# Zhongshan travel guide (中山) Guangdong Province · South China, China · 5 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/guangdong/zhongshan ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Sun Yat-sen Former Residence Memorial Museum → Zhongshan Film and Television City → Yakou Village - **Day 2:** Wuguishan → Xianzong Dragon Garden → Sun Wen Memorial Park → Lingnan Water Town ## The feel of the place - **Former Residences of a Great Man:** As the hometown of the great revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, and the only city in China named after a great man, Zhongshan naturally has many landmarks commemorating him. The city's greenery and cleanliness also leave a lasting impression on visitors. You can walk its streets all day in leather shoes and still see your reflection in them. - **People-Oriented Development:** Zhongshan's people-first approach to development is well known across southern China. Nearly all of its city parks are free to enter. Its many public spaces where people and nature exist in harmony, together with its strong environmental awareness, earned it first place among China's Excellent Tourist Cities and won it the United Nations Habitat Scroll of Honour in 1997. ## The feel of the place ### Zhongshan's Festivals Since 1988, the seventh day of the first lunar month, traditionally known as “Renri” (Human Day), has been designated as Zhongshan's citywide charity day. The event honours the spirit of universal love championed by Sun Yat-sen and is held to promote social welfare and benefit the community. Each year has a different theme, such as respecting the elderly and supporting the disabled, or building a philanthropic hospital or advancing education. In recent years, the event has been moved to the 15th day of the first lunar month. ### Preparation and Information ### Language Lingnan dialects can be hard to understand, but as one of China's Excellent Tourist Cities, Zhongshan has widespread use of Mandarin. ### Climate and Best Time to Visit Zhongshan lies at a low latitude entirely south of the Tropic of Cancer and has a subtropical monsoon climate, characterised by abundant sunshine and plentiful rainfall. The average monthly temperature is lowest in January at 13℃ and highest in July at 29.6℃. Summers are rainy and winters are rather cool. Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Zhongshan. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There 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. ### High-Speed Rail 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. ### Road 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. ### Waterway Zhongshan Port operates passenger ferries to Hong Kong. ### Getting Around 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. - **Zhongshan Bus Station** — (No. 48 Fuhua Road, West District, 0760-88637423) - **Zhongshan Port Service Hotline** — ## Eat & drink 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. ### Chrysanthemum Cuisine 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. ### Cultural Heritage 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. - **Shiqilao** — Ideal for dinner with friends. Recommended dishes include roast young pigeon, pineapple buns and plum wine. (No. 36 Kanghua Road, Shiqi District, 0760-88707708) ## Nightlife ### Recommended Night Walks - **Sunwen West Road Cultural and Tourism Pedestrian Street** — Located beside Qijiang Bridge, this street has more than a century of history. It is home to Fushoutang, Zhongshan's oldest traditional herbal medicine shop, as well as the former branch of Wing On, one of China's four major department stores of the early 20th century. The street blends traditional Chinese architecture with Southeast Asian (Nanyang) style, offering a relaxed mix of leisure and shopping with a distinctive charm. - **Qijiang Riverbanks** — Centred on Jiangbin Park, this large open recreation area has lush lawns and rows of old banyan trees, lined with commercial buildings and hotels. When the lights come on at night, the riverbanks sparkle with brilliant illumination, and the enchanting scenery of both sides of the Qijiang River is on full display. ## Shopping 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). ## Where to stay In this people-first city, finding accommodation is hassle-free. Hotels and guesthouses offer facilities and services that truly make guests feel at home. - **Zhongshan International Hotel** — Located in the city centre, with very convenient access for transport and shopping. A five-star hotel with good value for money. (No. 142 Zhongshan 1st Road, 0760-88633388) ## Things to see - **Sun Yat-sen Former Residence Memorial Museum** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 9：00—17：00; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/sun-yat-sen-former-residence-memorial-museum - **Sun Wen Memorial Park** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 06:30-22:30 (winter); 05:00-23:00 (summer); Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/sun-wen-memorial-park - **Zhongshan Zhanyuan Garden** (★★★): Admission ¥60; Opening hours 8：00—17：30; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhongshan-zhanyuan-garden - **Zhongshan Film and Television City** (★★★★): Admission ¥65; Opening hours 8：30—19：30; Time needed 3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhongshan-film-and-television-city - **Colorful Ferris Wheel** (★★★): Admission ¥68; free admission; Wugui Mountain Million Flower Garden ¥58; rafting ¥68; hot spring admission ¥108; free; Opening hours 15:30–22:30 (Tuesday to Friday); 11:00–22:30 (Saturday and Sunday); 17:00–22:30 (Monday); 8:00–18:00; 7:00–20:00; Time needed 4–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/colorful-ferris-wheel --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2334–2343. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.