Zhuhai
The city on the border with Macau, at the mouth of the Pearl River: a fishing coast that became one of China's first Special Economic Zones in 1980, with palm-lined seafront, a granite fisher girl, a full-size copy of an imperial palace — and the busiest land border crossing in the world.
珠海 · Zhūhǎi · Guangdong province · 22.27° N, 113.57° E
Macau is a border
Going to Macau or Hong Kong means leaving mainland China, and coming back is a new entry. On a single-entry visa you cannot come back on it. Which crossing →
How long?
One day for Gongbei, the seafront and the palace copy; a second for Hengqin and its theme park, or for Macau. Routes →
Where is Zhuhai?
Zhuhai is on the southern coast of China, on the western shore of the Pearl River estuary, where it borders Macau. Hong Kong is 60 km away across the water and Shenzhen 58 km; Guangzhou is 100 km to the north. Beijing is 1,980 km away and Shanghai 1,270 km. At 22.3° N, Zhuhai lies just south of the Tropic of Cancer, level with Hong Kong and Kolkata. It is on the western shore of the Pearl River estuary in southern Guangdong, wall to wall with Macau, about 60 km west of Hong Kong across the water and 100 km south of Guangzhou. Tap any city on the map to measure the distance.
Straight-line distances from the city centre of Zhuhai, rounded to the nearest 10 km — not travel distances. Macau begins at Gongbei, 7 km to the south.
Guangdong is highlighted. Tap a city to measure the distance from Zhuhai.
Zhuhai, Macau, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou: how far apart?
The five cities of the Pearl River Delta that most travellers combine. Macau is 10 km from the centre of Zhuhai, Shenzhen 58 km and Hong Kong 61 km across the estuary, Guangzhou 100 km at its head. Guangdong is shaded green; Hong Kong and Macau, with borders of their own, are not. Tap a city to draw the line from Zhuhai.
Tap a place on the map or in the list.
Senado Square, the heart of the old town. A separate border: you cross on foot at Gongbei, Qingmao or Hengqin. Details below ↓
Futian, the centre of Shenzhen, on the far side of the estuary — 31 km from Hong Kong.
Central, across the water. Shuttle buses run over the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge from the Zhuhai port, 3 km east of Gongbei. Details below ↓
The provincial capital, at the head of the delta: the other end of the intercity line from Zhuhai station.
Straight-line distances from the centre of Zhuhai, rounded to the nearest km — not travel distances.
- Province
- Guangdong广东省
- Latitude
- 22.27° Nsouth of the Tropic of Cancer
- Airport
- ZUHJinwan · domestic flights
- Metro
- Noneintercity rail, buses, taxis
- Border
- Macau3 land crossings + the bridge
- City flower
- Bougainvillea簕杜鹃
Where everything is: a strip of coast with the border at the bottom
The part of Zhuhai a visitor sees is a strip of coast about 30 km long. Gongbei, with the main border crossing and the railway station, is at the southern tip; the New Yuanming Palace is 3 km inland, the Fisher Girl 6 km up the coast, Hengqin Port 9 km south-west on the island opposite Cotai, and the old town of Tangjiawan 16 km north. Tap a place to see how far it is from Gongbei.
Tap a place on the map or in the list.
The Zhuhai port of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge: shuttle buses to Hong Kong. Details below ↓
The full-size copy of part of the Old Summer Palace, opened in 1997. Details below ↓
The granite statue in Xianglu Bay, on Lovers’ Road. Details below ↓
The island with the Zhuhai Grand Theatre, 2 km north of the Fisher Girl. Details below ↓
The crossing to Cotai, open 24 hours, with Hengqin station of the intercity line. Details below ↓
The marine theme park in the south of Hengqin, by Changlong station. Details below ↓
The old town in the north, home village of Tang Shaoyi. Details below ↓
Straight-line distances from Gongbei Port, rounded — not driving distances.
Zhuhai to Macau and Hong Kong: which crossing?
Zhuhai has three land crossings to Macau and the port of the bridge to Hong Kong, and they are not interchangeable: each comes out somewhere different, keeps different hours and draws different crowds. Tick what applies to you and the crossing that fits is marked; the reasons are on each card.
Where are you going, and how? Tick what applies.
Tick a situation above and the option that fits best is marked.
Gongbei Port 拱北口岸
On foot to the north of the Macau peninsula
The classic crossing, in the middle of town: walk through Zhuhai’s hall and Macau’s (Portas do Cerco) one after the other, and you are in Macau. The busiest land crossing in the world — long queues at weekends, holidays and the evening peak.
- Comes out at
- Portas do Cerco, Macau peninsula
- Open
- 06:00–01:00 (reported)
- From Zhuhai station
- 5 min on foot
- Check
- Two halls, one after the other
- Macau’s old town and Senado Square: Senado Square is about 3 km on from the Macau side, by bus or taxi.
- Cotai: the big hotels and casinos: Possible by bus or taxi through Macau, but Hengqin is closer to Cotai.
- Hong Kong or its airport: Only to Macau. For Hong Kong, take the bridge buses.
