Zhuhai, also known as the City of Hundred Islands and the City of Romance, is one of the first four special economic zones established in China, a key node city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the only city in the Chinese mainland connected to both Hong Kong and Macao by road and bridge. Located on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, it faces Hong Kong across the Lingding Ocean to the east and borders Macao by land to the south. It is home to 146 islands, with a continental coastline of 224.5 kilometers and a sea area of 6,050 square kilometers, making it the city with the largest marine area, the most islands and the longest coastline in the Pearl River Delta. Honored as the "City of Hundred Islands", it has consistently ranked among the top cities in China in terms of ecological environment quality, and is recognized as a National Garden City and a National Demonstration City for Ecological Civilization Construction.

Zhuhai is one of the core birthplaces of Xiangshan Culture, with a cultural heritage stretching back thousands of years. The Houshawan Dune Site, with a history of more than 6,000 years, bears witness to the origin of the ancient marine civilization in Lingnan. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was a key coastal defense town in the Pearl River Estuary and an important node of the Maritime Silk Road, retaining a large number of historical relics of coastal defense. In modern times, this land gave birth to a large number of pioneers who influenced China's modernization process, including Rong Hong, the father of Chinese overseas students, Tang Shaoyi, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of China, Tang Guo'an, the first president of Tsinghua University, forging the city's spirit of daring to be the first, openness and inclusiveness.

Today, relying on the core hub advantage of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Zhuhai has become an important gateway for the interconnection of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Marine culture, Xiangshan culture, special economic zone culture and overseas Chinese culture are deeply integrated here. The romantic urban temperament centered on Lovers' Road and Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, making it a modern and international coastal city with coastal scenery, cultural heritage and innovative vitality.

Introduction to Zhuhai’s Famous Scenic Spots

1. Lovers' Road and Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue

Lovers' Road, the iconic calling card and spiritual landmark of Zhuhai, was first built in 1991 with a total length of 55 kilometers. It is the longest coastal sightseeing highway in China, winding along the mountains and the sea, connecting the core areas of Xiangzhou, Jida, Gongbei and Hengqin in Zhuhai. Known as the "Great Wall of Zhuhai", it has also shaped the city's temperament as the "City of Romance". This coastal highway is not only a major urban traffic artery, but also a core carrier of Zhuhai's urban culture, witnessing the city's transformation from a border fishing village to a special economic zone. Along the line, it is dotted with urban landmarks such as the Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue, Zhuhai Grand Theater (Sun and Moon Shells), Love Post Office and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, perfectly integrating coastal scenery, urban construction and humanistic history.

Located on the bank of Xianglu Bay along Lovers' Road, the Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue was completed in 1982, designed by the famous Chinese sculptor Pan He. With a total height of 8.7 meters, it is made of 70 pieces of granite, and is the first large-scale seaside statue in China, as well as the ultimate urban symbol of Zhuhai. The statue tells the touching love legend between the daughter of the South China Sea Dragon King and Haipeng, a young fisherman. The fisher girl wears a necklace around her neck, carries a fishing net on her back, with her trouser legs slightly rolled up, and holds a bright pearl high with both hands. It not only carries the marine belief passed down from generation to generation by Zhuhai fishermen, but also symbolizes Zhuhai's open spirit of embracing the world. Today, Lovers' Road and the Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue are not only a national AAA-level tourist attraction, but also the core carrier of Zhuhai's marine culture, romantic culture and special economic zone spirit, becoming the most recognizable coastal cultural and tourism landmark in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

2. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Zhuhai

Located in the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Zhuhai, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom officially opened in 2014. It is the world's largest ocean theme park with the most abundant amusement facilities and the most complete marine animal resources, a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a benchmark project for cultural and tourism integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and has won 5 Guinness World Records, making it a benchmark work of China's theme parks. Located in the core area of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and facing Macao across the sea, relying on the geographical advantages of the GBA, it has become a world-class cultural and tourism destination connecting the Chinese mainland with Macao and radiating Southeast Asia.

