Stand at the western end of Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street and the street itself is the view: a run of old European-style shopfronts, their first floors still in use, with Yandun Hill and the Fufengwen Pagoda rising directly behind them. That pairing of treaty-port arcade and wooded hill is the shape of downtown Zhongshan, and the main sights around it sit close enough to cover on foot in a day.
Zhongshan suits travellers who are interested in modern Chinese history, in Republican-era architecture, or in a low-key southern Chinese city where you can walk between sights rather than ride between them. It also works well for anyone already in the Pearl River Delta who wants a day or two away from Guangzhou or Shenzhen.
This guide covers the downtown sights first, then the museums and parks, then the places outside the centre, and finishes with a one-day plan that uses only the places named below.
Top things to do in Zhongshan
1. Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street
Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street is a pedestrian mall lined with restored buildings from the colonial period in treaty port style, many of them built in the 1920s and many now with shops on their first floors. It is the natural starting point for the old town, and the buildings are the reason to come rather than the shopping.
Walk it in the morning before the heat builds, then continue north at the western end into Zhongshan Park, which abuts the street immediately to its north. The Xiangshan Commercial Culture Museum sits in the middle of the same mall, so you can step inside without leaving the street.
2. Fufengwen Pagoda
The Fufengwen Pagoda, also known as the Yandun Hill Pagoda, is a seven-storey octagonal brick tower built in the Ming Dynasty, around 1608, by the county magistrate Cai Shanji. It stands on Yandun Hill inside Zhongshan Park and is visible from much of the city.
A Sun Yat-sen memorial pavilion stands near the pagoda. Note that the pagoda is surrounded by a fence to prevent visitors from being struck by falling debris, so you view it from outside rather than climbing it. Combine it with the park and the pedestrian street below.
3. Former Residence of Sun Yat-Sen & Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Museum
This is a complex of buildings inside a park in Cuiheng village, Nanlang Town, where Sun Yat-sen was born in 1866. The residence was designed by Sun himself and completed in 1892; he lived there until 1895 and stayed again briefly in 1912 after the Xinhai Revolution. The museum gives a detailed overview of his life, and much of the information is available in Chinese and English.
Because Sun and his family spent time in the United States and the United Kingdom, some of the artifacts are written in English. Bus routes 12, K16 and K26 serve the site, and you can catch bus K26 from the Zhongshan Railway Station. Entry is free.
4. Zhongshan Studio City
Zhongshan Studio City is an outdoor film studio used for numerous films and television series set in the early 20th century, including several about Sun Yat-sen. It has street sets for cities and countries Sun visited, plus re-creations of the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou, his former residence in Shanghai and his mausoleum in Nanjing, and a photo exhibition on productions filmed here.
It is at 85 Cuiheng Avenue in Nanlang Town, a short walk north of the Former Residence of Sun Yat-Sen, so pair the two. A bus stop sits just outside the entrance, served by bus nos. 12, 087 and k16.
5. Xiangshan Commercial Culture Museum
From the 1920s to the 1940s this building served as the offices of the Shiqi Town Chamber of Commerce. It now occupies three floors: the ground floor covers Zhongshan's commercial history and culture, the second introduces business people prominent in the city in the early 20th century, and the third focuses on Zhongshan natives who established department stores in Shanghai.
It sits in the middle of Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street, so it slots easily into a walk along the mall. The nearest bus stop is Fengming Road.
6. Zhongshan Park
Zhongshan Park occupies Yandun Hill in the middle of the city, a hill also known as Fu Peak and Shiqi Hill. The Fufengwen Pagoda stands on it, and entry is free.
You can enter from the south on Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street or from the north on Guangming Road, which makes it easy to walk through the park between the old town and the streets beyond.
7. Zhongshan Museum
Housed in a 1930s hospital building at 197 Sunwen Middle Road, the Zhongshan Museum is mainly used for temporary exhibitions. Information and captions are usually in Chinese only.
It shares an address with the China Radio Museum, which is in the museum's annex building, so the two are visited together. Nearby bus stops include Fengyuan Road, Gongchen Road and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
8. China Radio Museum
The China Radio Museum holds what may be the largest and most diverse collection of old radios in China. More than 2000 items are in the collection, with just over 200 on public display at any one time. Captions are in Chinese only, which should be no deterrent if you are a radio enthusiast.
It is in the Zhongshan Museum Annex Building at 197 Sunwen Middle Road. Entry is free, and it is closed on Mondays.
9. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Not to be confused with the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Museum out at Cuiheng, this hall at 188-192 Sun Wen Middle Road contains a photographic exhibition of Sun Yat-sen's life and legacy. Captions are in Chinese only and entry is free.
It is on the same stretch of Sun Wen Middle Road as the Zhongshan Museum and the China Radio Museum, and bus routes 001, 002, 005, 009, 021, 050 and 209 stop nearby.
10. Sunwen Memorial Park
Sunwen Memorial Park, at the southern end of Xingzhong Road, is the site of the largest bronze sculpture of Sun Yat-sen in the world. It is a straightforward stop rather than a long visit.
Use it as a marker at the southern end of the downtown walk, since the old town sights cluster to its north.
