Overview of Zhuhai

Zhuhai sits on the southwestern part of the Pearl River estuary where the river flows into the South China Sea, hence its name which means "pearl - sea". It was one of China’s first special economic zones, with Hong Kong just a short hop across the water and Macao connected by land. It is 140 kilometers from the city of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. It has a population of 1,415,700 and has three districts and five economic zones. 

Geography 

The present city of Zhuhai city was established in 1979 in the southern part of Guangdong province， 140 km from the capital, Guangzhou, on the Pearl River estuary next to the South China Sea. The cities of Hong Kong and Shenzhen sit just to the east, 36 miles away, while Macao is on its southern edge. It has a land area of 1,653 square kilometers and has 146 islands.

Zhuhai has been empowered with the local legislation by the National People's Congress. It has three districts and five economic functional zones -- the National New and High Technology Industrial Development Zone, Free Trade Zone, Wanshan Ocean Development and Exemplary Zone, Hengqin Economy & Technology Development Zone, and Harbor Industry Zone.

When the nine cities of the Pearl River Delta are added to Hong Kong and Macao it makes a metropolitan area that is only second to New York’s and Tokyo’s, with Zhuhai as the hub. For this reason, the three major cities plan to increase cooperation in trade, economic integration, and development. Since December 2014, Gongbei Port, between Zhuhai and Maucau, has been open 16 hours a day, while the port of Hengqin is providing 24-hour customs clearance services, and, the Zhuhai Harbor Industrial Zone is open from just after midnight to 7:00 am. The Zhuhai Declaration from the World Economic Development Declaration Conference was announced in 2003.

History

Its earliest settlers go back hundreds of years and it was a starting point on the old Maritime Silk Road. Its Wenshun area was established in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) as the earliest administrative body for what is now Zhuhai, the city of Zhongshan, and Macao. Its Xiangshan area was formed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) based on the flourishing salt industry. Nearby Xiangshan county existed during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Zhuhai county, which was established in 1953, became the city of Zhuhai in 1979 and, by that time, as China began opening up to the world, it had the unprecedented opportunity of becoming a special economic zone, in 1980.

Now, in just three decades it has gone from a poor fishing village to a prosperous modern city, with a prestigious coastal location. And, the Pearl River Delta now has one of the strongest regional economies in the world and Zhuhai's modern facilities and environment make it attractive to global companies and residents from all over who have chosen it as their home. Part of the city's attraction is the unique balance between the natural and man-made environment which makes it an ideal place to live and work.  

Since the beginning of the 1990's, Zhuhai has received many awards for its environmental standards and achievements, including the 'Top 40 Cities for Travel in China' award, 'National Garden City', 'National Model Ecological and Environmental Protection City', ‘Cleanest City in China', and 'Best City for Land Travel in China'. In 1999, Zhuhai got the "International Award for Most Improved Living Environment" from the United Nations, thanks to the efforts of city planners and the local government, making it one of the "Most Livable Places".

Zhuhai Has a natural gift, sitting as it does south of the Tropic of Cancer, with a sheltered location, southern climate, glorious sunshine year-round, warm tropical rain, and an annual average temperature of 22.4 degrees, which make it a luxurious garden paradise full of colorful flowers. Zhuhai is quite different from other cities and is separated into many independent living areas depending on its natural and terrain, separated from each other by hills and connected by tree-lined roads, for a bright pearl with a jade-green belt. Today's Zhuhai combines flourishing, crowded business areas with peaceful, relaxed living areas so you can enjoy a relaxed, but exciting life here.