As a core position for the popularization and dissemination of China's marine culture, the park takes "marine conservation, science education, cultural and tourism integration" as its core, and is divided into seven themed areas including Ocean Avenue, Dolphin Cove, Rainforest Flying and Ocean Wonders. It is home to rare marine animals such as beluga whales, polar bears, penguins and whale sharks. Among them, the Whale Shark Aquarium has the world's largest acrylic glass aquarium with a water volume of 31,000 cubic meters, making it the world's largest marine life exhibition hall. The park not only creates a world-class amusement experience, but also deeply integrates the Lingnan marine culture and the connotation of the integrated development of the GBA. It holds marine science research and study activities, environmental protection public welfare activities, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cultural and tourism exchange activities all year round, perfectly integrating the modern cultural and tourism industry with marine ecological protection and cultural communication. It has not only reshaped the development pattern of China's theme parks, but also become the core engine for the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry in Zhuhai Special Economic Zone.

3. Wai Lingding Island

Located in the open sea of the Pearl River Estuary and under the jurisdiction of Zhuhai Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone, Wai Lingding Island is the only island in the Pearl River Delta with a direct view of downtown Hong Kong. It gets its name from its isolation in the open sea of Lingding Ocean. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, and also the island with the most profound cultural heritage and natural scenery among the Wanshan Islands of Zhuhai. The humanistic history of the island can be traced back to the late Southern Song Dynasty. In 1279, after Wen Tianxiang, a national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty, was captured after his defeat, he wrote the timeless masterpiece Passing Lingding Ocean when passing through the waters of Lingding Ocean. The heroic line "What man has ever lived and not died? Let me leave my loyal heart to shine in the pages of history" has made this island a symbol of the moral integrity of the Chinese nation, and injected a profound historical context into this sea area.

Wai Lingding Island has been a key maritime traffic artery and coastal defense stronghold in the Pearl River Estuary since ancient times. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the core coastal defense stronghold of the Wanshan Islands, retaining historical relics such as ancient beacon towers and customs sites, witnessing the thousand-year prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road and the coastal defense history of the Pearl River Estuary. The island covers a total area of 4.23 square kilometers, with its main peak, Lingding Peak, at an altitude of 311.8 meters. It boasts magnificent rocks, clear waters and intertwined mountains and seas, with high-quality beaches such as Lingding Bay, Ta Bay and Dadong Bay, and crystal clear sea water, making it a well-known coastal resort in the GBA. Today, Wai Lingding Island not only retains the original ecological island scenery, but also deeply explores Wen Tianxiang's patriotic culture, marine fishing and hunting culture, and coastal defense history and culture. It has built cultural landscapes such as Wen Tianxiang Cultural Square, Cliff Inscriptions and Lingding Peak Observation Deck, perfectly integrating patriotic culture, marine culture and island tourism.

4. New Yuanming Palace

Located in Lanpu Area, Jiuzhou Avenue, Zhuhai, New Yuanming Palace was officially completed and opened in February 1997, covering an area of 1.39 square kilometers. It is one of the first batch of national AAAA-level tourist attractions in China, and also the first royal garden themed scenic spot in China that replicates the classic buildings of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) in Beijing at a 1:1 ratio, known as "the No.1 Royal Garden in South China". The Old Summer Palace in Beijing was the pinnacle of royal gardens in the Qing Dynasty, known as the "Garden of Gardens", which was burned down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. The completion of New Yuanming Palace has allowed this lost royal garden to reappear in the Lingnan land, and also provided an important carrier for the public to understand the Qing Dynasty royal garden culture and modern Chinese history.

