Once Greater Fragrant Hill, Today Zhong-Zhu-Ao! A Multi-Destination Journey: Five Days to Explore Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and Macau
Once Greater Fragrant Hill, today the Zhong-Zhu-Ao region! Located on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta, this area is recognized as a key node of the Belt and Road Initiative. Since ancient times, Zhong-Zhu-Ao has been one of the important ports for East-West trade, and the historically rich Greater Fragrant Hill has witnessed its rise and decline. Today, Zhong-Zhu-Ao is renowned for its developed economy and thriving tourism. As you stroll through the streets and alleys of these cities, surrounded by dazzling neon lights and modern architecture, you feel as if you are in a dreamlike world.
Zhongshan is the only city in China named after a great man. This name symbolizes the city's heritage and history. When you come to the hometown of the revolutionary pioneer Sun Yat-sen, you can follow in his footsteps, travel through time, and listen to the echoes of surging history.
Zhuhai is a city that has romance woven into its DNA. The blue sky and azure sea are within reach. The long coastline ensures that the journey is always accompanied by the ocean. Embarking on a journey with the sound of waves, you will constantly encounter good moods.
As you set foot in Macau, you will immediately be captivated by its unique charm. The fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, the collision of tradition and modernity, creates a distinctive allure. Multiculturalism has brewed Macau's enchanting atmosphere.
Day 1: Zhongshan Museum → Zhongshan Zhan Garden → Sun Yat-sen's Former Residence → Zhongshan City Film Studio → Zhongshan Walking Street → Zhongshan Food & Accommodation Recommendations
Day 2: Zhuhai Space Center → By-Health Transparent Factory → Nutrition Exploration Museum → Dong'ao Island Bookstore
Day 3: Dong'ao Island Wedding Hall → Chimelong Ocean Kingdom → Sun and Moon Shell
Day 4: Indoor Skydiving → Datan Mountain Water Tower Observation Deck → Macau City Walk → Wynn Palace Sightseeing Cable Car
Day 5: Penha Hill → Maritime Administration Building, A-Ma Temple → Macau Tower → Grand Prix Museum → World Heritage 'Historic Centre of Macau' → Golden Swallow Portuguese Butter Cake & Pastries → Macau Restaurant Recommendations
Zhongshan, a city named after a great man, was formerly called Fragrant Hill (Xiangshan). Located on the coast of the South China Sea, on the Lingdingyang surrounded by the Pearl River estuary, it has been inhabited by humans for five thousand years. People lived facing the sea, with forests of masts and countless light boats connecting the five continents and four oceans. Zhongshan, situated in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province, is a city closely tied to modern and contemporary Chinese history. Famous for Sun Yat-sen, it is a city that combines historical culture with modern urban features.
Zhongshan Museum:
The Zhongshan Museum is a comprehensive museum, housing the Fragrant Hill Commercial Culture Museum, Zhongshan Overseas Chinese History Museum, Zhongshan Radio Museum, etc. It adopts a garden-style layout, with various old and new buildings coexisting harmoniously with the gardens.
The museum exhibits over five thousand years of Fragrant Hill's development history, showcasing the pioneering and enterprising spirit of the Zhongshan people, who dare to be the first. At the same time, it also displays the global vision of Fragrant Hill overseas Chinese, their innovative spirit, their unique contributions connecting China and abroad, and their patriotic and hometown-loving sentiments.
The Zhongshan Museum presents Zhongshan's history, culture, and local characteristics, as well as Mr. Sun's life stories. Ceramics, paintings, sculptures—the museum is not just an exhibition of objects; it vividly tells stories, narrating Mr. Sun's story and the traditions and art of the Zhongshan region.
Zhongshan Zhan Garden covers an area of over one hundred mu. More than twenty years ago, the garden owner Mr. Huang Yuanxin hired hundreds of skilled craftsmen from Suzhou and Hangzhou to personally design and build this elegant and refined quiet abode for his parents to enjoy their old age. The owner named the bridge after his father and the garden after his mother's surname. Since then, Zhan Garden has been renowned in Lingnan for its filial piety.
Zhongshan Zhan Garden is the largest private classical garden in the Lingnan region, incorporating classics of Chinese studies, rites, music, archery, Chinese characters, couplets, and qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, making it a garden of culture. Simple yet dignified, rustic yet unrestrained, every brick and tile, every door and window embodies the traces of history.
The architecture of Zhan Garden is based on the style of Suzhou and Hangzhou gardens, emphasizing the layout of Lingnan water towns, integrating the essence of Chinese classical gardens, forming a transparent, elegant, light, and spacious Lingnan style.
