Stand on Lovers' Road at dusk and you have Zhuhai in one view: a coastline curving north past the Fisher Girl statue, joggers and cyclists sharing the path, and the Macau skyline rising across the water. The sea here is brown and muddy rather than turquoise, and that is part of the honest appeal of the place.
Zhuhai suits travellers who want a relaxed southern Guangdong base with theme parks, wetlands, islands and historic villages within reach of each other, and who are happy to cross into Macau or onward to Hong Kong. It rewards slow days rather than checklist tourism.
1. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
One of China's most popular theme parks, at Fuxiang Bay on Hengqin, and home to the largest oceanarium in the world. It is the single biggest draw in the city and easily fills a full day.
Public buses including routes 14, 86, K10 and K11 serve the park, and there are dedicated buses from Zhuhai Airport, the Zhuhai Railway Station, the Jiuzhou Ferry Terminal and Chimelong's own hotels. It opens 09:00–20:30 and the ticket is ¥350, so arrive early to make the most of it.
2. New Yuanming Palace
An imitation of the destroyed Yuanming Palace in Beijing, set at the foot of Big Shilin Mountain off Jiuzhou Road, with a large lake, traditional architecture, pagodas and cable cars. In the evening the northern side of the park hosts stage shows of traditional Chinese dance and story in a musical presentation, and further north there is a sea-battle re-enactment using real boats, explosions and cavalry.
Entrance to the park is free, but the shows are ticketed at ¥85 for adults and ¥60 for those over 65 or for children 150cm or less with a student card. You can dress in the Emperor's clothes for a photo at ¥40, though you are also allowed to use your own camera. It is a 15-minute bus ride from Gongbei Road on buses 1, 25, 30 or 60, and it stays open until 21:00.
3. Lovers' Road
A coastal route stretching along a big chunk of Zhuhai's eastern coastline, from near the Macau border to well past the Fisher Girl statue. It is good for walking or biking, with a view of the Macau skyline across the border.
Go late in the day for cooler air and better light, and set your expectations on the water itself: the sea tends to be brown and muddy. Pair it with the Fisher Girl statue, which sits along the same stretch.
4. Fisher Girl statue
The statue on Lovers' Road commemorates the legend of an angel who chose mortal life as a fisher girl, healed villagers, and died proving her love to the fisherman Hai Peng before being revived with the Resurrection Grass. It is the city's signature landmark and a natural anchor for a coastal walk.
Buses 9 or 99, or the sightseeing bus, will get you there. Combine it with a walk or bike ride along Lovers' Road rather than treating it as a standalone stop.
5. Qi'ao Mangrove Forest Wetland Park
A province-level wetland preserve on Qi'ao Island, and a good place to enjoy nature and watch birds. It is free to enter.
Take bus K1, K2, K3, 3, 3A, 10, 10A, 68 or 69 to Tangjia Station, then transfer to bus 85 to Qi'ao North Station. Since you are already on the island, combine it with the Former residence of Su Zhaozheng.
6. Former residence of Su Zhaozheng
The former home of early 20th-century communist activist Su Zhaozheng (1885–1929), now a museum with exhibits on the area's history, his life and his role in a major strike in Hong Kong. Entry is free, and it opens 09:30–17:00.
None of the information is in English, so go for the setting as much as the displays. Do not miss the wall made of oyster shells and the other well-preserved historic houses and structures in the neighbourhood, including some old temples. Reach it via bus K1, K2, K3, 3, 3A, 10, 10A, 68 or 69 to Tangjia Station, then bus 85 to Qi'ao North Station.
7. Mangzhou Wetland Park
A free wetland park on the tip of Hengqin Island, and an excellent alternative to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom if you do not want to pay for a ticket. It is a place to escape the noise of the city, enjoy the sea wind and watch the flow of water from the pontoon.
It opens 09:00–19:00. The nearest bus stop is Mangzhou Wetland Park, served by bus Z58, and it sits in the most northwestern part of Hengqin Island.
8. Meixi Royal Stone Archways
Archways built in 1886 and extended in 1891 under the orders of Emperor Guangxu as a memorial to Chen Fang, a consul of the Qing Empire. They were partly damaged during the Cultural Revolution but not seriously.
Chen Fang's former residence, a few hundred metres east of the arches, can also be visited, so allow time for both. The site opens 09:00–17:30 and admission is ¥50; buses 26, 36 and 70 stop at a bus stop named after the attraction on Lüyou Road in Qianshan.
