Zhanjiang Travel Guide, China

Zhanjiang, Travel Guide – Location

The exotic city of Zhanjiang is located in southern China on the sunny coast of the South China Sea. Zhanjiang travel guide makes a short but complete presentation of this picturesque tourist location.

Zhanjiang, Travel Guide – Topography and Climate

Set by the sea in the beautiful Leizhou Peninsula, Zhanjiang has all the attributes to be a top holiday destination. Cities like Haikou and Nanning are close and easy to be visited. Local topography is characteristic for the low coastal areas and is represented by flat plains which gradually go down to the sea.

Climate in Zhanjiang is subtropical and is strongly influenced by the monsoon and by the nearby ocean. One of the advantages of this location by the sea is the mild climate, much appreciated by tourists, temperatures never rising too high or going too low. The annual average temperature in Zhanjiang doesn’t go below 22ºC and as a consequence Zhanjiang can be visited all year round without having to bother about the weather.

There is no major river crossing Zhanjiang thus the fresh water resources of the city are scarce.

Zhanjiang, Travel Guide – Flora and Fauna

The wonderful climate and topography from Zhanjiang area sustain a wide variety of animal and plant species, some of them protected by the Chinese law. The area offshore Zhanjiang is famous for its cultured pearls and the costal area houses one of the largest mangrove protected areas in the world.

Within the city the green areas are plenty, Zhanjiang being one of the most ecological cities in China, with numerous recreational spots, clean waters of the ocean and little pollution. The traditional Chinese gardens, beautiful mangrove forests and the multitude of wildlife housed by them enchant any tourist visiting Zhanjiang.

Zhanjiang, Travel Guide – Population

Zhanjiang is one of the smallest Chinese cities housing a number of 1.000.000 inhabitants but has a long and rich history being a starting point for the famous Silk Road. Most of the locals speak Cantonese and others speak Mandarin, but nowadays the number of people speaking English has increased significantly. The city is also an important regional educational centre, housing numerous primary and secondary schools as well as two universities, the Zhanjiang Ocean University and the Zhanjiang Normal University.

Zhanjiang, Travel Guide – Culture and Arts

Zhanjiang is the home of a unique culture, created throughout millenniums under the different influences arrived from both inland China and abroad. Zhanjiang culture and art has always been wide and diverse due to the city’s location by the ocean thus opened to the rest of the world. The city also used to be a French colony, a period which brought many new and modern things to this traditionalist society but without shaking its roots and beliefs.

One of the most representative local forms of art in Zhanjiang is the Lei Opera, very popular among locals and tourists too.

Zhanjiang, Travel Guide – Transport

Zhanjiang city is an important transportation hub in Leizhou Peninsula being crossed by several major speedways and railways and having a favorable position by the ocean. For an easier access tourists can reach Zhanjiang International Airport located minutes away from the city or Zhanjiang port which makes good connection with the nearby islands by regular ferry routes.

Within the city people can travel by bus or taxis which offer very good connections between all districts. Among locals bicycles are very popular as well as motor-scooters, facilitating access on the narrow and crowded streets of the city.

Zhanjiang, Travel Guide – Festivals

Zhanjiang houses numerous festivals throughout the year, most of them celebrated nationally like the National Day, Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and so on. One of the newest and most original events in the city is the Zhanjiang Pearl Festival, organized by companies from the Chinese Pearl industry. The festival lasts for a few days and all the activities are related to local cultured pearls production, jewelry, cosmetics based on pearl extracts and so on. This new and growing economic activity has brought numerous advantages to the city and its inhabitants hence a celebration was needed.