What are the best places to eat in Zhanjiang? What are the recommended restaurants?
Naozhou Lighthouse
"While Luodousha Lighthouse is gradually fading from view, Naozhou Island is home to Naozhou Lighthouse, one of the world’s three most famous lighthouses."
Naozhou Lighthouse stands on a hilltop in the southeast of Menggang Village, Naozhou Town, Zhanjiang. Built in the 25th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1899), it is one of only two crystal-mirror lighthouses in the world, ranking alongside the lighthouses of London and Cape Town as one of the world’s three great lighthouses.
Ancient Camphor Forest
"Yunjiao Village in Mazhang, Zhanjiang, boasts a rare ancient camphor forest, home to legends of the Stone Moon and Stone Boat."
湛江麻章云脚村古樟林
Yunjiao Village in Mazhang features a rare ancient camphor forest, the only one of its kind in Guangdong and a unique sight nationwide. Revered by locals as the "Sacred Forest," it lies 23 kilometers from downtown Zhanjiang. As the village’s natural ancestral woodland, it has stood for over a thousand years.
The forest alternates with farmland and lakes, offering serene rural scenery. Inside, ancient camphors soar skyward, old vines hang in twists, and the breeze carries a refreshing camphor scent. As a national second-class protected tree, camphor repels insects, keeping the forest nearly free of mosquitoes and flies.
Xinliao Island
"If you’ve only visited famous large islands, head to Xinliao Island in Xuwen. Its dreamlike windmills make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale."
湛江徐闻新寮岛
Located in the northeast of Xuwen County, facing the South China Sea, Xinliao Island is a depositional island on the eastern Leizhou Peninsula. It ranks as Zhanjiang’s fourth-largest island, after Donghai, Nansan, and Naozhou Islands. Blessed with natural advantages, it is one of China’s top regions for wind energy potential.
Nansan Island
"Zhanjiang’s harbor is dotted with stunning islands like Nansan Island—uncrowded and easily accessible."
湛江南三岛
Together with Donghai, Naozhou, and other islands, Nansan Island forms the outer defense line of Zhanjiang Port. Its eastern coast, blessed with sunshine, beaches, sea, forests, and historic sites, shines like a pearl embedded in the magnificent South China Sea. The renowned writer Bing Xin once praised the Nansan Island embankment in her work Ten Days in Zhanjiang.
Chikan
"Chikan Old Street is Zhanjiang’s most vibrant, life-filled ancient quarter—wandering here brings unexpected delights."
湛江赤坎老街
As Zhanjiang’s oldest district in Guangdong Province, Chikan was once a thriving commercial hub.
Originally a small ancient fishing port, Chikan took shape as early as the Song Dynasty. Under French colonial rule, its architecture bears strong French influences.
The area features a blend of European colonial architecture (late 19th–early 20th century) and Lingnan arcade buildings, forming a unique "Nanyang-style" architecture. A product of Eurasian cultural fusion, it holds great value for history, appreciation, and development.
Beyond Western-style buildings, the old town has winding alleys and large Lingnan-style residences. The arcade complexes, once bustling commercial streets in the Guangzhou Bay era, reflect the port city’s trading legacy. These historic streets and residences are invaluable for studying Chikan’s history, commerce, customs, and folk culture.
Cunjin Road
"Cunjin Road’s beauty lies in its kapok trees. Whether driving or walking, you’ll want to pause and admire them without disturbing the peace."
湛江赤坎寸金路
Cunjin Road in Chikan District, Zhanjiang, takes its name from Cunjin Bridge. Built in 1925 to commemorate the 1898–1899 resistance by Suixi locals against French occupation of Guangzhou Bay, the bridge symbolizes that "every inch of the motherland’s land is as precious as gold."
Seaside Park
"Beyond the iconic Ferris wheel, Seaside Park’s embankment on clear days blends blue sky, white clouds, and rolling waves—a breathtaking sight."
湛江海滨公园
Zhanjiang Seaside Park lies on the northeastern coast of Xiashan District. With pale sandy beaches, azure waters, tall coconut trees, lush lawns, and vibrant flowers, it showcases subtropical coastal charm and is known as Zhanjiang’s "City Living Room."