Sun Yat-sen's Former Residence:
As the hometown of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Zhongshan's most famous attraction is undoubtedly Sun Yat-sen's Former Residence. It mainly includes the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Exhibition Area, Cuiheng Folk Residence Exhibition Area, and Yang Yin Memorial Exhibition Area, with the theme of Sun Yat-sen and his growing social environment. The overall visit is both historically commemorative and folkloric, with displays covering every aspect of Mr. Sun's life.
The Cuiheng Folk Residence Exhibition Area and Agricultural Exhibition Area respectively showcase Sun Yat-sen's childhood living environment, his life story exhibits, and the places where he once worked, including rice and other crop planting areas, traditional ecological agriculture like mulberry-dike fish ponds, displaying the farming culture of Sun Yat-sen's hometown.
Mr. Sun lived here several times, hence Sun Yat-sen's Former Residence. It is a brick-wood structure with a Chinese-Western style, reflecting the changes and developments of the times, uniquely distinctive.
Zhongshan City Film Studio:
Zhongshan City Film Studio is one of China's top ten film studios, featuring Chinese, American, British, and Japanese scenic areas. The buildings are quite authentic, full of stories. Just walking around will give you a sense of it.
Battling huge waves, bathing in the western wind, the people of Fragrant Hill are resolute, pragmatic, open, and inclusive. The sons and daughters of Fragrant Hill, represented by Sun Yat-sen, stepped onto the turbulent modern stage from Lingdingyang, riding the tide, daring to be the first, composing a brilliant chapter of the times.
Zhongshan Walking Street:
Xingzhong Square, Qi River. This centuries-old walking street was once the commercial center of the old city, very prosperous. Even now, it is bustling with people. Taking a walk after dinner, enjoying the riverside scenery, there are many street vendors, full of life and human warmth, and the lights are very beautiful.
Zhongshan Food & Accommodation Recommendations:
Lijingyuan Restaurant: The Fragrant Hill family feast here is very authentic, with an antique atmosphere. Many locals recommend it. The soup is very fresh, and there is a special super large sharp pile that is very satisfying.
Yakou Renjia: Zhongshan is on the coast of the South China Sea, so the seafood here is very famous, especially Yakou Seafood Street. Yakou Renjia is the most popular on the street. Built on bamboo foundations, you can enjoy the river view while eating the freshest seafood, including shrimp, crab, and delicious fish. How can one not love it?
Sanxiang Zheng Meng Non-hereditary Shiqi Pigeon Theme Restaurant: This is a unique restaurant in Zhongshan, and Shiqi pigeon is a must-order here. Drizzled with hot oil, it is fragrant, crispy, and a well-deserved specialty. Go with a few friends to taste this non-hereditary cooking method and experience a different Zhongshan flavor.
Zhongshan Hot Spring Hotel: The hotel is laid out like a garden, with several buildings matched with plants and water features, very elegant and tasteful. The rooms are designed with a simple and elegant style, warm and comfortable to stay in. The hotel also has hot springs and an infinity pool. After a day of travel, a hot spring bath is really soothing.
This Zhuhai travel guide will let you fully experience the charm of space, health, and the ocean. Whether chasing the space dream of technology, embarking on a nutritional journey for health, or accompanying lovely marine life, Zhuhai will use its magic to make you linger and forget to return.
A trip to Zhuhai will definitely bring you unforgettable memories and a full sense of happiness!
Zhuhai Space Center:
The mysteries of space exploration are in this place full of technology. As the first space-themed park in the Greater Bay Area, the Zhuhai Space Center brings an unprecedented experience. Here, we can feel as if we have entered the universe, experiencing the endless charm of the sea of stars.
The venue is large; you can see various national defense equipment and learn about aerospace knowledge, fulfilling the 'space dream' of childhood. There are also VR games with different themes, fun and exciting, with an immersive experience that is really great, full of technology! You can also simulate flying a plane; the various buttons may be dazzling, but it gives children a taste of being a pilot.
By-Health Transparent Factory, Nutrition Exploration Museum:
For those with a high pursuit of health and nutrition, this place is not to be missed! Step into By-Health's transparent factory and see the cute jars on the production line. Do you know why protein powder is filled from the bottom? Come here, and the assembly line will give you the answer.
Then go to the By-Health Nutrition Exploration Museum, where we will appreciate the charm of health. The health benefits of various fruits and ingredients are explained, vividly showing the importance of overall health through interactive exhibits, displaying a comprehensive healthy life.
