Lovers' Road
The 28 km coastal road on Zhuhai's east side, paved in rectangular blocks, loved by walkers, cyclists and photographers. Start at the Fisher Girl and let it carry you along Xianglu Bay toward Shijingshan and the city's edge.
Zhuhai · Guangdong
Zhuhai Tours & Travel Guide 2026 | Islands, Lovers' Road, Macau | JoyoTour
Zhuhai is China's slow coastal city on the Macau border: the 28 km Lovers' Road, Fisher Girl statue, 100-plus islands and easy day trips to Macau. Private Zhuhai tours from US$129 a day.
The short version
Zhuhai is China's slow, green coastal city, pressed against the Macau border, and 2 to 3 days is enough to enjoy it: the 28 km Lovers' Road and the Fisher Girl statue, a boat trip around Macau, and the islands of Dong'ao and Wailingding. It is the quietest stop in the Pearl River Delta, with 146 islands and 604 km of coastline, and the easiest place in China to walk to another country.
- The Lovers' Road runs 28 km along the coast — walk or cycle it at sunset.
- Zhuhai has 146 islands and 604 km of coastline — the 'city of a hundred islands'.
- You can walk to Macau at Gongbei or Hengqin; a Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau bridge link crosses by road.
- Seafood is the local religion: Hengqin oysters and the Wanzai seafood street.
- It is about 1 hour from Guangzhou by intercity rail, and the air is the cleanest in the delta.
The place itself
What Zhuhai is actually like
Zhuhai has a habit of being described by its neighbours: the city next to Macau, the quiet one across the water from Hong Kong, the green spot between Guangzhou and the sea. All true, and all beside the point. What Zhuhai actually is, is the most relaxed of the Pearl River Delta cities — low, green and unhurried, with a coast that behaves like a long, well-kept promenade and a pace its own residents will not be argued out of.
The city's spine is Lovers' Road, or Qinglü Road, a 28 km ribbon of coast on the east side that everyone walks, cycles and proposes on. Its landmarks are small and photogenic: the Fisher Girl of Zhuhai, an 8.7 m statue raised on a rock at Xianglu Bay in 1982, and the green hill of Shijingshan behind it, with a cable car up and a summer-toboggan run back down. The city takes this walk seriously, and so should you.
Zhuhai is also, quietly, a place of islands — 146 of them, strung across the estuary, which is why it calls itself the city of a hundred islands. Dong'ao and Wailingding are the easy day trips, with beaches and seafood; Miaowan, further out, is the diving and coral island. And it is a place of theme parks with surprising scale: Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, on Hengqin, is one of the largest ocean parks in the world.
Then there is the border. Zhuhai's southern edge runs alongside Macau, and the crossings at Gongbei and Hengqin are how half the city's day-trippers get to egg tarts and Portuguese ruins. Come for the coast and the seafood, and keep Macau as the bonus.
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What not to miss — Zhuhai
The Fisher Girl
Zhuhai's emblem, an 8.7 m statue raised on a rock at Xianglu Bay in 1982 — the first large seaside sculpture in China. Free, and the anchor of any walk along Lovers' Road.
Dong'ao Island
The classic of Zhuhai's island trips: a fort, beacon tower and stone carvings on the hill, beaches below, and the Futan Mountain path up to the lookout. An hour or so by ferry from Xiangzhou.
Wailingding Island
The island for seafood, fishing and small coves, with a stone garden, the Beidi temple bell and the peaks of Lingfeng. Ferries run twice a day from Xiangzhou's north pier.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
On Hengqin, one of the world's largest ocean theme parks, with whale sharks, a giant aquarium and its own resort hotels. A full day on its own, and the reason many families come.
Macau day trip
Cross at Gongbei or Hengqin and you are in Macau — the Ruins of St Paul's, the A-Ma Temple and the casinos — in under an hour. Bring your passport and the right entry permit for your nationality.
Getting there and away
Zhuhai Jinwan International Airport (ZUH) is about 35 km from the city and from Macau, with domestic routes to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an and more; bus 207 reaches the terminal. By rail, the intercity line from Guangzhou South takes about 1 hour and ends at Zhuhai Station beside Gongbei, the Macau crossing. A light-rail link connects Zhuhai to the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge port.
Inside the city, buses are plentiful and cheap (about ¥2 for air-conditioned services), and the sightseeing loop threads the coast. Taxis start at ¥10. For the islands, ferries leave from Xiangzhou's north pier — about 1.5 hours to Wailingding for ¥85 — and from Hengqin for Dong'ao in about 45 minutes. Book island ferries ahead in peak season.
Best time to visit — Zhuhai
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C / 4°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
| February | 14°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Very busy | Good |
| March | 18°C / 10°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| April | 24°C / 16°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 28°C / 21°C · cool, damp | Busy | OK |
| June | 32°C / 25°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 35°C / 28°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| August | 34°C / 27°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| September | 29°C / 23°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| October | 24°C / 17°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 18°C / 11°C · clear and mild | Quiet | Best |
| December | 13°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
How many days do you need?
Two days for the city: the coast and the Fisher Girl, Shijingshan, the Wanzai seafood street and a walk through the old town. A third day is for one island — Dong'ao for the beaches and history, Wailingding for the seafood. Add a fourth if you want Macau, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom or both; each of those is a full day by itself.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zhuhai worth visiting?
Yes, if you want the calm side of the Pearl River Delta. Zhuhai is low, green, clean and slow, with a 28 km coastal promenade, 146 islands and some of the best seafood in Guangdong. It is pleasant on its own and excellent as a base for a Macau day trip or the Chimelong ocean park.
How do I get from Zhuhai to Macau?
Walk across at the Gongbei border, right beside Zhuhai Station at the city's southern edge, or cross at Hengqin if you are heading to the Cotai strip. Bring your passport and check your nationality's entry rules first — some passports need a visa for Macau, and mainland Chinese travellers need a two-way permit. The crossing itself takes minutes once you clear the queues.
What is the best time to visit Zhuhai?
March to April and October to December, when it is warm, clear and dry — the same comfortable window shared with most of Guangdong. Summer is humid and hot, and June to October is typhoon season, which can disrupt island ferries especially. Winter is mild and pleasant, if a little greyer.
Which Zhuhai island should I visit?
For a first trip, Dong'ao — it has the best mix of beaches, a walkable hill and history, and is about 45 minutes by ferry from Hengqin. Wailingding is the pick for seafood and a quieter cove, roughly 1.5 hours from Xiangzhou. Miaowan, further out, is the diving island, and wilder.
What should I eat in Zhuhai?
Seafood above all: Hengqin oysters, fattened in the brackish water of the estuary and famous for being 'big, fat, white, tender and crisp'; Doumen's double-shell crab; and the Wanzai seafood street, where you buy from the market and have it cooked next door. Finish with Cantonese roast meats and dim sum.
How long do I need in Zhuhai?
Two days covers the city itself — the coast, the Fisher Girl, Shijingshan park and the seafood streets. Add a third day for one island, and a fourth if you plan to visit Macau or spend a full day at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom. Most travellers treat Zhuhai as a relaxed two- or three-day stop.
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