Zhuhai (珠海)

1. Introduction

Zhuhai City, abbreviated as Zhu, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is an economic special zone established by the State Council, a core city on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, and one of the cities encompassed by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Located in the southern part of Guangdong Province, Zhuhai borders Zhongshan City to the north, Jiangmen City to the west, and Macao to the southeast. It faces Hong Kong across the Lingdingyang to the east and is adjacent to the South China Sea to the south. With a sea area of 6,050 square kilometers and numerous islands—262 islands of various sizes—it is known as the "City of a Hundred Islands." Zhuhai is a nationally important port city and a famous coastal tourist destination. Following the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Zhuhai has become the only city in mainland China connected by land to both Hong Kong and Macao. The People's Government of Zhuhai City is located at No. 2 Renmin East Road, Xiangzhou District.

Historically part of the Cantonese region, Zhuhai is one of the important centers of Lingnan culture. Its regional culture is a significant component of Xiangshan culture, and the city's characteristics align with Cantonese culture. Zhuhai was established as a city in 1979 and designated as an economic special zone in 1980, making it one of the earliest economic special zones in China.

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2. History

Over 6,000 years ago, human activities were already present in the Zhuhai area. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the salt industry economy flourished in the Shanchang area of Zhuhai. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the waters of Langbai'ao served as an important anchorage for foreign merchant ships coming to China. In the 22nd year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1152), Xiangshan County was established, which governed the areas of present-day Zhuhai City, Macao Special Administrative Region, and Zhongshan City. In 1909, Xiangzhou was officially opened as a port and was once declared a duty-free commercial port by the Qing government.

In the 13th year of the Daoguang era (1833), British opium merchants used trade as an excuse to anchor near Qi'ao Island, frequently harassing the village, which eventually led to a conflict with the villagers. On the first day of the ninth lunar month that year, villager Sun Yafu was injured. Enraged, the villagers gathered at the Tianhou Temple, swore an oath, and fought back with cannons, successfully hitting two enemy ships. After a fierce battle lasting several hours, the tide receded on the third day, leaving the opium fleet stranded and forced to surrender by raising a white flag. The incident ended with a compensation of 3,000 taels of silver, historically known as the "Qi'ao Village Incident."

The area currently under the jurisdiction of Zhuhai City was formed from most of the former Zhuhai County and the territory of Doumen County. In 1949, the Island Management Office was established. In January 1951, the Zhuhai Special District Management Office was set up. On December 31, 1952, Fishermen's County was established, incorporating over 100 islands such as Zhongshangang Township of Zhongshan County, Wanqingsha of Dongguan County, and Sanzao, Greater and Lesser Hengqin, Nanshui, Beishui, Gaolan, Hebao, Qi'ao, Longxue, Inner and Outer Lingding, and the Wanshan Archipelago near the Pearl River Estuary into its administrative region, under the leadership of the Central Guangdong Administrative Region. On April 7, 1953, it was renamed Zhuhai County, with the county government located in Tangjia. In 1957, areas such as Nansha, Longxue Island, Changsha Village, Greater and Lesser Hushan, Da'ao Sha, Lixin Sha, and Gangwa Sha were transferred to Zhongshan County and renamed Wanqingsha Township (later transferred to Guangzhou). On March 22, 1959, it was merged into Zhongshan County. On April 17, 1961, Zhuhai County was re-established, with the county government located in Xiangzhou.

On March 5, 1979, Zhuhai County was upgraded to Zhuhai City, and in November, it was designated as a provincial-level city. In 1980, a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was established within Zhuhai City, covering an area of 6.8 square kilometers. In May 1983, the former Doumen County was placed under the jurisdiction of Zhuhai City. On June 29, the State Council approved the adjustment of the Zhuhai SEZ area to 15.16 square kilometers. In June 1984, Xiangzhou District was established within the former Zhuhai County's jurisdiction. On April 5, 1988, with State Council approval, the Zhuhai SEZ area was expanded to 121 square kilometers. In December of the same year, Wanshan Management District and Sanzao Management District were established. In July 1992, Hengqin Economic Development Zone was established, and in December, Zhuhai High-Tech Industrial Development Zone was founded. In April 1993, Zhuhai Port Management District was established. In 1998, Wanshan Management District was upgraded to Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone. In July 1999, Zhuhai Port Management District was abolished, and the Gaolan Port Area (Zhuhai Port Industrial Zone) Management Committee was established. In April and December 2001, Jinwan District and Doumen District were established. In July 2006, Zhuhai High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and Tangjiawan Town, as well as Zhuhai Gaolan Port Economic Zone and Gaolan Port Area, implemented the "integration of district and town" reform. In November 2009, the deputy-department-level Zhuhai Hengqin New Area Management Committee was established, and Hengqin New Area was incorporated into the Zhuhai SEZ. On October 1, 2010, the Zhuhai SEZ was expanded to cover the entire city.

