers-by on the crowded pedestrian-only street that is filled with shops and street-food vendors (see the Drink Section for more details). There is also the more upscale Bar Street (酒吧街; Jiǔbājiē), a modern strip of nicer upscale bars with indoor and outdoor seating, some featuring live music (many blasting loud music inside). Most of these cater to Chinese businessmen and moneyed tourists. At the southern edge of Gongbei is a cavernous underground shopping center and the Macau border crossing (see Buy Section for more details).
Going West from Gongbei are other districts:
Wanzai (湾仔; Wānzǎi') has a ferry station to Macau and a Seafood Street where you get to select your own live seafood before they are prepared for your dining pleasure.
Doumen (斗门; Dǒumén) is in the Southwest. It is a bit out of the way, in that most of Zhuhai spreads north along the coast. The Zhuhai airport is here. The very scenic Jintai Buddhist Temple, built at the end of the Song Dynasty is over 1,000 years old and is well worth a visit if you are in the area. Get the full treatment at the Imperial (Yu Wenquan) Hot Springs Resort in Doumen, the first Japanese outdoor garden-style hot springs resort in China, with over 20 kinds of hot springs.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Zhuhai
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Zhuhai - updated May 2024
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Zhuhai Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
