City Balcony, a new landmark viewing complex, will replace the Qiaoyuan Hotel, which overlooks Xianglu Bay and Beach, Yeli Island and Zhuhai Opera House to the north, and the Fisher Maiden and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to the southeast.

Strategically important for tourism, the site is opposite Shijing Mt Park gate and just north of Haibin Park and City Parlor (Haibin Beach). It faces North Haibin Road as it runs between Jida and Xiangzhou and sits atop a steep rise above Central Lovers Avenue.

The once-famous Qiaoyuan (侨苑 Overseas Chinese Court) and accompanying buildings opened in 1990. Since then, the shoreline has been reconstituted into a long wide beach, the cross-bay bridge built and opened, and a growing number of national and international sailing, waterboard, and other competitions have been held in the bay.

Therefore, the hotel buildings are being demolished so that work can commence in May on the 35.34-hectare (87-acre) City Balcony landscape project. Planned is an "MSL" experience -- mountain, sea, and lake -- in which the area is blended into a harmonious multi-layered viewing platform while surrounding leisure sites are beautified.

Among other landmark enhancements, scattered buildings and the entrance to Shijing Mt Park will be torn down and harmonious ones built. According to a project leader, fully enclosed cable cars from Austria will replace the old ones and provide a 360-degree view of the city from a new mountaintop viewing platform.

City Balcony to replace Qiaoyuan Hotel

Nearby, Cuihu Lake in Haibin Park will be improved while a lotus pond, corridors, pavilions, terraces, and such are added to the lush landscape. Music fountains and water curtains will be installed.

Moreover, winding plank paths will embrace the mountain, beach, park, and viewing platform.

The builder, Zhengfang Urban Construction Co, will also create 500 indoor parking spaces and another nine outside for buses. These will be built in conjunction with a pedestrian underpass to ease traffic problems.

All in all, the goal is to create a stunning brand-new calling card for Zhuhai. 

Shijing Mt Park [Photos courtesy Zhuhai Daily]

Strategic site of Qiaoyuan Hotel [Photo by Ning Rui & Li Changxuan / Zhuhai Daily]