3. Geography

3.1 Land

Zhuhai City is bordered by Zhongshan City to the north, faces the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region across the sea to the northeast and east, neighbors the Macao Special Administrative Region to the southeast, is adjacent to Taishan City to the west, and borders Jiangmen City to the northwest. As Zhuhai is located at the estuary of the Pearl River, the seabed in coastal areas is very shallow. To expand usable land, reclamation projects are currently underway in the low-lying areas of southern Zhuhai, raising the land along the shore for development. However, this has also led to a significant reduction in the production of local agricultural and aquatic products such as palolo worms and mudfish. The current land area of Zhuhai is 1,736 square kilometers.

With 146 islands of considerable size and thousands of reefs and sandbars, Zhuhai is also known as the "City of a Hundred Islands." Since 2009, when the Guangdong Provincial Government ruled that Nei Lingding Island would be placed under the jurisdiction of Shenzhen City, Zhuhai's administrative area has been reduced from its northeasternmost point at Nei Lingding Island, stretching to Qi'ao Island and extending to the Guishan, Wanshan, Dangan, and Jiapeng island chains at the confluence of the South China Sea and the Pearl River Estuary.

3.2 Zhuhai Urban Area

Regarding the "Zhuhai urban area," there are three interpretations. The first refers to the entire territory of Zhuhai City; the second refers to the entire Xiangzhou District (as opposed to the western area collectively known as Doumen and Jinwan districts); the third refers to the area east of the Pearl River Estuary, south of Macao, west of the Qianshan River bordering Tanzhou Town in Zhongshan City, and north along Fenghuang Mountain. This area is officially called the "Xiangzhou urban area." Due to its high density, it is commonly referred to as the "urban area" by the public. The following discussion of the Zhuhai urban area refers to the third interpretation.

The Zhuhai urban area can be divided into seven districts: Old Xiangzhou, New Xiangzhou, Qianshan, Jida, Gongbei, Shangchong, and Hengqin.

3.3 Climate

Zhuhai's climate is classified as a South Asian subtropical monsoon climate. The annual average temperature is 22.4°C, and the annual average precipitation is 2,090 mm. Consequently, Zhuhai has only two seasons: summer and winter. Winter lasts from November to March of the following year, during which northwest winds prevail, and continuous cold air from Siberia results in daytime temperatures around 17°C. Summer lasts from April to October, during which southeast winds dominate most of the time, with daily average temperatures exceeding 25°C. The period from April to September is when precipitation is most concentrated in Zhuhai. Rainfall from April to June comes from the southwest monsoon and often brings heavy rainstorms, while rainfall from July to September is mostly from typhoons. Zhuhai experiences an average of 170 days per year within the "comfortable range" of daily average temperatures between 15°C and 25°C, mostly concentrated from late October to late March of the following year.

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------| | Record high °C | 27.8 | 28.8 | 30.5 | 33.2 | 35.3 | 36.8 | 38.7 | 37.3 | 36.3 | 34.8 | 32.9 | 29.1 | 38.7 | | Record high °F | 82.0 | 83.8 | 86.9 | 91.8 | 95.5 | 98.2 | 101.7 | 99.1 | 97.3 | 94.6 | 91.2 | 84.4 | 101.7 | | Average high °C | 18.6 | 18.9 | 21.5 | 25.4 | 28.9 | 30.8 | 32.0 | 31.9 | 30.6 | 28.4 | 24.4 | 20.2 | 26.0 | | Average high °F | 65.5 | 66.0 | 70.7 | 77.7 | 84.0 | 87.4 | 89.6 | 89.4 | 87.1 | 83.1 | 75.9 | 68.4 | 78.7 | | Daily mean °C | 15.1 | 15.8 | 18.4 | 22.3 | 25.7 | 27.7 | 28.5 | 28.3 | 27.3 | 25.0 | 21.0 | 16.6 | 22.6 | | Daily mean °F | 59.2 | 60.4 | 65.1 | 72.1 | 78.3 | 81.9 | 83.3 | 82.9 | 81.1 | 77.0 | 69.8 | 61.9 | 72.8 | | Average low °C | 12.6 | 13.9 | 16.1 | 20.4 | 23.5 | 25.5 | 25.9 | 25.8 | 24.8 | 22.5 | 18.4 | 13.9 | 20.3 | | Average low °F | 54.7 | 57.0 | 61.0 | 68.7 | 74.3 | 77.9 | 78.6 | 78.4 | 76.6 | 72.5 | 65.1 | 57.0 | 68.5 | | Record low °C | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 9.4 | 14.8 | 18.6 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 17.4 | 10.5 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | | Record low °F | 34.9 | 37.4 | 36.9 | 48.9 | 58.6 | 65.5 | 69.6 | 69.6 | 63.3 | 50.9 | 41.4 | 36.0 | 34.9 | | Average precipitation mm | 27.0 | 57.0 | 83.1 | 197.7 | 298.3 | 347.1 | 278.6 | 337.4 | 223.2 | 75.1 | 43.8 | 31.0 | 1,999.3 | | Average precipitation inches | 1.06 | 2.24 | 3.27 | 7.78 | 11.74 | 13.67 | 10.97 | 13.28 | 8.79 | 2.96 | 1.72 | 1.22 | 78.71 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 74 | 81 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 83 | 84 | 80 | 74 | 71 | 69 | 80 |