In strict accordance with the classical architectural regulations of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, the park has selected 18 of the 40 Scenes of the Old Summer Palace for 1:1 restoration, divided into three major sections: royal building complex, Jiangnan garden building complex and Western-style building complex. It perfectly replicates classic landscapes such as the Hall of Absolute Brightness, Jiuzhou Qingyan, Pengdao Yaotai and the Great Fountain of the Western Mansions. It not only restores the grandeur of the royal gardens of the Qing Dynasty, but also integrates the exquisiteness of Lingnan gardens, perfectly integrating northern royal gardens, Jiangnan private gardens and Western classical architecture. The park is not only an exhibition window for architectural art, but also deeply explores the royal culture of the Qing Dynasty and the modern history of China. It holds large-scale live-action performances Dreaming Back to Yuanming Palace, Qing Dynasty court culture exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage and folk activities all year round. It restores the life of the Qing Dynasty court through immersive interpretation and tells the vicissitudes of the Old Summer Palace, becoming a unique royal garden culture experience destination in the Lingnan region.

5. Meixi Archway Tourist Area

Located in Meixi Village, Qianshan, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, Meixi Archway Tourist Area covers an area of 126,000 square meters. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, and the largest and best-preserved overseas Chinese culture themed scenic spot in South China, known as "the No.1 Village of Overseas Chinese Culture in China". The core landscape of the scenic spot is the Meixi Stone Archway Complex, first built in the 12th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1886). It was an imperial grant from Emperor Guangxu to commend the good deeds of Chen Fang, the first Chinese Consul General to Hawaii in the Qing Dynasty, and his parents. It is the only existing archway complex in China granted by the emperor to overseas Chinese, and also the pinnacle of Lingnan stone carving art.

The archway complex consists of three granite stone archways, adopting a Chinese-Western architectural style. It not only retains the regulations of traditional Chinese archways, but also integrates the decorative elements of Western Baroque architecture. The stone-carved dragon patterns, auspicious beasts, flower and bird patterns on the archways are exquisitely carved, known as "a living fossil of Lingnan stone carving art". The scenic spot also fully retains the former residence of Chen Fang. This Lingnan residential building complex, first built in 1891, covers an area of 5,742 square meters, integrating the style characteristics of traditional Lingnan dwellings, Western classical architecture and Nanyang architecture, and is a model of Chinese-Western architecture in modern Zhuhai. Chen Fang was a famous overseas Chinese leader and industrialist in modern China, and his legendary life experience witnessed the history of modern overseas Chinese working hard overseas and caring for their motherland. Today, Meixi Archway Tourist Area is a core exhibition site for China's overseas Chinese culture and the history of modern Sino-Western cultural exchanges, as well as an important overseas Chinese culture education base and patriotic education base in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

6. Dong'ao Island

Located in the middle of the Wanshan Islands in the Pearl River Estuary and under the jurisdiction of Zhuhai Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone, Dong'ao Island covers a total area of 4.66 square kilometers. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, as well as the island with the most profound humanistic history and the most beautiful natural scenery among the Wanshan Islands, known as "the most beautiful island in the Pearl River Estuary". The history of the island can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, with prehistoric dune sites more than 3,000 years old preserved on the island. A large number of stone tools and pottery have been unearthed, witnessing the development of the ancient marine civilization in the Pearl River Estuary, and making it one of the important birthplaces of Lingnan marine civilization.

Dong'ao Island has been an important node of the Maritime Silk Road and a coastal defense stronghold in the Pearl River Estuary since ancient times. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the core coastal defense fortress of the Wanshan Islands, retaining a large number of precious historical relics. Dong'ao Gun Emplacement Fortress, first built in the 7th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1729), is an important coastal defense military facility in the Pearl River Estuary in the Qing Dynasty, consisting of city walls, artillery batteries and beacon towers, which are still well preserved today. It witnessed the history of resisting foreign enemies and guarding the coastal territory in the Pearl River Estuary in the Qing Dynasty. The island also retains the customs site from the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, which is an important witness to China's foreign trade and customs history in modern times. The island is surrounded by mountains and sea, with three high-quality beaches: Nansha Bay, Dazhu Bay and Xiaozhu Bay. Among them, Nansha Bay is known as the "Diamond Beach", one of the best-quality beaches in the Pearl River Delta. Today, Dong'ao Island deeply explores the prehistoric marine culture, coastal defense culture of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and Maritime Silk Road culture, perfectly integrating history and culture with coastal vacation, and becoming a well-known island resort in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