- Crossing between 01:00 and 06:00: Reported closed from 01:00 to 06:00.
- Arriving by train from Guangzhou: Zhuhai station, the end of the line from Guangzhou, is next door.
- I want to avoid the crowds: More than 300,000 people on its busiest days.
Qingmao Port 青茂口岸
On foot to Ilha Verde, north Macau — around the clock
Opened on 8 September 2021 as a second crossing for Gongbei, under the railway station: one hall where both sides check you in turn (joint inspection), with self-service lanes. It comes out in Ilha Verde, a little west of Portas do Cerco.
- Comes out at
- Ilha Verde, Macau peninsula
- Open
- 24 hours (reported)
- From Zhuhai station
- Linked underground
- Check
- Joint inspection, one hall
- Macau’s old town and Senado Square: Same side of Macau as Gongbei, a little further west.
- Cotai: the big hotels and casinos: Possible through Macau, but Hengqin is closer to Cotai.
- Hong Kong or its airport: Only to Macau.
- Crossing between 01:00 and 06:00: Reported open 24 hours since it opened in 2021.
- Arriving by train from Guangzhou: Reached from under Zhuhai station.
- I want to avoid the crowds: Usually less crowded than Gongbei next door, as reported by Macau’s police.
Hengqin Port 横琴口岸
To Cotai, on foot or by Macau’s light rail — around the clock
A large new building on Hengqin island (2020), opposite Cotai: Macau’s Lotus checkpoint is inside it, so there is one queue for both sides. Since 2 December 2024 Macau’s light rail leaves from inside the building — two minutes to Lotus station in Cotai.
- Comes out at
- Cotai (Lotus checkpoint, same building)
- Open
- 24 hours (reported)
- From Gongbei
- 9 km; intercity train to Hengqin
- Check
- Joint inspection, one queue
- Macau’s old town and Senado Square: Light rail to Lotus, then change for Taipa and the peninsula — longer than from Gongbei.
- Cotai: the big hotels and casinos: The big resorts of Cotai are just across the channel.
- Hong Kong or its airport: Only to Macau.
- Crossing between 01:00 and 06:00: Open around the clock since 18 December 2014, as reported.
- Arriving by train from Guangzhou: Change at Zhuhai station for the intercity line to Hengqin (signposted at level B2).
- I want to avoid the crowds: Bright, wide and almost empty on our weekday morning.
Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge 港珠澳大桥珠海公路口岸
By shuttle bus over the bridge to Hong Kong
The port of the 55 km bridge, on reclaimed land about 3 km east of Gongbei. Shuttle buses run from here over the bridge to the Hong Kong port next to Hong Kong airport; you pass mainland exit control here and Hong Kong entry there.
- Goes to
- Hong Kong port, by the airport
- Shuttle buses
- 24 hours (reported)
- Fare
- HK$65 by day (reported)
- From Gongbei
- 3 km by bus or taxi
- Macau’s old town and Senado Square: There is a link to Macau here too, but the walk-across crossings are simpler.
- Cotai: the big hotels and casinos: For Cotai, Hengqin is the direct way.
- Hong Kong or its airport: The only land route from Zhuhai to Hong Kong; the buses stop by the airport.
- Crossing between 01:00 and 06:00: Buses reported around the clock, every 15–30 minutes late at night.
- Arriving by train from Guangzhou: A bus or taxi ride from Zhuhai station.
- I want to avoid the crowds: Queues mostly at weekends and holidays.
Hours and fares as reported: Gongbei (06:00–01:00 since December 2014, Wikipedia), Qingmao (24 hours, Xinhua 2021 and Macau’s police in 2026), Hengqin (24 hours since 18 December 2014, ifeng), the bridge buses (24 hours, HK$65 by day, MoneyHero 2026). None checked against an official notice on 16 October 2026 — check before a late-night crossing.
What’s the weather like in Zhuhai each month?
Subtropical and by the sea: never cold, 19 °C by day in January, and hot and humid in summer, 33 °C by day in July with nights that barely cool. Most rain falls from April to September, and typhoons can reach the coast from early summer into autumn. The sun rises at 05:41 in June and sets at 17:44 in December. Tap a month for temperatures, daylight and what is on.
Scale in °C. Bars run from the average daily low to the average daily high. Source: monthly temperature data, last checked 2026-07-30.
Zhuhai in October
Warm- Average high
- 30 °C
- Average low
- 24 °C
- Sunrise / sunset
- 06:21 – 18:01
- Daylight
- 11 h 40 min
On in Oct
- Golden Week crowds, 1–7 Oct
- Clearest air of the year
Typhoons
When a typhoon approaches, the weather service raises warning signals; at the high levels ferries stop, the bridge to Hong Kong can close to traffic and the seafront is shut off. If you travel between June and October, check the forecast before a crossing or a day on Lovers’ Road, and keep a spare day.
Spring
March – AprilWarm, misty and wet — and in flower.