5. Administrative Divisions

Zhuhai City currently administers three municipal districts: Xiangzhou District, Doumen District, and Jinwan District. Among them, the main urban area is located in Xiangzhou District, with the traditional urban scope encompassing the areas of Old Xiangzhou, Jida, and Gongbei within Xiangzhou District. Doumen District and Jinwan District are also referred to as the Western Urban Area, abbreviated as the West District.

Furthermore, Zhuhai City has established the following economic functional zones:

• Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone (Hengqin Town, Xiangzhou District)
• Zhuhai Economic and Technological Development Zone (Gaolan Port Economic Zone, National-level, Zhuhai Port, Nanshui Town and Pingsha Town, Jinwan District)
• Zhuhai National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (National-level, main park located in Tangjiawan Town, Xiangzhou District)
• Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone (Wanshan Archipelago)

After Zhuhai was established as a prefecture-level city, it administered two county-level administrative divisions: Xiangzhou District and Doumen County. This remained until 2001, when Sanzao Town, Hongqi Town, Nanshui Town, and Pingsha Town, originally under Xiangzhou, were separated to form Jinwan District. In the same year, Doumen County was renamed Doumen District.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (Nov 1, 2020) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | |-------------------|---------------------|----------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------| | 440400 | Zhuhai City | Zhuhai Shi | 1,736.46 | 2,439,585 | Xiangzhou District | 519000 | 9 | 15 | | 440402 | Xiangzhou District | Xiangzhou Qu | 555.29 | 1,384,317 | Meihua Subdistrict | 519000 | 8 | 6 | | 440403 | Doumen District | Ddumén Qu | 613.88 | 608,899 | Jing'an Town | 519100 | 1 | 5 | | 440404 | Jinwan District | Jinwan Qu | 567.28 | 446,369 | Sanzao Town | 519100 | 4 | |

6. Economy

Due to its proximity to Macau, Zhuhai became a Special Economic Zone in 1980, making it one of the four earliest Special Economic Zones in China to implement the policy of opening up to the outside world. Although Zhuhai's economy was relatively small in its early years, it has continuously climbed in economic aggregate in recent years under favorable conditions such as the vigorous development of the Hengqin New Area and the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Its ranking jumped from 11th in the province in 2000 to 6th in 2020. It is one of the cities with the highest per capita GDP in China and ranks second only to Shenzhen within Guangdong Province. The six pillar industries of Zhuhai's economy are electronic information, biomedicine, home appliances and electrical equipment, power energy, petrochemicals, and precision machinery manufacturing. Among them, Xiangzhou District, the main urban area of Zhuhai, focuses on developing industries such as intelligent equipment manufacturing, home appliances and electrical equipment, and modern services. The western urban area focuses on developing advanced equipment manufacturing, high-end fine chemicals, aerospace, biomedicine, new energy, and new materials. The Zhuhai Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone focuses on developing industries such as software and IC design, mobile internet, smart power distribution network equipment, and medical devices. The Hengqin New Area, as a national-level new area and a pilot free trade zone, focuses on developing industries such as financial services, high and new technology, traditional Chinese medicine healthcare, and cultural and creative tourism. Well-known enterprises include Gree Electric Appliances, Meizu Technology, Livzon Pharmaceutical Group, United Laboratories, By-Health, and Rossini Watches.

6.1 Agriculture

Zhuhai is surrounded by the sea on three sides, with a crisscrossing network of rivers located at the confluence of saltwater and freshwater, providing natural conditions suitable for fishery development. Aquaculture is a characteristic industry of Zhuhai's agriculture, accounting for 75% of the city's total agricultural output value. There are over 70 main economic fish species, with Bai Jiao sea bass, Xiao Lin grass carp, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, and Penaeus vannamei enjoying national recognition. Zhuhai began developing the sea bass aquaculture industry in the 1980s, with the main farming areas located in Baijiao Town and Qianwu Town of Doumen District. It has now become the largest sea bass production base in China, with an annual output accounting for about 80% of the national sea bass aquaculture production. In 2019, Zhuhai was awarded the title of "China's Sea Bass Capital."