7. Tangjiawan Ancient Town

Located in Tangjiawan Town, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, Tangjiawan Ancient Town is a National Famous Historical and Cultural Town, as well as the birthplace of modern civilization in Zhuhai, known as "the Hometown of Celebrities in Modern China" and "the No.1 Town of Modern Culture in Lingnan". The history of Tangjiawan can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, with the more than 6,000-year-old Houshawan Site on Qi'ao Island located here, witnessing the development of the ancient marine civilization in Lingnan. During the Southern Song Dynasty, immigrants from the Central Plains settled here, forming a profound Xiangshan cultural heritage, making it one of the core birthplaces of Xiangshan Culture.

Tangjiawan Ancient Town is a place where numerous celebrities emerged in modern Chinese history. It gave birth to a large number of figures who influenced China's modernization process, including Rong Hong, the father of Chinese overseas students, Tang Shaoyi, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of China, Tang Guo'an, the first president of Tsinghua University, Tang Tingshu, a famous modern industrialist, and Rong Guotuan, China's first world champion, earning it the reputation of "the No.1 Village of Modern Celebrities in China". The core area of the ancient town, Shanfang Road, retains a large number of Lingnan residential buildings from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Grey bricks and tiles, sliding wooden gates, and Manchurian windows complement the Western-style watchtowers and foreign-style houses, forming a unique Chinese-Western architectural style, which is a model of modern architecture in Lingnan. Gongle Garden in the ancient town, first built in 1910 by Tang Shaoyi, is the only modern private garden in the Lingnan region. It integrates the style characteristics of Jiangnan gardens, Western gardens and Lingnan gardens, and retains a large number of celebrity manuscripts and historical relics. Today, Tangjiawan Ancient Town is the core exhibition window of Zhuhai's modern history and culture, as well as an important famous historical and cultural town in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

8. Guishan Island

Located on the banks of Lingding Ocean in the Pearl River Estuary and under the jurisdiction of Zhuhai Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone, Guishan Island is the administrative, economic and cultural center of the Wanshan Islands. It is also a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a core landmark of red culture and marine culture in Zhuhai. Formerly known as Lajiwei Island, it was renamed in 1954 to commemorate the martyrs of the Guishan Warship who died in the Battle to Liberate Wanshan Islands. It is a famous red island in the Pearl River Estuary, witnessing the glorious history of the first large-scale naval battle of the People's Liberation Army of New China.

In 1950, the Battle to Liberate Wanshan Islands broke out here, which was the first large-scale naval battle after the establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It broke the maritime blockade of the Pearl River Estuary by the Kuomintang army and laid an important foundation for the coastal defense construction of New China. Chairman Mao Zedong personally wrote an inscription for the battle: "We must build a powerful navy". The island retains red relics such as the Guishan Warship Martyrs Monument, Guishan Warship Landing Site and Wanshan Naval Battle Memorial Hall, which is a patriotic education base in Guangdong Province and an important red culture education position in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In addition to its profound red cultural heritage, Guishan Island also has a long historical context. It is the sea area where Wen Tianxiang passed through and wrote Passing Lingding Ocean in the late Southern Song Dynasty. The Wen Tianxiang Cultural Square is built on the island to inherit the patriotic spirit. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was a coastal defense stronghold in the Pearl River Estuary and an important node of the Maritime Silk Road, retaining historical relics such as beacon towers and customs sites. Today, Guishan Island perfectly integrates red culture, historical context and island vacation, becoming a unique island cultural and tourism destination in the Pearl River Estuary.