Dong'ao Island - Bookstore:
Like every island, Dong'ao Island has its own unique resort charm. But that's not all. Mo Yan once wrote in a letter to Yu Hua: 'I have long heard of Dong'ao Island, but never had the chance to visit. This is a good opportunity to take a look.' There is a bookstore here called the Classic of Mountains and Seas Bookstore, which was featured in the second season of 'I Read on the Island.' This name was given by teacher Su Tong, hoping that the bookstore, like the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas,' would have interesting stories in this place of mountains and water...
The bookstore is still open to the public as a leisure reading space. The first floor offers tea and drinks, and the second floor is for reading. Lean on the railing, pick up an interesting book, read quietly, and experience the bookstore's healing power firsthand. What a simple and happy thing.
Dong'ao Island - Honeymoon Hall:
Here, a glass wall sparkling in the sun forms a dreamy chapel. On the lawn in front of the chapel, read a favorite book and quietly savor the joy of literature. Or gather with a few friends to chat about reading and writing. As the sun sets, watch the shimmering sea, bathed in gentle afterglow, and the world is silent.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom:
On Lovers' Road, there is an opera house built on an island named the Sun and Moon Shell, mysterious and romantic, composed of two 'shells,' one large and one small. Take a walk at night, enjoy the evening breeze, watch the twinkling lights, the shell shining with a pearly metallic luster, so beautiful it moves the heart.
Macau, at the southern tip of Fragrant Hill, has been a gateway for East-West trade and cultural exchange for four centuries, with an early opening of its atmosphere. Here, the ancient and the modern complement each other, presenting a unique and charming urban picture. Bright multicolored lights, resplendent and magnificent—this is a fascinating place. But with a deep experience, you will find that Macau is more than that.
1. GoAirborne Indoor Skydiving:
Indoor skydiving is a fun, simple, and safe sport. Since it's indoors, each flight is unaffected by weather. In a safe, constant-temperature indoor wind tunnel, anyone aged 4 and above can enjoy flying. Compared to jumping from a plane at 10,000 feet, indoor skydiving is both safe and retains the thrill of flight.
The entire flight is personally guided by professional flight instructors, meticulous in every detail, allowing you to enjoy the sensation of floating freely in the air comfortably. Challenge gravity, ride the wind and fly!
Special high-speed cameras are installed in the wind tunnel to capture the moment of flight. After the flight, you can view photos and videos via the QR code on the flight wristband.
Datan Mountain Water Tower Observation Deck:
Macau is not just about extravagance; there are also old city alleys. Take the free inclined elevator built along the hillside.
Macau City Walk
Casas da Taipa is one of the eight attractions of Macau and the most Portuguese-style area. Portuguese-style houses, the Church of Our Lady of Carmel, and parks complement each other, as if entering a poetic picture. Among them, five small emerald green buildings are the most charming!
There is a charming building here—the Church of Our Lady of Carmel. It is famous for its magnificent Baroque style and exquisite murals. When you step inside, it feels like entering a magical story world, as if traveling through time. The Church of Our Lady of Carmel is the only Catholic church in Taipa, nestled between a hill and the sea, with pleasant scenery. The church also has a beautiful park with various plants, stone pavilions, and stone benches for rest.
Come to Rua do Cunha, one of the busiest streets in Macau. There are many unique Macau-style snacks and food streets on both sides, dazzling the eyes. Here, you can shop to your heart's content, taste various Portuguese egg tarts, pork jerky, and Macau old yogurt, and feel Macau's unique charm.
Continuing along the road, Coloane Fishermen's Village is a historic port. Because the village is surrounded by ring roads, it is called 'Coloane Fishermen's Village.' Here you can see traditional fishing boats and fishermen's homes, look into the distance at various buildings, enjoy the beautiful sea view, and feel the blending of tranquility and nature.
In Coloane, there is also the St. Francis Xavier Church, a historic church famous for its unique architectural style and exquisite murals. Here, you can feel the solemnity and sanctity of religious culture while appreciating the charm of art.
Wynn Palace Sightseeing Cable Car:
When night falls, you must experience the sightseeing cable car at Wynn Palace. The Performance Lake below the cable car will become your magical journey. One loop of the cable car allows you to fully enjoy the Macau night view and the magnificent fountain show. The cable car is equipped with speakers, so while enjoying the view, you can also listen to soothing music—definitely a romantic night!
Penha Hill is located in the southwestern part of the Macau Peninsula. There are many high-end residences here, with architectural styles mostly Southern European. On the southwestern side of the hill, there is the historic A-Ma Temple. Standing at the top, you can overlook Macau, with a refreshing view!
