Zhuhai

Zhuhai (珠海, lit. "Pearl Sea") is a city on the southern coast of Guangdong Province of the People's Republic of China, in the Pearl River Delta, located at the border with Macau. Area: 7,649 km². Population (2002): 1.23 million, including 0.79 million permanent residents.

Admnistration

Zhuhai was first recognized as a county in 1953 and then as a prefecture-level city in 1979.

It has direct jurisdiction over Doumen District, Jinwan District and Xiangzhou District (central urban area of Zhuhai city).

Geography

Zhuhai borders the Macau Special Administrative Region (north and west), and 140 km southwest of Guangzhou. Its territory counts 146 islands and a coastline of 690 km.

Economy

It was one of the first Special Economic Zones (SEZ) set up in the 1980s.

The GDP per capita was ¥66551 (ca. US$8040) in 2003, ranked no. 3 among 659 Chinese cities.

Miscellaneous

Zhuhai's international accolades include "the Best Model of International Residential Environment Improvement" awarded by the United Nations.

The New Yuan Ming Palace is a park of 1.39 sq. km, including a 80,000 sq. m lake. It features a partial reconstruction of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, destroyed in 1860 by French and British troops during the second Opium War, and never rebuilt on its original site.

Colleges and universities

• Zhuhai College of Jinan University
• Zhuhai College of Beijing Nomal University
• Zhuhai College of Zhongshan University

Transportation

Zhuhai airport (IATA code: ZUH) is located in Doumen District.

As part of the Pearl River Delta integration, a Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is projected.

Zhuhai has two international seaports: Jiuzhou and Gaolan.

Chu Kong Passenger Transport operates a ferry service between Zhuhai (Jiuzhou) and Hong Kong.

See also: Shenzhen