6.2 Industry

Zhuhai's industry is dominated by heavy industry and large to medium-sized enterprises. Its advantageous industries with relatively high specialization levels include electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing, electronic information, biomedicine, cultural, educational, and sports goods manufacturing, petrochemicals, and equipment manufacturing. In manufacturing, Gree Electric Appliances and Orbita Aerospace are the leading enterprises in the city's household appliance and integrated circuit industries, respectively. The Flextronics Zhuhai campus is a large-scale contract manufacturer in South China. Eastcompeace is the largest supplier of USIM cards in China. Yinlong New Energy is an emerging new energy vehicle manufacturer in China. UT Technology, XJ Electric Power Distribution Network, Wanlida, and Hansen are all nationally renowned smart grid suppliers. Enterprises such as Livzon Pharmaceutical Group, United Laboratories, Jafron Biomedical, By-Health, and Biolight have formed Zhuhai's biomedical industry cluster. The petrochemical base in Gaolan Port Area has gathered over 120 well-known domestic and international chemical enterprises, including BP, Shell, Lubrizol, Solvay, Wanhua Chemical, and CNOOC Energy Technology & Services. Additionally, Zhuhai is the world's largest production base for printing consumables and is known as the "World Capital of Printing Consumables."

6.3 Commerce

In the early days, Zhuhai's commercial districts were concentrated in the old Xiangzhou, Jida, and Gongbei areas, primarily featuring Xiangzhou Department Store and Yangming Plaza in old Xiangzhou; Zhuhai Department Store Plaza, Zhuhai Duty-Free Shopping Mall, and Zhuhai International Trade Shopping Plaza in Jida; and the underground commercial plaza of Gongbei Port and Lianhua Road Pedestrian Street in Gongbei. After the 2010s, with the rapid increase in Zhuhai's population and the prosperity of the real estate industry, a large number of commercial real estate complexes were successively completed. By 2020, the number of large commercial complexes that had opened or were under construction in Zhuhai had reached 42, spread across various districts including old Xiangzhou, new Xiangzhou, Gongbei, Jida, Qianshan, Shangchong, Lanpu, Xiawan, Nanwan, Hengqin, Jinwan, and Jing'an. Well-known commercial complexes include Huafa Mall, COFCO Fu Hwa Li, Haiyun City, UT Mall, Zhuhai Aoyuan Plaza, Gree Coast, Dasin Metro Mall, and Legend Palace Hotel & Plaza.

7. Transportation

7.1 Highways

The density of general roads in Zhuhai corresponds to population density. Roads are dense in Zhuhai's urban area and Doumen's urban area. Zhuhai Avenue leads to Zhuhai Port and Zhuhai Airport; the Lotus Bridge connects Macau and Zhuhai's Hengqin Island. Main roads in Zhuhai's urban area include Fenghuang Road, Meihua Road, Yingbin Road, Lover's Road, Jiuzhou Avenue, etc. Traffic congestion in Zhuhai's urban area is severe daily from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM; some believe the main causes are excessive traffic light settings and early-stage planning issues. In the future, the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Corridor will be constructed by extending the Shenzhen-Cenxi Expressway G25¹⁸ National Expressway to connect Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, with Zhuhai. Expressways in Zhuhai include G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, G0425 Guangzhou-Macau Expressway, G94 Pearl River Delta Ring Expressway, S47 Guangzhou-Foshan-Jiangmen-Zhuhai Expressway, S36 Zhuhai-Taishan Expressway, S34 Xianghai Expressway, and S32 Western Coastal Expressway.

7.2 Bridges and Tunnels

Zhuhai Bridge leads to Doumen District and Jinwan District; Qianshan Bridge, Nanping Bridge, and Banzhangshan Tunnel lead to New Xiangzhou and Qianshan; Fenghuangshan Tunnel leads to Jinding and Zhongshan's Cuixiang Village.

Jinhai Bridge connects Hengqin with Sanzao. It is the second bridge planned to connect Zhuhai's eastern area with Doumen and Jinwan District; upon completion, it will significantly enhance transportation convenience in Hengqin. Additionally, the Honghe Bridge will be built to connect the eastern and western parts, serving as part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge extension. Furthermore, the Huangmao Sea Channel, the western extension of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.