Maritime Administration Building, A-Ma Temple
Macau's Maritime Administration Building is an Arabian-style building constructed in 1874, one of Macau's historic buildings. It is not only a landmark but also a witness to Macau's development and changes.
A-Ma Temple is one of Macau's famous ancient sites, built in the Ming Dynasty, representing Chinese temples. It enshrines the goddess A-Ma, a place for praying for safe sea voyages and bountiful harvests.
Macau Tower:
When talking about Macau, one often thinks of Western-style buildings, colorful little houses, beautiful windows, and the pleasure of strolling the streets. But besides these city walks, this time I also challenged the skywalk, a super cool and exciting sport that gave me a different kind of happiness.
Skywalk on the 61st floor of Macau Tower. Outside, you can wear sunglasses and bring your phone. The staff takes care of all safety hazards. All I have to do is enjoy the process. The whole process takes about 15 minutes per person, with a coach leading the way and using a GoPro to take photos and videos, helping you find the coolest poses and best spots. At 233 meters high, you can't stop midway, because this is a challenge for the brave.
The 58th floor is the observation gallery. The glass walkway underfoot also allows you to enjoy the beauty of Macau from above.
Grand Prix Museum:
If you are interested in motorcycles and car racing, this museum is a must-see. The Macau Grand Prix is the oldest street circuit race in the world and the only one that simultaneously holds both car and motorcycle races.
The museum exhibits items related to the Macau Grand Prix. The most attractive are the many famous cars in the collection. For example, the red No. 5 car that won the first Macau Grand Prix, the cars of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, and the AE86 from 'Initial D.'
Here, you can learn about the development history of various classic racing cars and the profound culture of racing. The displayed racing cars give an immersive feeling, unforgettable.
World Heritage 'Historic Centre of Macau'
Ruins of St. Paul's is one of Macau's iconic attractions. This ancient church ruin has always been a symbol of Macau and a must-visit for tourists. Standing in front of St. Paul's, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the entire city, feeling the blend of history and modernity.
Kuan Chai Market is a place combining shopping, food, and entertainment. There are boutiques of various fashion brands and many gourmet restaurants. In addition, you may encounter cultural activities and performances, vividly showcasing Macau's vibrancy. Macau Product Gallery is a place that gathers various Macau specialty products. You can buy traditional handicrafts, special foods, and souvenirs, leaving beautiful memories.
The end of the city walk is Senado Square. Because there is the administrative building here, this has always been the central area of Macau, hence the name Senado Square. It is one of the most important historical squares in Macau. The buildings here are very distinctive. The ground is not ordinary cement but patterned with pebbles in wavy lines, very beautiful. The square is surrounded by many ancient buildings and historical sites, condensing Macau's rich history and culture. Here, you can appreciate the unique architectural style and feel Macau's history and atmosphere.
Golden Swallow Portuguese Butter Cake & Pastries:
Golden Swallow Portuguese Butter Cake & Pastries is located at 105 Rua da Alfândega, Tak Tai Building. Although the store is small, the variety of pastries is quite rich, carrying on the tradition of classic Macau pastry-making. The store is famous for butter cakes and various Portuguese-style pastries. The butter cake is handmade, soft and sticky, sweet but not greasy, with distinct layers.
Macau Restaurant Recommendations:
Restaurante Lisboa: This is a place where you can experience Portuguese culinary culture. The restaurant has a unique interior decoration, full of strong European charm. Restaurante Lisboa offers various authentic Portuguese dishes. The soup appetizer is delicious, and the main course such as Portuguese duck rice is very appetizing. What I remember most is the dessert here; the pudding is rich, sweet and melts in your mouth. One bite is very enjoyable.
Macau Restaurant Recommendations:
Restaurante Lisboa: This is a place where you can experience Portuguese culinary culture. The restaurant has a unique interior decoration, full of strong European charm. Restaurante Lisboa offers various authentic Portuguese dishes. The soup appetizer is delicious, and the main course such as Portuguese duck rice is very appetizing. What I remember most is the dessert here; the pudding is rich, sweet and melts in your mouth. One bite is very enjoyable.
Choi Heong Yuen Restaurant: If you want to try local specialty Chinese-Western fusion dishes, come to Choi Heong Yuen! This is a unique Macau-style dish, with a very distinctive flavor. Fried wontons, Macau water crab risotto, seafood pot with cream and white wine... My favorite is the handmade pasta with bacalhau, wrapped in cream, bursting with flavor in every bite.
