Port · Border city · Scenic area · Guangdong
Zhuhai
珠海
Coastal special economic zone on the border with Macau
Zhuhai is a prefecture-level city on the west side of the Pearl River estuary, bordering Macau. One of the first special economic zones of 1980, it is known for its long seafront, its many islands, the Hengqin cooperation zone beside Macau and the western landfall of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge.
Key facts
Overview
Zhuhai was separated from Zhongshan (formerly Xiangshan) county as a county of its own in 1953, became a city in 1979 and was made a special economic zone the next year because of its position next to Macau. Unlike Shenzhen it developed as a lower-density city of parks and seafront, with tourism, electronics, household appliances and aviation among its industries; the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition has been held here since 1996.
The Gongbei border crossing to Macau is one of the busiest land crossings in China, and Hengqin Island, facing Macau's Cotai, has been developed as a zone jointly administered with Macau.
Names and nicknames
百岛之市
“city of a hundred islands”
Zhuhai administers well over a hundred islands in the estuary and offshore.
History
The coast of Zhuhai was part of Xiangshan county, whose villages sent many emigrants and early reformers abroad. Yung Wing, the first Chinese graduate of an American university, was born at Nanping in 1828; Tang Shaoyi, the first premier of the Republic of China, came from Tangjia. The city was created in 1979 and became a special economic zone in 1980.
1828
Birth of Yung Wing
Born at Nanping, he graduated from Yale in 1854 and later led the Chinese Educational Mission to the United States.
1980
Special economic zone
Zhuhai was one of the first four special economic zones, with Shenzhen, Shantou and Xiamen.
2018
Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge opens
The bridge-and-tunnel link of about 55 km connects Zhuhai and Macau with Hong Kong's Lantau Island.
2021
Hengqin cooperation zone
Hengqin was placed under joint Guangdong–Macau administration.
Landmarks
Modern landmark
Fisher Girl statue
珠海渔女
Granite statue of 1982 on a rock in Xianglu Bay, the city's emblem.
Street or quarter
Lovers' Road
情侣路
Seafront road and promenade running along the coast for many kilometres.
Park or garden
Tangjia Gongle Garden
唐家共乐园
The garden of Tang Shaoyi in the old village of Tangjiawan.
Historic site
Meixi Pailou
梅溪牌坊
Stone memorial arches of the Chen family, built for the overseas merchant Chen Fang.
Neighbourhoods
Gongbei
拱北
The border district facing Macau, with its underground shopping streets and the Gongbei port.
Hengqin
横琴
The island opposite Macau's Cotai, with the joint cooperation zone and resorts.
Food
Hengqin oysters
横琴蚝
Oysters from the brackish waters around Hengqin, often grilled or made into omelettes.
Doumen crabs
斗门重壳蟹
Mud crabs from the Doumen estuary villages.
Culture
Zhuhai's culture mixes the traditions of the old Xiangshan villages, with their ancestral halls and returned-emigrant houses, and that of a young, largely migrant city. Its proximity to Macau makes the border a daily part of life for many residents.
Getting around
- The Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity railway runs to Zhuhai station at the Gongbei border and on to Hengqin.
- Zhuhai Jinwan Airport serves domestic routes; buses cross the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge to Hong Kong International Airport.
- Ferries from Jiuzhou port serve Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Day trips
Wailingding Island
外伶仃岛
Island in the estuary near Hong Kong waters, reached by ferry.
Cuiheng village
中山翠亨村
Sun Yat-sen's birthplace and memorial museum, just north in Zhongshan.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Zhuhai Municipal People's Government — Zhuhai Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Zhuhai — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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