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Zhanjiang (湛江; Zhàn​jiāng​) is a city on the western coast of Guangdong Province in China.

[edit] Understand

Zhanjiang was once a French colony and there are some old colonial buildings. Although many people in Zhanjiang speak Mandarin (Putonghua), the native language for most locals is Cantonese and some even speak a different regional dialect (Leizhouhua).

[edit] Get in

Zhanjiang is at the base of a peninsula that points toward the island province Hainan. Travellers often pass through Zhanjiang en route to Hainan. There are trains and buses to/from nearby mainland cities and boats to Haikou, capital of Hainan. The boat is an hour bus ride away from Zhanjiang.

There are three train stations and a small airport that service Zhanjiang. Buses also run daily to most nearby cities.

A bus runs daily from Zhanjiang to Hong Kong (8 hours) and tickets are ¥280 at the travel agency's office in Chikan District.

[edit] Get around

Zhanjiang is almost like two cities combined. The northern half (Chikan and Mazhan Districts) and the southern (Xiashan District) are separated by a less developed corridor.

The main bus routes (2,11,12,22) travel from the northern districts to Xiashan and back. Smaller buses and other routes can allow you to explore more areas of the individual districts.

Taxis in Zhanjiang are fairly cheap, starting at ¥5. Afterwards the fare increases by ¥2 per kilometer. Please note that there is an additional ¥1 fuel surcharge that will be added onto your final fare.

[edit][add listing] See

• Haibin Park (海滨公园), Xiashan District (You can easily get to the park on a number 2 bus). A famous waterfront park.  edit

• Cunjin Park (寸金公园), Chikan District (Runs adjacent to Cunjin Bridge, which marks the historical boundary between the French treaty port and China).  edit

• Dragon Boat Festival (端午节). The fifth day of the fifth month according to the lunar calendar. A large international boat race.  edit

• Huguangyan Park, (About 30 minutes from Zhanjiang). The center piece to this UNESCO Geo Park is a large Maar Lake. Adults ¥50.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• Movie theaters, Xiashan District. There are a few movie theaters Admission is usually around ¥25.  edit

• Bowling alley, Xiashan District.  edit

• Haibin Hotel and Hotsprings, Xiashan District. Admission includes a dinner buffet and an evening to enjoy the various hotsprings and pools.  edit

• Body Sculpture Fitness Club, (behind Chikan Nursery). For those looking to exercise, this gym recently moved to a new location and upgraded most of its equipment. Three month memberships cost ¥288.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Trust Mart, (In Shimao Shopping Complex in the center of Chikan District). A large supermarket with a number of things to buy. Also found in the same building are Pizza Hut, KFC and Macau Street Food City.  edit

• Wal-Mart, Xiashan District. Has a few imported items not found at other locations and also regularly has fresh milk.  edit

• Export Market, (On the outskirts of Xiashan District). A clothing and fabric market with goods that are produced in China for export. You can sometimes find name-brand clothing items for cheap prices here.  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

Local specialties include seafood, sugarcane and beer chicken.

• Inner Mongolia Dumpling Restaurant, (In 100 names village (百姓村)). If you would like dumplings or to sample a different variety of Chinese cuisine, this restaurant serves excellent food at inexpensive prices.  edit

• Steakking Kitchen Production, (In the new Wal-Mart Plaza in Chikan District). An upscale restaurant. The menu includes fairly authentic western food and an excellent Japanese sushi selection. Included in the price of your meal is a free trip to the salad bar.  edit

• Macau Street Food City, (Locations in both Chikan (Shimao Plaza) and Xiashan (Wal-Mart Plaza)). This restaurant is very foreigner friendly and offers tons of dishes to choose from.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

Zhanjiang has a small bar street (酒吧街) in Xiashan District. Unfortunately, most places do not serve cocktails or shots, but instead tend to sell liquor by the bottle. Beers in the bar also tend to be about three to four times more expensive than on the street.

Some western-style restaurants such as Steakking Kitchen Production and the West Coast Coffeehouse (西海安) do sell mixed drinks and shots.

Also, Wal-Mart has the best selection of spirits for sell if you would like to make your own drinks.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Crowne Plaza, (In the Xiashan District). The only five-star hotel in Zhanjiang. Hosts a buffet dinner with both western and oriental dishes. All you can eat food and beer for ¥100 per person.  edit

[edit] Get out

• Donghai Island, the fourth largest island in China, is about 1.5 hours drive from Zhanjiang and is popular for its beaches. Buses leave regularly from the Xiashan District.

• There are almost hourly buses to Guangzhou, the provincial capital. Buses also leave four times a day for Zhuhai, where you can easily cross into Macau.

• There is a train to Hainan Island that originates in Beijing and will take you from Zhanjiang to either Haikou or Sanya. It is about eight hours to Sanya, the southernmost Chinese city.

• There are also regular trains to Guilin in neighboring Guangxi province. The ride takes about eight hours.