7.3 Public Buses

Public buses are the primary land transportation in Zhuhai. Urban buses in Zhuhai are operated by Zhuhai Public Transport Bus Co., Ltd., divided into urban lines and western district lines, with most routes being unmanned ticketing. The fare for urban buses is 1 yuan. Major bus stations include Xiangzhou Terminal, Haihong Terminal, Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Rail Zhuhai Station Terminal, and Gongbei Port Terminal, with most bus station facilities being relatively saturated. Currently, Zhuhai has newly built the Huxin Intersection Bus Transfer Station near the Jinwan Interchange.

In Zhuhai, single-digit and double-digit bus routes are within Xiangzhou District (some routes run from Zhuhai's urban area to Tanzhou). Routes starting with "10X" are loop lines; three-digit routes starting with "20X" and "60X" run from Xiangzhou District to Jinwan District and Doumen District. Three-digit routes starting with "3XX" and "4XX" are within Doumen District. Three-digit routes starting with "50X" run from Doumen District to Jinwan District; routes 510-541 are mainline connectors. Three-digit routes starting with "7XX" and "8XX" are within Jinwan District. Routes starting with "9XX" run from Zhuhai to Zhongshan City.

7.4 Long-Distance Coaches

Zhuhai's urban area has several long-distance coach stations, including: Gongbei Coach Station, Doumen Coach Station, Qiguan Coach Station, Xiangzhou Coach Station, Shangchong Coach Station, Tangjia Coach Station, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Coach Station, and Hengqin Port Coach Station. Daily long-distance coaches travel to various locations in Guangdong Province and neighboring provinces, with luxury direct buses to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, etc. Tangjia Coach Station primarily serves as a stop for passing coaches, with fewer departures originating there.

7.5 Taxis

The starting fare for taxis in Zhuhai is 10 yuan, increasing to 13 yuan after midnight. After 3 kilometers, the fare is 2.4 yuan per kilometer (2.2 yuan for taxis in Doumen and at the airport; 2.8 yuan for luxury taxis). Starting from March 2013, new energy taxis have gradually been introduced, with deployment completed by the end of 2015.

7.6 Ports

Zhuhai is located on the western bank of the Pearl River Estuary, where the waters of Jinxingmen, Modaomen, Jitimmen, Hutiaomen, and Yamen converge into the sea.

Zhuhai Port is operated and developed by Zhuhai Port Group, currently comprising six major port areas: Gaolan, Wanshan, Xiangzhou, Jing'an, Hongwan, and Tangjia.

In 2016, Zhuhai Port handled a total cargo throughput of 117.78 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.1%, exceeding 100 million tons for four consecutive years, ranking steadily fourth in Guangdong Province.

Located in the old city, Xiangzhou Fishing Port sits on the right bank of the downstream channel of the Pearl River Estuary, connecting Yinkengjiao to the north and Lingjiaozui to the south. Funded by the Guangdong Provincial Government, construction began in 1957 and was completed in 1959. It is one of the important venues for fishing boats operating in the Pearl River Estuary fishing grounds for supply, loading/unloading, fish trade, and shelter, and is also a nationally key fishing port. In 2012, based on urban planning adjustments and socio-economic development needs, Zhuhai decided to adjust the fishery functions of Xiangzhou Fishing Port. On July 10, 2019, the overall relocation of Xiangzhou Fishing Port officially began. On August 16, 2019, the relocation was completed, with over 400 fishing boats diverted to the Hongwan Central Fishing Port, which was completed at the end of December 2018.

7.7 Ferries

Zhuhai has several passenger ferry terminals. Xiangzhou Port is the departure point for tourist ferries to various islands of the Wanshan Archipelago. Jiuzhou Port has denser routes, with daily ferries to Hong Kong and Shenzhen's Shekou Port. Simultaneously, daily flights between Jiangmen and Hong Kong also stop at Doumen Port. Additionally, the Wanzi Port offers ferry services to Macau's Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal, and the Macau Island Tour route departs from Wanzi Tourist Pier.

7.8 Civil Aviation

Zhuhai's main public transport airport is Zhuhai Jinwan Airport, officially opened in June 1995. By passenger throughput, it is Guangdong's third-largest airport after Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. Additionally, there are two general aviation airports: Zhuhai Jiuzhou Airport and Zhuhai Lianzhou General Airport.

7.9 Border Ports

Zhuhai is China's second-largest port city (after Shenzhen). In 2010, the number of border crossings was 90.573 million, accounting for about one-quarter of the national total. However, in the first half of 2011, Gongbei Port's border passenger flow exceeded 45.76 million, a year-on-year increase of over 12%, surpassing Luohu Port for the first time to become the nation's largest port. Currently, Zhuhai has 10 national first-class ports.