March averages 23 °C by day and April 27 °C. This is the season of sea mist and drizzle: our two days, 30 and 31 March 2023, were grey from morning to evening, and Macau vanished across the water. But the bougainvillea, the city flower, hangs over the walls and the African tulip trees are in red flower along the roads of Hengqin. Qingming, in early April, brings a short holiday rush to the border.
Photograph: bougainvillea, the city flower, on Hengqin at 08:20 on 31 March 2023.
What to wear: Light clothes, a thin rain jacket and an umbrella.
Summer
May – SeptemberHot, humid and the typhoon season: 33 °C by day, 28 °C at night.
From June to August the days average 33 °C and the nights barely cool down. Heavy showers and thunderstorms are frequent, and typhoons can reach the Pearl River mouth from early summer into autumn: when a high signal is raised, ferries stop, the bridge to Hong Kong can close and the seafront is shut off. Watch the forecast before a day on Lovers' Road or a crossing to Hong Kong.
What to wear: The lightest clothes you have, a hat and something for the rain.
Autumn
October – NovemberThe best time: drier, clearer and still warm.
October averages 30 °C by day and November 26 °C, with less rain and the clearest air of the year — the weeks to see Macau and the islands from Lovers' Road. Avoid Golden Week, 1–7 October, when the border crossings and Chimelong are at their fullest; the Zhuhai Airshow, held every other year, fills the hotels — in 2026 it is from 7 to 13 December.
What to wear: Summer clothes and a light layer for the evening.
Winter
December – FebruaryMild and dry: 19–20 °C by day.
January averages 19 °C by day and 14 °C at night — a European spring. It is the driest time of year, though cold snaps from the north can bring a few chilly, grey days, and there is no heating indoors. The Spring Festival, in January or February, brings the year's biggest crowds at Gongbei, when people from Macau and the mainland cross to see family.
What to wear: A jumper and a light jacket.
October, at about 30 °C by day, and November, at 26 °C, are the months we would pick — after the typhoons, outside Golden Week. March, at 23 °C, is pleasant but misty. For how Zhuhai’s neighbours compare with the rest of the country month by month, see the best time to visit China.
Things to do in Zhuhai
11 places along the coast, from the border to the old town in the north. First a game — where in Zhuhai is each photograph? — and then four photographs to read: the signs under Gongbei, a gate in Hengqin Port, the Fisher Girl and a throne that is younger than it looks.
Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the palace? Guess where
Eight of our photographs, two from each part of the city. Guess where each was taken and see the clue that gives it away.
Photograph 1Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: Gongbei
The blue sign says 终点, “end”: national road G105 ends here, 2,693.622 km from Beijing, because the road runs out at the border with Macau.
Gongbei, 16:56 on 31 March 2023.
Photograph 2Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: Hengqin
The signs say 到达横琴, “Arrivals Hengqin” — and the bright, empty hall is the giveaway too: Gongbei is never this quiet.
Hengqin Port, 09:51 on 31 March 2023.
Photograph 3Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: New Yuanming Palace
A lake with a palace hall at the foot of a wooded hill: Fuhai, the lake of the New Yuanming Palace, during the 2023 Zigong lantern carnival.
The New Yuanming Palace, 15:21 on 31 March 2023.
Photograph 4Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: Lovers’ Road
Rounded granite boulders in open sea water, with egrets on them: Xianglu Bay, beside the Fisher Girl. The lake in the palace has no rocks like these.
Lovers’ Road, 12:34 on 30 March 2023.
Photograph 5Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: Hengqin
The WTA Elite Trophy was played at the tennis centre on Hengqin from 2015 to 2019; this sign from 2018 was still at the spectator entrance.
Hengqin International Tennis Centre, 08:17 on 31 March 2023.
Photograph 6Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: Gongbei
Counters of phone cards for Macau and the mainland, crowds with luggage, underground: the Port Plaza mall under Gongbei Port.
The Port Plaza mall, 17:12 on 31 March 2023.
Photograph 7Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: New Yuanming Palace
“Zhu Hai” on the bow is no help — it is the city’s name. The lotus lanterns and the tent roof of the open-air stage on the hill are: Fuhai lake again.
The New Yuanming Palace, 15:24 on 31 March 2023.
Photograph 8Gongbei, Hengqin, Lovers’ Road or the New Yuanming Palace?
Answer: Lovers’ Road
Coconut palms leaning over a seafront railing, a beach across the bay: the middle section of Lovers’ Road, north of the Fisher Girl.
Lovers’ Road, 12:47 on 30 March 2023.
What am I looking at?
Tap a number on the photograph.
1Bus stop · Railway station
公交站 · 城轨站 · West, to Zhuhai station
Zhuhai station, for intercity trains to Guangzhou, Hengqin and the airport, and the city bus terminal beside it are 500 m west. 城轨 (“city rail”) is what signs call the intercity line.
Getting around →Tap a number on the photo, or a name in the list.
11 places in and around Zhuhai
Filter by district: Xiangzhou for the city and the seafront, Hengqin for the island opposite Macau.