11. Qi River Park
Qi River Park occupies the site of the former Central Guangdong Shipyard on the west bank of the Qi River, a short distance south of the Qi River Bridge. At the end of the 20th century the shipyard was converted into a park; most old industrial structures were removed, but some were retained or reconstructed for artistic effect. Entry is free.
The Zhongshan Museum of Art is in the middle of the park, so the two go together. Bus routes 12, 024, 047, 211, 216 and b10 serve the area.
12. Zhongshan Museum of Art
This is a small art museum focused on works by local artists, inside Qi River Park in the West District. Entry is free, and there is no entry after 16:30.
Because it sits in the middle of the park, combine it with a walk along the riverbank and the surviving shipyard structures.
13. Zhongshan Cartoon Museum
Zhongshan is the hometown of several of China's most prominent cartoonists, and this museum displays some of their works alongside works by cartoonists from elsewhere in China. It is inside Yixian Lake Park, on the northern side of the lake, and entry is free.
There is no entry after 16:30 and it is closed on Mondays. Bus routes 005, 018, 021, 032, 035 and 209 serve the area.
14. Yixian Lake Park
Yixian Lake Park is on Hubin Road and holds the Zhongshan Cartoon Museum on its northern side. It is a simple lakeside park rather than a destination in itself.
Visit it as the setting for the cartoon museum, and allow time to walk the lake afterwards.
15. Zhan Garden
Zhan Garden was built in 1998 and designed to resemble a classical Chinese garden. The owner and designer, Mr Huang Yuanxin, named it after his mother, Mrs Zhan. It is claimed to be the largest private garden in southern China.
It is on National Highway 105 in the South District, served by bus routes 206 and 211. There is an admission charge.
16. Tianxin Forest Park
Tianxin Forest Park is a 226-hectare forest park at the foot of the Wuguishan mountain range, and entry is free. Take bus no. K26 from the Zhongshan Railway Station to reach it.
It is also the practical access point for the Wuguishan area, since you can get off here and continue on foot.
17. Wuguishan Nature Park
Wuguishan Nature Park is centred on Wuguixiong Peak, the highest peak in the Wuguishan range and the highest land formation in Zhongshan. Entry is free.
Take bus no. K26 from the Zhongshan Railway Station and get off at Tianxin Park; the nature park is a short distance north of there. Wear shoes suited to hill walking.
18. Xishan Temple
Xishan Temple at 240 Sun Wen Middle Road is a traditional Buddhist temple. It sits on the same road as the Zhongshan Museum, the China Radio Museum and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
Add it to a walk along Sun Wen Middle Road rather than making a separate trip.
19. Baiyi Temple
Baiyi Temple, also known as Baiyi Ancient Temple, is at 8 Lianyuan Road East in Shiqi District. It is a traditional temple rather than a large complex.
Fit it into the downtown portion of your day, when you are already moving between the old town and Sun Wen Middle Road.
20. Changjiang Water World
Changjiang Water World is a water-based amusement park at the intersection of Changjiang and Jingguan Roads in Shiqi District, served by bus nos 006 and 030. It operates seasonally, roughly from late April to early October, with longer hours in July and August.
It is closed from early October to late April, so check the season before you plan around it. There is an admission charge, with reduced rates for older visitors and for children within certain height ranges.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start on Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street, walking the length of the restored treaty-port buildings while it is still cool. Step into the Xiangshan Commercial Culture Museum in the middle of the mall, then continue north at the western end into Zhongshan Park and up Yandun Hill to see the Fufengwen Pagoda and the Sun Yat-sen memorial pavilion beside it.
Afternoon. Walk to Sun Wen Middle Road and work along it: the Zhongshan Museum at 197 Sunwen Middle Road and the China Radio Museum in its annex building, then the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall at 188-192, with Xishan Temple at 240 if you have time. Note that the museums are closed on Mondays. Finish the afternoon at Sunwen Memorial Park at the southern end of Xingzhong Road, or cross to Qi River Park on the west bank and look into the Zhongshan Museum of Art in the middle of it.
Evening. Return to Sunwen Xi Pedestrian Street, where the shopfronts stay lit after the sights close, and eat in the old town. If you would rather end the day outdoors, Yixian Lake Park on Hubin Road is a quiet alternative, though the Zhongshan Cartoon Museum there will have closed by then.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see the main downtown sights on foot?
Yes. The main sights in Zhongshan's downtown area are not far apart and could be covered in a single day on foot, which is why the one-day plan above keeps you in the old town and along Sun Wen Middle Road.
When are the museums closed?
The China Radio Museum, the Xiangshan Commercial Culture Museum, the Zhongshan Cartoon Museum and the Zhongshan Museum of Art are all closed on Mondays. The Zhongshan Museum and the Cartoon Museum also stop admitting visitors at 16:30.
How do I reach the Former Residence of Sun Yat-Sen without a car?
Take bus routes 12, K16 or K26 to 93 Cuiheng Avenue in Nanlang Town. You can catch bus no. K26 from the Zhongshan Railway Station. Zhongshan Studio City is a short walk north along the same avenue.
Is there anywhere to swim or cool off?
Changjiang Water World in Shiqi District is a water-based amusement park, but it only operates seasonally, roughly from late April to early October, and is closed from early October to late April.
Pick your season, set aside a day for the old town and a day for Cuiheng, and you have enough to start planning a trip to Zhongshan.