Zhuhai is a planned city. It was designated one of China’s original four Special Economic Zones in 1980 and built largely from scratch — which explains why it has such unusually wide boulevards, coherent urban planning, and a cleanliness that distinguishes it from the organic chaos of nearby Guangzhou or Shenzhen. The city sits directly next to Macau and across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong, making it one of the best-positioned bases for exploring the region.
Most international visitors encounter Zhuhai either as a transit point for Macau or as the location of Chimelong Ocean Kingdom — one of the best theme parks in Asia. Both are valid reasons to come; but the city is also pleasant to explore in its own right.
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Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (长隆海洋王国)
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Hengqin District is regularly ranked among the top five theme parks in the world by industry bodies, consistently outperforming most Disney and Universal parks on value and wait time metrics.
The park is genuinely extraordinary. The centrepiece is a series of massive underwater tunnels where whale sharks, manta rays, and hundreds of other species swim overhead — the aquarium section alone is among the largest in the world. The rides include a beyond-vertical roller coaster (one of the steepest in the world), a giant flying saucer spinning coaster, and multiple water coasters.
Opening hours: 10:00am–8:00pm (weekdays), 10:00am–9:00pm (weekends); varies seasonally
Entry fee: ¥399 per person (standard day ticket); ¥599 (premium, includes express lanes)
Booking: Book online in advance — the park can sell out on weekends and Chinese public holidays
Getting there: Metro Line 1 to Changlong Ocean Kingdom station; or ferry directly from Hong Kong
Key attractions:
- Blue World (蓝色星球): The main aquarium building — whale sharks, manta rays, and vast underwater panoramas. The world-record aquarium window is 39.6 metres wide.
- Dragon roller coaster (游龙嬉水): Water coaster with a 58-degree drop; one of the longest water coaster rides in Asia
- Mr. Five roller coaster: 113-degree beyond-vertical drop — yes, past vertical
- Panda Ocean World (大熊猫生态游乐区): Giant pandas and panda cub nursery; the babies are worth the trip for panda enthusiasts
Arrival tip: Gate opens at 10am; the whale shark tanks see shortest queues in the first hour and last 30 minutes of operation. Arrive at 10am to see the marine life before crowds.
Gongbei Border Crossing to Macau (拱北口岸)
The Gongbei Port of Entry is one of the busiest land border crossings in the world — over 200,000 daily crossings between Zhuhai and Macau. And it genuinely is 5 minutes on foot.
Process (Mainland to Macau):
- Walk to Gongbei Immigration Hall (南区口岸大楼)
- Queue through Chinese immigration (exit stamp)
- Walk the short bridge connection
- Enter Macau Immigration (entry stamp)
- You’re in Macau
Wait times: Normal weekdays: 10–20 minutes. Chinese holidays: up to 2–3 hours. Avoid the border on Golden Week and Chinese New Year.
From Zhuhai city centre to Gongbei: Metro Line 9 to Gongbei station, 5–10 minutes walk to the crossing. Or taxi, ¥15–25.
For Macau casino shuttles: Most major Macau hotels and casinos run free shuttle buses from Zhuhai, which saves the walk.
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (港珠澳大桥)
The 55km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, opened in 2018, is the world’s longest sea crossing bridge-tunnel structure. It connects Hong Kong’s Lantau Island with Zhuhai and Macau via a combination of bridges and undersea tunnel sections.
Using the bridge from Zhuhai:
- Shuttle buses operate from Zhuhai’s Zhuhai Border Crossing (珠海口岸) on Hengqin Island to Hong Kong’s Lantau terminal
- Bus tickets: ¥100–120 each way; buses run approximately every 30 minutes
- Total journey time: About 45–60 minutes to Hong Kong Lantau terminal; add another 30–45 minutes to reach Hong Kong’s central areas by metro
Private vehicles can use the bridge but require a special permit (very limited; mainly for residents). Most visitors use the shuttle buses.
The view from the bus: Driving over the bridge on a clear day is genuinely impressive — 50km of open ocean surrounded by the industrial and residential developments of the Pearl River Delta.
Zhuhai Waterfront and Lover’s Road (情侣路)
Zhuhai’s Lover’s Road is a 28km coastal promenade running along the western shore of the city, past fishing villages, parks, and beaches. It’s most enjoyable by bicycle or e-scooter (both available for hire along the promenade).
Fisher Girl Statue (渔女雕像): The signature symbol of Zhuhai — a large bronze sculpture of a woman holding a pearl aloft, standing at the water’s edge. It’s visible from the promenade and the waterfront restaurants.
Xianglu Bay Beach (香炉湾沙滩): A small public beach adjacent to the Fisher Girl statue; swimmable in summer.
The islands: Zhuhai has 140+ islands in its waters. The most accessible for tourists are Hengqin Island (where Chimelong is located; now a major development zone) and Wanshan Islands (万山群岛) — the outermost islands, accessible by ferry for diving and island-hopping in summer.
Hengqin New Area (横琴新区)
Hengqin Island has been developed as a joint Macau-Mainland special economic zone and contains not just Chimelong but also:
- Chimelong Hengqin International Ocean Tourist Resort: The larger resort complex around Ocean Kingdom, including Chimelong Spaceship (a separate theme park with rides themed around Chinese space exploration)
- Upmarket hotels and restaurants
- The University of Macau main campus (on the Mainland island, accessible from Macau)
The area is well worth a half-day even beyond the theme parks — the development showcases China’s ambition for the Macau-Zhuhai integration zone.
Getting to Zhuhai
By ferry from Hong Kong: Regular ferries from Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (Sheung Wan) and China Ferry Terminal (Tsim Sha Tsui) to Jiuzhougang (九洲港) in Zhuhai; about 1 hour, ¥150–250.
By high-speed train: Guangzhou South to Zhuhai, about 45 minutes, ¥55–80. Then metro or taxi within Zhuhai.
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge bus: As described above, from Hong Kong Airport’s Lantau terminal.
From Guangzhou: Multiple HSR trains daily.
Where to Stay
Gongbei/Xiangzhou area: Central location, convenient for the border crossing and city sights. Hotels ¥250–600/night.
Hengqin Island (near Chimelong): Multiple resort hotels catering to the theme park crowd; ¥500–1,500/night depending on hotel and season. Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel and similar resort hotels offer packages with park tickets.
Budget: Plenty of options in the Gongbei and Jida areas from ¥150–300/night.
Combining Zhuhai with Macau
The obvious combination. Zhuhai as the Mainland base, with day trips (or nights) into Macau. This works particularly well for:
- Visitors who want to spend more time in Macau’s historic Portuguese district than the casinos allow
- Budget-conscious travelers using cheaper Zhuhai hotels and day-tripping to Macau
- Anyone visiting Chimelong who wants to add a Macau day
The Gongbei crossing is so easy that the two cities can be treated as a single destination.
When to Visit
October–April: Best weather — mild (18–25°C), low chance of typhoons, pleasant for the promenade and outdoor activities.
July–August: Hot, humid, peak season, typhoon risk. Chimelong is busy but good.
Chinese New Year: The Gongbei border is extremely busy. Plan accordingly or avoid.