9. Zhuhai Museum
A museum about the history of the Zhuhai region on Jingshan Road in Jida, which also hosts travelling exhibitions from other parts of China. Entry is free.
It opens 09:00–17:00 with no entry after 16:00, and closes on Mondays. The nearest bus stop is Jiuzhoucheng, served by over twenty bus routes.
10. Guyuan Museum of Art
A free museum on Meihua East Road displaying works by the local artist Gu Yuan. It is a compact, quiet stop that pairs well with the Jida area.
It opens 09:00–17:00 with no entry after 16:30, and closes on Mondays. There is a bus stop named after the museum, served by buses 13, 16, 17, b5 and b6, and tram route 1 also stops here.
11. Doumen Old Street
A historic precinct of old commercial buildings, most built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Doumen was an important trading post. It is free to wander.
Take bus K4 or 609 from the Xiangzhou Long-Distance Bus Station and get off at Nanmen, then walk to Dama Road via Erma Road. Combine it with Jintai Buddhist Temple, which is reached on the same bus routes.
12. Jintai Buddhist Temple
A temple in Doumen Town with roots in a hermitage established by Song survivors living around Huangyang Mountain, which eventually became Jintai Temple in 1740.
Take bus K4 or 609 from the Xiangzhou Long-Distance Bus Station, then a rickshaw onward to the temple. It pairs naturally with Doumen Old Street on the same day out.
13. Doumen District Museum
A general museum on Xidi Road in Jing'an Town with exhibits on the history of the district, also known as the Zhaozhen Museum in honour of John C. Young (Rong Zhaozhen). Entry is free.
It opens 09:00–17:00 and closes on Mondays and the eve of Chinese New Year. The nearest bus stop is Jianfeng Garden, served by routes 303, 306, 308, 405, 411, 502, 503, 504, 510, 601 and 609, as well as the Gongbei–Xinhui bus line.
14. Martyrs Cemetery
A memorial to the martyrs of the revolution in Zhuhai led by marshal Ye Jianying, now a quiet place in the busy centre of the city to relax and pay homage. Entry is free.
It opens 06:00–19:00 on Fenghuang Road. The nearest bus stop is Baihuogongsi, an important stop in Zhuhai, which makes it easy to slot into a day in the city centre.
15. Zhuhai's many islands
Zhuhai is known as the city of a hundred islands, and a number of them are accessible from ports by ferry boat. This is the way to see a slower, more maritime side of the region.
Ferries leave from the city's ports, so check services before you commit a day. The islands also hold prehistoric sites such as Baojingwan on Gaolan Island and Houshawan on Qi'ao Island, if you want your boat trip to have a historical thread.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Fisher Girl statue, then walk or cycle a stretch of Lovers' Road while the light is still soft and the path is quiet. Continue to Zhuhai Museum on Jingshan Road in Jida, arriving well before 16:00 to allow time inside.
Afternoon: Take buses 1, 25, 30 or 60 from Gongbei Road to New Yuanming Palace and spend the afternoon among the lake, pagodas and architecture. Entrance to the park is free, so you can decide on the day whether to add a show.
Evening: Stay at New Yuanming Palace for the stage shows on the northern side and the sea-battle re-enactment further north, then return along Lovers' Road for the Macau skyline after dark.
Which museums in Zhuhai are free to enter?
Zhuhai Museum and Guyuan Museum of Art are both free, as are Doumen District Museum and the Former residence of Su Zhaozheng. New Yuanming Palace is also free to enter, though its evening shows are ticketed.
When should I avoid planning a museum visit?
Zhuhai Museum, Guyuan Museum of Art and Doumen District Museum all close on Mondays. Zhuhai Museum and Guyuan Museum of Art also stop admitting visitors before closing time, at 16:00 and 16:30 respectively.
How do I get to Qi'ao Island without a car?
Take bus K1, K2, K3, 3, 3A, 10, 10A, 68 or 69 to Tangjia Station, then transfer to bus 85 to Qi'ao North Station. From there you can reach both Qi'ao Mangrove Forest Wetland Park and the Former residence of Su Zhaozheng.
Is there a free alternative to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom?
Yes. Mangzhou Wetland Park on Hengqin Island is free, opens 09:00–19:00, and is served by bus Z58. It is a quieter place to enjoy the sea wind and the water rather than rides and shows.
Pick your days around the bus routes above, decide whether Chimelong or the wetlands suit your mood, and you can start planning a Zhuhai trip that fits the time you actually have.