Gongbei Port
拱北口岸LandmarkXiangzhou · 香洲区OutdoorsThe border crossing to Macau, and the reason the southern tip of Zhuhai looks the way it does. Since 2011 it has been the busiest land crossing in the world by number of travellers, at more than 100 million a year, and on its busiest days more than 300,000 people walk through. A Qing customs post opened here on 2 April 1887, a few hundred metres north of the gate the Portuguese had built in 1849 on the Macau side. The building you see, with its long red roof and the name in gold characters, was built for Macau's return to China and opened on 2 October 1999; its main hall was renovated and back in use from 15 March 2024. On the wide square in front stand a flagpole, a black wall with Deng Xiaoping's inscription “The Zhuhai Special Economic Zone is good”, dated 29 January 1984, and the blue sign at the end of national road G105: 2,693.622 km from Beijing. Underneath is the Port Plaza mall, and Zhuhai station is 500 m to the west. We crossed the square in rain on 30 March 2023 at 11:35 and on 31 March from 16:53 to 17:03.
Zhuhai station (intercity trains from Guangzhou and to Hengqin and the airport) is a five-minute walk west; most city buses stop at the terminal beside it. The crossing is on foot. Reported hours: 06:00 to 01:00 the next day, since December 2014 — we have not checked them against an official notice. Leaving for Macau means leaving the mainland: you need a way back in, see the questions below.
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
Port Plaza underground mall
珠海口岸购物广场MarketXiangzhou · 香洲区IndoorsA shopping hall under the square of Gongbei Port, and the way most people walk between the crossing, the station, the buses and the taxis. Rows of counters sell phone cards — Macau cards and mainland cards side by side, with data plans — dried seafood, sweets, imported snacks and cosmetics, and there are noodle shops and food stalls for the queue. The signs are in Chinese and English: bus stop, railway station, taxi, the north exits to Yingbin Road and Lianhua Road, and the east exit to Lovers' Road South. It is crowded at the morning and evening peaks of the crossing. Our photographs: 30 March 2023 at 11:44, and 31 March from 16:15 to 17:12.
Under Gongbei Port; follow the signs from the crossing or from Zhuhai station. Free to walk through; we have not checked the opening hours. If you buy a SIM card here, it is registered to your passport — check that it is a mainland card, not a Macau one, if you are staying in China.
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
LandmarkXiangzhou · 香洲区OutdoorsThe emblem of the city: a fisher girl of granite, 8.7 m tall, standing on a rock in Xianglu Bay and holding a pearl over her head. Zhuhai's first party secretary asked for a large sculpture as a city emblem in 1979; it was made by a team from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts under the sculptor Pan He, from some 70 blocks of granite quarried near Guangzhou, and finished in the autumn of 1982. The legend that goes with it — a fairy who comes down to live among the fishermen and gives away a great pearl — was put together for the statue, not the other way round. A stone causeway leads out towards her over the rocks; on the shore is a stone with her name. Behind, about 2 km to the north, is Yeli Island with the shells of the Zhuhai Grand Theatre. At 12:30 on 30 March 2023, a grey Thursday, the platform was full of tour groups.
On Lovers' Road in Jida, about 6 km north-east of Gongbei Port in a straight line — 8 minutes by taxi without traffic on OpenStreetMap. Free and open at all hours. Mornings and evenings are quieter than midday.
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Open at all hours
Lovers' Road
情侣路NatureXiangzhou · 香洲区OutdoorsThe seafront road of Zhuhai, which runs along the coast of Xiangzhou from the north of the city down to Gongbei, with a promenade, palms and granite boulders on the water side. Its name, Qinglü Lu, means “Lovers' Road”, and it is where the city goes for an evening walk or a bicycle ride. The stretch around the Fisher Girl, in Jida, is the best known: rounded rocks in the shallow bay, egrets standing on them, coconut palms leaning over the railing and, on a clear day, the hills of Macau to the south. The road is named in three sections, north, middle and south; the east exit of the Port Plaza mall is signposted “Qinglü Road South”. We walked the middle section from 12:30 to 12:47 on 30 March 2023, in sea mist.
Free and open at all hours. The promenade is level and has shared bicycles; it is hot and unshaded at midday in summer. The Fisher Girl is the natural starting point.
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Open at all hours
Yeli Island and the Zhuhai Grand Theatre
野狸岛 · 珠海大剧院ArchitectureXiangzhou · 香洲区OutdoorsA small hilly island joined to Lovers' Road by a causeway, about 2 km north of the Fisher Girl. On its western shore stands the Zhuhai Grand Theatre, two white shells of glass and steel, one large and one small, which the city calls the “Sun and Moon Shells”. The island itself is a park with paths round and over its hill. You can see both from the Fisher Girl, across the bay to the north.
Walk north along Lovers' Road from the Fisher Girl, about half an hour. The island is reported free; we have not checked theatre tours, show times or prices.
