Facing Hong Kong across the sea, and adjacent to Macao, Zhuhai is located in the rich and developed Pearl River Delta. With hills behind and the sea in front, the charming and colorful scenery makes Zhuhai possible to develop its tourist industry, which has become the mainstay of Zhuhai's national economy.
By the end of 1998, Zhuhai had set up more than 320 hotels and restaurants with the capacity of receiving 9,000,000 tourists per year. Among them, there are 22 star-rated hotels and 16 designated tourist restaurants. There are more than a dozen conference centers and exhibition halls equipped with modem facilities in Zhuhai. Various kinds of international conferences and commodities fairs are held all year round. There are 34 travel agencies including 13 international travel agencies and more than 20 large scenic spots in Zhuhai. Besides, Zhuhai has 13 designated shops, 13 designated restaurants for tourists. The total capital for tourist industry is over one hundred million yuan. Staff engaged in tourism is 25,000, which is 8.8% of the staff employed in the whole city.
In 1998, 7,139,200 people came to visit Zhuhai, among them, 1,361,400 from abroad. The total in come of tourist industry reaches 60,44 million yuan. Foreign exchange revenue is 3.32 million U.S. dollars.
The picturesque scenic spots and tourist items are attractive, rich and varied.
1. Large historic cultural scenery such as the New Yuanming Palace, the Four Famous Buddhist Mountains Scenic Area, Zhenzhu (Pearl) Playground, Jinzhoucheng City, Zhuhai Fishing Girl, Zhuxian Cave, Golden Beach, Baitenghu Lake, Scenery of Waters and Rivers, the Sightseeing Cable Way and Sliding Way in Shijingshan Mountain will certainly leave happy memories in your mind. The Aquarium and the Ocean Park are under construction.
2. The International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held every two years attracts dozens of thousands of tourists from home and abroad. Nearly one million audiences, 480 enterprises from 25 countries and regions came to the 2nd International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held in 1988.
3. The International Car Race held once a year in Zhuhai is also applauded by broad car race fans.
4. The Zhuhai Film Festival held every two years has become a magnificent meet of the Chinese films in the world. The convenient dimensional communication network shortens the distance between Zhuhai and other domestic cities.
Zhuhai Airport, with advanced world level, has opened 30 flights to more than 30 domestic cities. The project of the gigantic bridge over the sea Lingdingyang has been approved by the State. Guangzhou to Zhuhai railway is under construction. Two twenty-thousand-ton wharves of Zhuhai Port have been put into operation.
Telecommunications and its services have caught up with the international world. Telephones and public telecommunication facilities are popular in Zhuhai. It is very convenient to communicate with external world. Zhuhai, with the rapid development in tourist industry, is well known both at home and abroad.