Zhongshan travel guide

Zhongshan has excellent road, rail and water links. It is about 2 hours by road to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and only 1 hour to Zhuhai and Macau. Zhongshan Port is about 70 minutes from Hong Kong International Airport. Other cities in the Pearl River Delta are roughly 1.5 hours away. In addition, several places in the city handle air and rail ticketing and cargo services for Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai to destinations across China.

Zhongshan North Station is the transfer point on the Guangzhu intercity railway, with trains to Zhuhai, Guangzhou and other destinations every 15–30 minutes. It takes about 30 minutes to Guangzhou and 26 minutes to Zhuhai. Some trains also stop at Zhongshan Station.

Shuttle buses depart daily from in front of Zhongshan International Hotel for Guangdong, Shenzhen and Hong Kong's Kowloon. Zhongshan Bus Station operates long-distance coaches to destinations across the province and to other provinces and cities.

Zhongshan Port operates passenger ferries to Hong Kong.

City buses generally cost ¥1–2, while buses to outlying towns are slightly more expensive. Taxi daytime flagfall is ¥7 for the first 2 km, then ¥2.48 per km for distances beyond 2 km and ¥2.6 per km beyond 10 km. Night flagfall rises to ¥8.4 for the first 2 km, then ¥3 per km beyond 2 km and ¥3.12 per km beyond 10 km. Waiting charges apply.

Shiqi roast pigeon and Shaxi braised pork are dishes almost every Zhongshan household knows how to make. Xiaolan Town is famous for its chrysanthemums, which have given rise to its well-known chrysanthemum feasts, such as Three-Snake Chrysanthemum Soup, Chrysanthemum Fish Balls, Steamed Chrysanthemum Meatballs and Chrysanthemum Fish Cakes. If you visit during the blooming season, enjoying the flowers and their flavours is a rare treat. Sanxiang Stir-Fry is an indispensable local dish for the people of Sanxiang. It has a delicious sweet-and-sour taste.

During the Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival in November, you can sample the distinctive chrysanthemum feast, a spread of dishes made with fresh chrysanthemum blossoms. Notable examples include chrysanthemum pork, chrysanthemum-coloured fish balls, chrysanthemum fish congee, chrysanthemum wine and chrysanthemum cakes. Chrysanthemums fill the tables around you as you eat, and diners chat about the flowers while savouring the feast. The aroma is fragrant, the flavours are fresh and tender, and the dishes are sweet without being greasy, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Zhongshan's Xianshui Ge (saltwater songs) and the Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival were among China's first batch of intangible cultural heritage items. Zhongshan Xianshui Ge was listed in the music category. Xianshui Ge is a form of folk song mainly sung by farmers and fishermen in coastal and river-network areas of Guangdong, including Zhongshan, Panyu, Zhuhai and Nanhai, and it was already popular in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Tangzhou in Zhongshan is the representative area for Xianshui Ge in the Pearl River Delta. The Xiaolan Chrysanthemum Festival was listed in the folk customs category. Chrysanthemum cultivation was already widespread in Xiaolan as early as the Ming dynasty. Xiaolan's largest chrysanthemum festival is held once every 60 years, known as the Jiaxu Chrysanthemum Grand Fair, and to date it has been held four times.

In this people-first city, finding accommodation is hassle-free. Hotels and guesthouses offer facilities and services that truly make guests feel at home.

Among Zhongshan's local specialties, Juxiangyuan almond biscuits are the most famous. Other specialties with their own character include Xiaolan chrysanthemum pork, Changjiang crispy grass carp, Sanxiang rice noodles (lai fen), Shenwan pineapples and Fenguo Jinzha (fried dumplings).