- Entry
- Price not verified — check on site
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
ParkXiangzhou · 香洲区OutdoorsA full-size copy of part of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, the Yuanmingyuan, which the Qing emperors laid out from 1707 and British and French troops burned down in 1860. Zhuhai built it in about four years for some 600 million yuan and opened it on 2 February 1997: 18 of the original's 40 famous scenes, at a scale of one to one, around a lake named Fuhai after the one in Beijing, at the foot of Shijing Mountain. You enter through a gate with the plaque “New Yuanming Palace” and walk up the central axis past halls whose plaques copy the originals — “Yuanmingyuan” in Kangxi's style, “Serving the three selfless ones”, and the throne hall “Diligent in government, close to the wise”, the emperor's office. On the far side of the lake is a copy of the European palaces. When we were there, from 15:07 to 15:35 on 31 March 2023, the park was full of Zigong lanterns for a lantern carnival, with giant pink lotus flowers floating on the lake. Nothing here is old: what Beijing has is ruins, and what Zhuhai has is the buildings as they looked — new.
In Qianshan, about 3.4 km north-west of Gongbei Port in a straight line — 6 minutes by taxi without traffic on OpenStreetMap. Daytime entry has been reported free since October 2012 (pick up a ticket with your passport at the counter on the plaza), with paid boats, cable car and evening shows; we have not checked this or the opening hours.
- Entry
- Price not verified — check on site
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
Hengqin Port
横琴口岸LandmarkHengqin · 横琴IndoorsThe newer crossing to Macau, on Hengqin island opposite Cotai, the strip of casinos and hotels. It has been open around the clock since 18 December 2014. The present building opened on 18 August 2020, when Macau moved its Lotus checkpoint into it: the two sides check you at one counter after the other, with one queue and one passport scan — “joint inspection, one release” — and the average crossing was reported at about 20 seconds. Since 2 December 2024 Macau's light rail runs straight into the building on its Hengqin line, 2.2 km and about two minutes under the channel to Lotus station in Cotai. Zhuhai's intercity line has Hengqin station 270 m away, signposted at basement level B2. On the morning of 31 March 2023, from 09:40 to 09:51, the halls were bright, wide and almost empty — a contrast to Gongbei.
Hengqin station on the Zhuhai–Zhuhai Airport intercity line, or about 9 km by road from Gongbei. Free; reported open 24 hours, which we have not checked against an official notice. On the Macau side, take the light rail to Lotus and change for Taipa and the peninsula.
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
NatureHengqin · 横琴OutdoorsThe large island in the south of Zhuhai, across a narrow channel from Macau. Until the 2000s it was farmland, oyster beds and hills; since 2021 it has been the Guangdong–Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, run jointly with Macau, and it is filling up with office towers, the campus of the University of Macau and theme parks. The bridges back to the rest of Zhuhai end in toll-like gates marked “leaving the island”, under the words “Welcome back to the Guangdong–Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin”. Our morning there, 31 March 2023, began at the Hengqin International Tennis Centre, where a sign from the 2018 WTA Elite Trophy still stood at the spectator entrance (the tournament was played here from 2015 to 2019), with bougainvillea — Zhuhai's city flower — over a wall and African tulip trees in red flower along the road in the rain.
Hengqin station and Changlong station on the intercity line, or by taxi over the Hengqin bridges. Since 1 March 2024 Hengqin has been a separate customs area: the crossing to Macau is the “first line”, the bridges to the rest of Zhuhai the “second line”. People pass the second line freely; goods bought duty-free in Macau or on the island are controlled when they leave it, and customs make spot checks.
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Open at all hours
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
长隆海洋王国ParkHengqin · 横琴OutdoorsThe large marine theme park in the south of Hengqin, opened in January 2014: aquariums with whale sharks and beluga whales, polar bears and penguins, rides and parades, with hotels next door. It is the main reason many Chinese families come to Zhuhai, and it is busiest in the school holidays and Golden Week.
Changlong station on the intercity line from Zhuhai station via Hengqin. We have not checked tickets, hours or booking rules; for a day, plan on a full one.
- Entry
- Price not verified — check on site
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
- LandmarkXiangzhou · 香洲区Outdoors
The bridge-and-tunnel link across the mouth of the Pearl River, 55 km long, opened to traffic on 24 October 2018: bridges over the water, two artificial islands and a tunnel under the shipping lane. Its Zhuhai end is a port on reclaimed land east of Gongbei, shared with Macau. Ordinary visitors do not drive it — private cars need special permits — but cross it on the shuttle buses between the Zhuhai port and the Hong Kong port next to Hong Kong airport, which run around the clock.
The Zhuhai port of the bridge is about 3 km east of Gongbei Port; city buses and taxis go there. The shuttle bus fare has been reported at 65 Hong Kong dollars by day and 70 at night; we have not checked fares, journey times or the bus timetable.
- Entry
- Price not verified — check on site
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
Tangjiawan old town
唐家湾古镇StreetXiangzhou · 香洲区OutdoorsThe old town in the north of Zhuhai, about 16 km north of Gongbei: lanes of grey-brick houses, ancestral halls and temples from before the city existed. It is the home village of Tang Shaoyi, the first premier of the Republic of China in 1912, and of several other figures of the late Qing and the Republic; around it today are university campuses and the Zhuhai International Circuit.
Tangjiawan station on the Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity line, or by taxi along Lovers' Road. We have not checked entry to the individual houses or their hours.