Land Border Ports

• Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port
• Gongbei Port (adjacent to Macau's Border Gate Checkpoint Building)
• Hengqin Port (adjacent to Macau's Hengqin Port Macau Port Area, a 24-hour crossing port between Guangdong and Macau)
• Zhuhai-Macau Cross-border Industrial Zone Dedicated Port (adjacent to Macau's Zhuhai-Macau Cross-border Industrial Zone, a 24-hour crossing port between Guangdong and Macau)
• Qingmao Port (fully automated clearance channels, a 24-hour crossing port between Guangdong and Macau, but limited to eligible Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau residents)

Water Border Ports

• Jiuzhou Port
• Gaolan Port
• Doumen Port
• Wanshan Port
• Wanzi Port (ferries to Macau's Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal)

7.10 Railway

Zhuhai was the last among China's five Special Economic Zones and 20 hub ports to have a railway. The first section of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway (Guangzhou South Station - Zhuhai North Station) officially opened on January 7, 2011, with the fastest journey time of 41 minutes. Fares range from 8 to 44 RMB based on distance and class. On December 31, 2012, the Zhuhai section of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway opened fully. The line has five stations within Zhuhai: Zhuhai Station (Gongbei), Qianshan Station, Mingzhu Station, Tangjiawan Station, and Zhuhai North Station (Jinding). However, after the full opening on December 31, 2012, the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway adjusted prices comprehensively, with second-class seats from Guangzhou South to Zhuhai Station costing 70 RMB and first-class seats 90 RMB. Starting November 27, 2015, Zhuhai Station began operating trains to Beijing West Station on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and daily trains to Guilin North Station, marking Zhuhai's first inter-provincial passenger train services. From January 2017, Zhuhai Station planned to add three pairs of inter-provincial passenger trains: D2808/2827 to/from Guiyang North Station, D941/942 to/from Shanghai Hongqiao Station (sleeper bullet trains, operating on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays), and G6111/6112 to/from Changsha South Station. At that time, Zhuhai Station would have five pairs of inter-provincial passenger trains, and Zhuhai would become another city operating trains to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou (the "three-in" trains). On November 15, 2023, the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway began operating short-turn services between Zhuhai Station and Zhuhai North Station. On January 10, 2024, the train numbers for these short-turn services changed from C-series to S-series; simultaneously, two additional trains were added, with 10 of them being all-stop trains.

The extension of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway—the Zhuhai Airport Intercity Railway—serves as a connecting line between Zhuhai Railway Station, Hengqin New Area, Zhuhai Chimelong, Zhuhai University of Science and Technology, and Zhuhai Airport. Its Phase I and Phase II officially opened for operation on August 18, 2020, and February 3, 2024, respectively.

7.10 Tram

Since September 2013, the first phase of Zhuhai's tram system, the Meihua Road section, entered the construction period. It was completed in December 2014 and opened on June 13, 2017. The government once claimed that by 2018, before the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Zhuhai would have three tram lines completed. By 2020, Zhuhai was planned to have nine tram lines distributed across most of Xiangzhou District and Sanzao Town in Jinwan District. However, currently, only one line (Line 1) is in operation, with the others not yet started. Presently, in response to the trend of intelligent public transportation and changes in national infrastructure strategy, Zhuhai's tram system has been suspended.

8. Education

Zhuhai City places great emphasis on education, with Xiangzhou District in particular implementing practical measures to promote balanced educational development. Nearly all schools are of high quality, leading in terms of informatization and grading levels. The city vigorously implements the policy of enrolling students in nearby schools, with school districts designated for attendance. Taking Xiangzhou District as an example, the district has over 70 primary and secondary schools, including 45 public ones. On September 10, 2009, Zhuhai’s Xiangzhou District became the first administrative region in the country to systematically conduct safety inspections of school buildings. As of 2018, Zhuhai has five provincial key high schools: Zhuhai No. 1 Middle School, Zhuhai No. 2 Middle School, Zhuhai Doumen District No. 1 Middle School, Zhuhai Experimental Middle School, and Beijing Normal University (Zhuhai) Affiliated High School.

Zhuhai City provides 12 years of free education to approximately 150,000 students, covering tuition from primary school to general high school. High school students in Zhuhai are only required to pay for textbooks, while primary and junior high school students with local household registration, children of substitute farmers, and outstanding migrant workers are exempt from textbook fees. Currently, Zhuhai’s high school enrollment includes three categories of students: regular students and quota students (quota students are limited to provincial key high schools, with 60–70% of high school admission quotas allocated to various junior high schools; aside from the high school entrance exam scores, their admission process is the same as that of regular students), selective admission students (with a selective admission fee generally set at 30,000 RMB), and special talent students. Since 2015, Zhuhai’s public general high schools have abolished the selective admission system. Zhuhai has three types of middle schools: junior high schools, senior high schools, and complete middle schools (such as Zhuhai No. 4 Middle School). According to statistics from the end of 2013, the proportion of various types of students in Zhuhai accounted for 24.02% of the permanent population, significantly surpassing other regions in the Pearl River Delta and exceeding Guangzhou, the second-highest city, by 4 percentage points. In 2013, over 15,000 people in the city participated in the college entrance examination, accounting for 2% of the province’s total examinees; over 20,000 people in the city participated in the high school entrance examination.