French Commissioner’s Office in Guangzhou Bay
"Xuwen’s pineapple fields stretch across thousands of mu—enough to cover five Macaos—and are hailed as the ‘Hokkaido Flower Fields of the South.’"
Tips: Xuwen hosts an annual Pineapple Culture & Tourism Festival. Visit during the event to experience being "surrounded by pineapples"!
Leizhou West Lake & Su Er Village
"Both Leizhou West Lake and Su Er Village have stories linked to the great writer Su Dongpo."
湛江雷州西湖
Originally named Luohu Lake, Leizhou West Lake was built in the Northern Song Dynasty. After the great poet Su Shi and his brother Su Zhe enjoyed boating here, it was renamed West Lake雷州市人民政府. Later, to honor Su Shi, locals built Su Gong Pavilion in the lake during the Ming Jiajing reign雷州市人民政府.
In 1097 (the 7th year of Shaosheng reign), Su Shi was exiled from Huizhou to Danzhou. Traveling thousands of miles through Leizhou, he reunited with his brother Su Zhe, who was also exiled here雷州市人民政府. The brothers spent a day boating on Luohu Lake, enchanted by its beauty. Afterward, they rested at Tianning Temple by the lake, where Su Shi wrote the inscription "No.1 Under All Mountains"雷州市人民政府.
湛江遂溪苏二村
Su Er Village, originally named Litchi Village, was famous for its lychee trees. Su Dongpo loved lychees, famously writing, "I’d eat three hundred lychees a day, and never leave Lingnan." When traveling from Huizhou to Hainan, he visited the village but arrived after lychee season.
After his pardon and return north, he visited again and finally tasted the lychees. To honor his two visits, villagers renamed the village Su Er Village (meaning "Su Dongpo Visited Twice"). Today, it is a Characteristic Cultural Village of Suixi County and is applying for the title at the city level.
Dahan Sandun
"Hidden in Xuwen is Dahan Sandun, the departure port of the Maritime Silk Road during the Han Dynasty."
湛江徐闻大汉三墩
Located in Nanshan Town, Xuwen County, Dahan Sandun Scenic Area marks the site of the ancient Han Dynasty departure port of the Maritime Silk Road, adjacent to the North Port Wharf of the Yuehai Railway. In 2001, Xuwen Port was confirmed as one of the earliest departure ports of the Maritime Silk Road.
How did the three small islets in the bay come to be?
Local legend tells a poignant tale: Long ago, three beautiful sisters from central China fled imperial orders to become palace maids. They journeyed south to Taowang Port, hiding under assumed names. Eventually discovered by imperial soldiers, they jumped into the sea. Days later, three islets emerged where they drowned—now known as the Three Mounds (Sandun).
Hedi Reservoir
"Visit Hedi Reservoir to see what Guangdong’s largest ‘man-made sea’ looks like."
湛江鹤地水库
Located in Hechun Town, northern Leizhou Peninsula, Hedi Reservoir spans Luchuan and Bobai counties in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, along the middle reaches of the Jiujiang River. Crossing Guangdong and Guangxi, it is known as the "Man-made Sea", with a storage capacity of about 1.2 billion cubic meters and numerous scenic spots.
Hedi Yinhu Scenic Area is officially designated as a National Water Conservancy Scenic Area. Guo Moruo, former Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress, wrote: "Three hundred thousand people toil as one, moving earth to level the plain; a millennial feat of mountains moved and seas made, echoing through the ages."
Vidor Catholic Church
"The church is stunning at night, too."
湛江维多尔天主教堂
"Vidor Catholic Church is grand and magnificent, embodying Zhanjiang’s colonial past."
Located on Lvyin Road, Xiashan District, Vidor Catholic Church (also known as Xiashan Catholic Church) stands tall and solemn, surrounded by flowers and trees. As Zhanjiang’s only Gothic church and one of the country’s major Catholic churches, it features:
Style: Gothic, facing east, with brick, stone, and reinforced concrete construction, stone-like facades, and a double-spire design.
Exterior: A 61-square-meter forecourt enclosed by square iron railings, a garden behind, and towering twin stone spires piercing the sky.
Interior: Pointed ribbed vaults, granite tracery windows above the main entrance and around the arches, and stained glass windows in deep red, yellow, blue, and green—creating a dazzling light display.
In 1991, it was designated as a Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit of Zhanjiang.