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Hours not verified — check on site
Entry prices and opening hours are marked unverified where we have not checked them against an official source. We would rather show a gap than a number we made up.
Routes
Four routes from our two days, 30 and 31 March 2023, each in the order we took it, with the walking or driving time between stops. The palace and Gongbei fit into one afternoon: the palace route ends 6 minutes by taxi from where the Gongbei walk begins.
An hour · about 2.4 km on foot, all of it around the port
Port Plaza mall
Walk 3 min· 240 m
Deng Xiaoping's inscription
Walk 1 min· 50 m
Gongbei Port
Walk 2 min· 130 m
The end of road G105
Walk 14 min· 1.06 km
Zhuhai station
Walk 12 min· 880 m
Back into the mall
6 stops · 32 min walking
A late morning · 8 km by taxi, then the seafront on foot
Gongbei Port square
Taxi 8 min· 8.45 km
Zhuhai Fisher Girl
Walk 1 min· 50 m
Boulders and egrets
Walk 2 min· 130 m
The palms of Lovers' Road
4 stops · 3 min walking · 8 min by taxi
A morning · about 11 km by car, a short walk inside the port
Hengqin International Tennis Centre
Taxi 5 min· 4.21 km
Hengqin Port
Taxi 8 min· 6.51 km
The bridge gate
3 stops · 13 min by taxi
Half an hour to half a day · about 600 m on foot along the axis and the lake
The lantern arch
Walk 1 min· 60 m
The palace gate
Walk 2 min· 100 m
The throne hall
Walk 1 min· 50 m
The halls with green roofs
Walk 2 min· 100 m
Fuhai lake
Walk 4 min· 250 m
The entrance plaza
6 stops · 10 min walking
Stop by stop
Gongbei on foot: the mall, the port, the station
The knot of the city, where you arrive from Macau or by train: our late afternoon of 31 March 2023, in rain — through the underground mall at 16:15, up to Deng Xiaoping's inscription and the port building at 16:53, the end of road G105 at 16:56, across to Zhuhai station at 17:07 and back down into the mall at 17:12. Useful the day you arrive, to learn where the exits are.
1Port Plaza mall
珠海口岸购物广场Under the square: counters of phone cards and snacks, and the signs to every exit. Our photographs: 16:15–16:21.
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Not verified
Walk 3 min· 240 m
Up to the square: the black wall with “The Zhuhai Special Economic Zone is good”, 29 January 1984. 16:53.
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Open at all hours
Walk 1 min· 50 m
3Gongbei Port
拱北口岸The red roof and the flag, straight ahead across the square: 16:54.
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Not verified
Walk 2 min· 130 m
4The end of road G105
G105 终点At the corner of the square, the blue sign “End · 2693.622 · G105”: 16:56.
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Open at all hours
Walk 14 min· 1.06 km
5Zhuhai station
珠海站Along the covered walkway past the flower beds (17:02) to the station and its bus terminal: 17:07.
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Not verified
Walk 12 min· 880 m
6Back into the mall
口岸购物广场中庭Down the steps into the atrium of the mall: 17:12.
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Not verified
Easy add-ons: The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge port is about 3 km east by bus or taxi; Qingmao Port, the 24-hour crossing, is reached from under Zhuhai station.
* Walking times and distances are computed from OpenStreetMap walking routes between the stops; where OpenStreetMap has no path (inside the New Yuanming Palace, across the Gongbei square) they are the straight line between the GPS of our photographs, rounded up. Car legs are OpenStreetMap driving times without traffic — allow about double at busy times. Clock times are from our own photographs (30 and 31 March 2023). Stops marked with a star have prices or opening hours we have not checked.
Getting there and getting around
Via Hong Kong and the bridge
From Europe, the usual way is to fly to Hong Kong and take the shuttle bus over the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge from the Hong Kong port, next to the airport, to the Zhuhai port, about 3 km east of Gongbei. The buses run around the clock; the fare has been reported at 65 Hong Kong dollars by day. You pass Hong Kong immigration on the way out and mainland immigration in Zhuhai. We have not checked fares, journey times or the timetable.
Schedules and journey times not yet verified against an official timetable.
By train from Guangzhou
The Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity line runs from Guangzhou South to Zhuhai station at Gongbei; when it was completed in December 2012 the fastest trains took 1 hour 12 minutes. Guangzhou has nonstop flights from Europe. We have not checked the current timetable; look it up on 12306.
Schedules and journey times not yet verified against an official timetable.
By air to Zhuhai
Zhuhai Jinwan Airport (ZUH), opened in 1995, is about 30 km south-west of Gongbei in a straight line and handles domestic flights. Since February 2024 the intercity line runs from the airport via Hengqin to Zhuhai station. We have not checked journey times.
Schedules and journey times not yet verified against an official timetable.
Nonstop from Europe
Our flight list has no nonstop route from Europe to Zhuhai. The nearest airports that have them: Hong Kong, from Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Istanbul, London Heathrow, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, Zurich; Guangzhou, from Amsterdam, Belgrade, Budapest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Madrid, Paris; and Shenzhen, from Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Milan, Paris, Vienna. Airlines and frequencies →
Flight data checked 12 September 2026.