Zhuhai has also made notable achievements in higher education development, with most institutions located in Tangjiawan Town and Sanzao Town. Among them, undergraduate institutions such as Beijing Normal University Zhuhai Campus, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai Campus, and Beijing Institute of Technology Zhuhai College are situated in Tangjiawan Town. Zhuhai University of Science and Technology and Zunyi Medical University Zhuhai Campus are located in Sanzao Town; vocational colleges such as Zhuhai City Polytechnic, Guangdong Vocational College of Science and Technology Zhuhai Campus, and Zhuhai Art Vocational College are located in Hongqi Town, while Jinan University Zhuhai Campus is situated in Qianshan Street, Xiangzhou District. In 2013, the city had 123,000 full-time students in regular higher education institutions, ranking second in Guangdong Province. That year, 27,000 students graduated, and 38,000 new students were enrolled.

9. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 2,439,585. Compared with the 1,562,530 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the total increase over the ten years was 877,055 people, a growth of 56.13%, with an average annual growth rate of 4.56%. Among them, the male population was 1,304,196, accounting for 53.46% of the total population; the female population was 1,135,389, accounting for 46.54% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 114.87. The population aged 0–14 was 387,469, accounting for 15.88% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 1,808,103, accounting for 74.12% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 244,013, accounting for 10% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 161,888, accounting for 6.64% of the total population. The urban population was 2,207,090, accounting for 90.47% of the total population; the rural population was 232,495, accounting for 9.53% of the total population.

According to the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the city's permanent resident population was 1,560,229. Compared with the Fifth National Population Census, the total increase over the ten years was 324,647 people, a growth of 26.27%, with an average annual growth rate of 2.36%. However, the total population ranked 21st among all 21 prefecture-level and above cities in Guangdong Province, accounting for approximately 1.5% of the province's total population. Among them, the male population was 812,466, accounting for 52.07%; the female population was 747,763, accounting for 47.93%. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 108.65. The population aged 0–14 was 210,694, accounting for 13.5%; the population aged 15–64 was 1,272,590, accounting for 81.57%; and the population aged 65 and above was 76,945, accounting for 4.93%.

9.1 Permanent Resident Population

The 2020 Seventh National Population Census Bulletin of Zhuhai City reported the city's permanent resident population as 2,439,585.

9.2 Population Growth

Compared with the 1,560,229 people from the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population increased by 879,356 people over the ten years, a growth of 56.36%, with an average annual growth rate of 4.57%.

When Zhuhai was first established as a Special Economic Zone in 1980, the population of the Zhuhai area was 400,000.

9.3 Household Population

The city has a total of 836,663 family households and 123,991 collective households. The population of family households is 2,058,355, and the population of collective households is 381,230. The average population per family household is 2.46 people, a decrease of 0.34 people compared to the 2.80 people from the 2010 Sixth National Population Census.

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10. Culture

10.1 Convention and Exhibition Industry

Zhuhai is one of the earliest cities in China to develop its convention and exhibition industry, but its growth has been challenging. In the 1980s and 1990s, Zhuhai hosted a film festival. By the early 21st century, only the biennial China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (commonly known as the Zhuhai Airshow) remained.

In 2013, Zhuhai established the Convention and Exhibition Bureau. From November 20 to December 1, 2013, the first China International Circus Festival was held in Hengqin, Zhuhai.

The Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center, located opposite Hengqin, opened in October 2014. Since then, it has hosted the Zhuhai International Yacht Show and the Zhuhai International Auto Show. On March 12, 2015, Walmart China's 2015 New Year Preparation Meeting was held at the Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center, marking the largest convention and exhibition event in Zhuhai's history to date. This event helped break the pattern in Guangdong province of having strong exhibitions but weak conventions. Additionally, Zhuhai holds a Real Estate and Auto Joint Exhibition at the Zhuhai Sports Center for three days each during the May Day holiday, National Day holiday, and New Year's Day. It is currently jointly organized by Zhuhai Television and the Zhuhai Special Zone Daily. Accompanying activities are held alongside the joint exhibition. Today, this exhibition is influential not only in Zhuhai but also in the Pearl River Delta region, Hong Kong, and Macau.

10.2 Music and Folk Arts

Zhuhai has four major music events: the "Beishan Music Festival" held in April and September each year in Beishan Village, Nanping; the "Zhuhai University Students' Original Music Festival" held every May; the Beach Music Party held every October at the Lovers' Road Seaside Swimming Area; and the Merry-Go-Round Music Festival held every December at Pearl Land.

Around the Dragon Boat Festival each year, the Zhuhai International Dragon Boat Race is held on the Huangyang River in Doumen. Accompanying the dragon boat race are activities such as a food festival, Doumen cultural performances, and ecological leisure tours of the water towns.

Since 2007, a grand folk art parade has been held annually during the Lantern Festival, first on Jiuzhou Avenue in front of Jiuzhou City and later in Jing'an, Doumen.

Zhuhai has an opera house, the Zhuhai Grand Theatre located on Yeli Island. Its exterior resembles seashells, hence it is also called the "Sun and Moon Shells." Concerts, plays, dance performances, and other shows are held there irregularly throughout the year.

10.3 Tourist Attractions

Zhuhai boasts a beautiful environment and a rich variety of tourist attractions. The main urban area of Xiangzhou features the Zhuhai Fisher Girl, the Meixi Archway Tourist Area, the New Yuanming Palace, Fantasy Water City, and Lovers' Road. The western district features Haiquan Bay, Imperial Hot Spring Resort, and Jintai Temple. The Hengqin New Area features Sandie Spring, while the Tangjiawan area features Pearl Land and Gongle Garden.

Zhuhai has numerous parks, mostly distributed on and around Fenghuang Mountain and Banzhang Mountain. They have now been transformed to be completely free and open to the public. These include Shijingshan Park, Bailian Cave Park, Haibin Park, Xiangshan Park, Paotaishan Park, Martyrs' Cemetery, Mingting Park (Yeli Island), and Zhuxian Cave Park. Additionally, there are many community parks in Xiangzhou District, managed by the Xiangzhou District Zhengfang Community Park Management Co., Ltd. Furthermore, the Xiangzhou Greenway connects the main roads and other areas of downtown Zhuhai.

The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, created by the Guangdong Chimelong Group, opened in Hengqin in January 2014. It possesses independent intellectual property rights and has elevated the standard of Zhuhai's tourism industry.

10.4 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Baojingwan Site
• Chen Fang's Former Residence
• Su Zhaozheng's Former Residence
• Remains of Crimes Committed by Japanese Invaders on Sanzao Island
• Zhuhai Meixi Archway Tourist Area
• Gongle Garden
• Bailian Cave Park
• Jintai Temple
• Doumen Ancient Street

10.5 Residents' Life

10.5.1 Cuisine

Zhuhai is surrounded by sea on three sides, making seafood a traditional local dish. Well-known seafood streets in Zhuhai include Nanping Seafood Street (also known as "Nanwan Champagne Food Town," which was renovated in 2020) and "Wanzai Seafood Street."

10.5.2 Bars

Zhuhai has numerous bars. Famous bar streets include the Shuiwan Road Bar Street, the Huafa New World Bar Street on the west bank of the Qianshan River, and the Doumen Bar Street in the northern part of Baiteng Subdistrict. Many are built along the coast or rivers.

10.5.3 Language

Since the reform and opening-up, due to the influx of migrants, Mandarin has become the primary language of communication in the city. Cantonese is the most commonly spoken local language in Zhuhai: Xiangzhou District uses Shiqi dialect, which is similar to Guangzhou dialect; Doumen and Jinwan District commonly use the Siyi dialect; the riverside areas use the Tanka dialect. Additionally, Zhongshan Min and Hakka dialects are also used.

11. Sister Cities

Surrey, Canada: July 8, 1987
Redwood City, USA: October 11, 1993
Castelo Branco, Portugal: September 29, 1994
Atami, Japan: July 25, 2004
Suwon, South Korea: August 23, 2006
Vitória, Brazil: June 24, 2010
Gävle, Sweden: August 10, 2010
Braunschweig, Germany: June 1, 2011
Zhukovsky, Russia: August 27, 2012
Gold Coast, Australia: November 16, 2012
Portsmouth, UK: March 25, 2014
Gwadar, Pakistan: April 20, 2015
Gdynia, Poland: May 17, 2017

4. 城市规划

与中国许多大城市不同，珠海的城市规划采用组团发展模式，并突出海湾风格。市区的建筑物普遍高度较小，并且把山体和海洋显露出来，以保证城市与自然环境相融合。全市的建筑物外立面颜色以白色、蓝色为主。

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Xiangzhou District

Xiangzhou District

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Redbud

Bougainvillea