Three stations
All on the same intercity line; your ticket will name one of these.
- Zhuhai 珠海站At Gongbei, 500 m west of the border crossing: the end of the intercity line from Guangzhou and the start of the line via Hengqin to the airport. Buses leave from the terminal beside it.
- Hengqin 横琴站Under Hengqin Port, 270 m from the crossing to Macau (signposted at level B2).
- Zhuhai Airport 珠海机场站At Zhuhai Jinwan Airport, the end of the intercity line from Zhuhai station via Hengqin since 3 February 2024.
No metro: how to get around
Zhuhai has no metro. Its one tram line stopped running in January 2021, and on 7 May 2024 the city decided to close it for good and take it down. You get around by bus, taxi and the intercity railway, which works like a fast line through the south of the city: Zhuhai station at Gongbei, Hengqin, Changlong for the theme park, and the airport.
- Intercity railwayFrom Zhuhai station (Gongbei) south-west via Hengqin and Changlong to Zhuhai Airport: the first section opened on 18 August 2020, the extension to the airport on 3 February 2024. North from Zhuhai station the line runs via Tangjiawan to Guangzhou South. Buy tickets like any train ticket, with your passport; we have not checked fares or frequencies.Not verified.
- City busesMany lines start at the bus terminal next to Zhuhai station and run along Lovers' Road and to the New Yuanming Palace. Pay with the transport code in Alipay or WeChat, or with coins; we have not checked whether foreign bank cards are taken.Not verified.
- Taxis and ride-hailingThe easiest way between the sights, which are spread along 20 km of coast: Gongbei to the Fisher Girl is 8 minutes without traffic, to Hengqin Port about 15. Taxi ranks are signposted in the Port Plaza mall; DiDi works inside Alipay. We have not checked fares.Not verified.
- Macau's light rail (across the border)Since 2 December 2024 the Hengqin line runs from inside Hengqin Port to Lotus station in Cotai, about two minutes, where it meets the Taipa line. It is Macau's system, paid in patacas or with Macau payment apps.Not verified.
Source and date: Intercity line: CCTV, 19 August 2020, and Wikipedia (Zhuhai–Zhuhai Airport intercity railway, opened to the airport 3 February 2024). Tram: Jiemian and The Paper, 7 May 2024. Macau light rail: China Daily and CCTV, 2 December 2024. Checked 16 October 2026; bus and taxi details not checked.
Before you go
Most European passports are visa-free for a short trip — under a one-sided waiver with an end date worth checking before you book. In Zhuhai it matters twice: a day in Macau ends your stay and the way back is a new entry.
- UK passport
Visa-free up to 30 days per trip, currently until 31 December 2026.
- EU passports
Dutch, German, French, Irish, Nordic and most other EU passports: visa-free up to 30 days, currently until 31 December 2026.
- US passport
No general waiver: a visa, or the 10-day visa-free transit if you travel on to a third country or region.
China’s 10-day visa-free transit applies at designated entry ports, for travellers continuing to a third country or region — Macau and Hong Kong count. Check your passport.
- Arrival card
Coming in from Macau or Hong Kong, you fill in the mainland arrival card at the crossing.
- Pre-trip checklist
Payments, SIM, apps — and which of them work on both sides of the border.
- Set up Alipay
How you pay for buses, taxis and food in Zhuhai.
- Guangzhou
The provincial capital, about an hour north by intercity train.
- Shenzhen
The other big Special Economic Zone of 1980, across the estuary.
- Zhuhai Airshow 2026
7–13 December: three zones, ticket prices and the eight sale rounds.
- Macau Grand Prix 2026
19–22 November, across the border: the stands on a circuit map, prices, the timetable.
- Macau light rail
From Hengqin Port straight to Cotai, the airport and the Taipa ferries: map and fare finder.
- Golden Week 2026
1–7 October: the fullest week of the year at the border crossings.
FAQ
Is Zhuhai worth visiting?
As a stop of a day or two, yes — especially on the way to or from Macau or Hong Kong. It is a young, green city by the sea: the palm-lined Lovers’ Road and the Fisher Girl, a full-size copy of Beijing’s Old Summer Palace, the theme parks of Hengqin and the busiest land border in the world at Gongbei. It is not a city of old monuments; the oldest corners are in Tangjiawan in the north.
How do I get from Zhuhai to Macau?
On foot, through one of the land crossings. Gongbei Port, in the middle of town next to Zhuhai station, takes you to the north of the Macau peninsula; Qingmao Port, under the station, goes to Ilha Verde and is reported open 24 hours; Hengqin Port, 9 km south-west, goes to Cotai and has had Macau’s light rail inside it since December 2024. Use the crossing picker on this page to choose. You need your passport for both sides.
Can I go to Macau and come back into mainland China?
Yes, but Macau is outside mainland immigration: going there means leaving China, and coming back is a new entry. On a visa-free passport (most European ones, up to 30 days per entry until 31 December 2026), the new entry starts a new stay. On a single-entry visa you would need a new visa. Under the 10-day visa-free transit, Macau counts as a third region, but only at designated ports. Check your own passport before you cross.
How do I get from Hong Kong to Zhuhai?
By the shuttle bus over the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, from the Hong Kong port next to Hong Kong airport to the Zhuhai port, about 3 km east of Gongbei. The buses are reported to run around the clock, with a fare of about 65 Hong Kong dollars by day. You clear Hong Kong exit control and mainland entry control on the way; allow time at weekends.
Which is better, Gongbei or Hengqin?
It depends on where in Macau you are going. Gongbei is in the centre of Zhuhai and comes out at the north of the Macau peninsula, nearest the old town — but it is reported to close from 01:00 to 06:00 and is very crowded at peak times. Hengqin is 9 km away, open around the clock, much quieter, and comes out in Cotai, where the big resorts are; Macau’s light rail leaves from inside the building.
Is Gongbei Port open 24 hours?
No. Since December 2014 it has been reported open from 06:00 to 01:00 the next day. For a crossing in the small hours, use Qingmao Port, under Zhuhai station, or Hengqin Port, both reported open 24 hours. We have not checked these hours against an official notice.
What is the New Yuanming Palace in Zhuhai?
A full-size copy of 18 of the 40 famous scenes of the Yuanmingyuan, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing that British and French troops burned in 1860. Zhuhai opened it on 2 February 1997. Nothing in it is old — it shows the halls as they looked, new. Daytime entry has been reported free since October 2012; the boats, cable car and evening shows are paid.
How many days do you need in Zhuhai?
One full day for Gongbei, Lovers’ Road, the Fisher Girl and the New Yuanming Palace; a second for Hengqin and Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, or for a day across the border in Macau.
Does Zhuhai have a metro?
No. Its one tram line stopped in January 2021 and has been closed for good since 2024. The intercity railway works like a fast line through the south of the city — Zhuhai station at Gongbei, Hengqin, Changlong and the airport — and buses and taxis do the rest.
When is the best time to visit Zhuhai?
October to December. October averages 30 °C by day and November 26 °C, with less rain and the clearest air; December is mild at 20 °C. From June to August it is about 33 °C by day and wet, and typhoons can reach the coast from early summer into autumn. March and April are warm but often misty, as on our photographs. Avoid Golden Week, 1–7 October, at the border.
Do I need a visa for Zhuhai?
Not for a short trip on a British, Irish, Dutch, German, French, Nordic or Australian passport: all are visa-free for up to 30 days per trip, under a one-sided waiver that currently runs until 31 December 2026. US passport holders have no general waiver; the 10-day visa-free transit applies only at designated entry ports and only if you travel on to a third country or region. Macau and Hong Kong have their own entry rules. Check your own passport on our visa check page.
Sources and status
All photographs on this page are ours, from two days: 30 March 2023 (Gongbei from 11:30 to 11:44, the Fisher Girl and Lovers’ Road from 12:30 to 12:47) and 31 March 2023 (Hengqin from 08:17 to 10:28, the New Yuanming Palace from 15:07 to 15:35, Gongbei from 16:15 to 17:12). The picture of Hengqin Port from the road was taken through a wet windscreen. Faces of passers-by have been blurred. Data sources: Monthly temperature data, Zhuhai; Zhuhai (Wikipedia, Chinese): city flower 1989, 2020 census, Special Economic Zone 1980; Gongbei Port: 1887, the 1999 building, hours 06:00–01:00 since December 2014, busiest land crossing since 2011 (Wikipedia, Chinese); Deng Xiaoping's inscription of 29 January 1984 (People's Daily, Chinese); Hengqin Port open 24 hours from 18 December 2014 (ifeng, Chinese); The new Hengqin Port of 18 August 2020 and joint inspection (Shenzhen News, Chinese); Qingmao Port opened 8 September 2021, 24 hours (CPPCC News, Chinese); Macau light rail Hengqin line from 2 December 2024 (China Daily, Chinese); Hengqin's separate customs line from 1 March 2024: no limits on people at the “second line” (Yangcheng Evening News, Chinese); Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (Wikipedia); The bridge shuttle bus: 24 hours, fares (MoneyHero, Chinese); Zhuhai Fisher Girl: 1982, 8.69 m, 70 granite blocks, Pan He (Wikipedia, Chinese); New Yuanming Palace: opened 2 February 1997, 18 scenes, free daytime entry from October 2012 (Wikipedia, Chinese); Old Summer Palace (Wikipedia); Zhuhai–Airport intercity line, first section 18 August 2020 (CCTV via ifeng, Chinese); Zhuhai–Zhuhai Airport intercity railway (Wikipedia); Guangzhou–Zhuhai intercity line to Zhuhai station, 31 December 2012 (Sina, Chinese); The tram line closed for good, 7 May 2024 (Jiemian, Chinese).
Changelog (1)
- 2026-10-16Page created, with our own photographs from 30 and 31 March 2023. No entry price or crossing hour on this page could be checked against an official source on this date: the figures we found are quoted as reported and marked unverified.