Holiday in Zhanjiang

About Zhanjiang

Zhanjiang is located at the southwestern tip of the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong Province and is China's southernmost mainland city with a subtropical to tropical climate. As a former French concession (Kwang-Chou-Wan, 1898-1945), this port city combines colonial architecture with vibrant Cantonese seafood cuisine and undiscovered volcanic landscapes. The Haiwan Bridge (Zhanjiang Bay Bridge), at 3.9 kilometers long, is one of the longest sea bridges in South China, connecting the city center with the Powei Peninsula and offering spectacular views over Zhanjiang Bay. Illuminated in the evening, it is the modern landmark of the city. The Huguangyan Lake is China's best-preserved maar lake — a circular crater lake of volcanic origin, about 150,000 years old. The lake, with a diameter of 2.3 kilometers, is surrounded by tropical vegetation, and Buddhist and Taoist temples from the Song Dynasty stand along its shores. According to legend, the Chan master Jianming meditated here, which is why the place is also known as Jinghu (Mirror Lake). The Leizhou Peninsula volcanic area is the largest preserved volcanic park in China: dozens of extinct volcanic craters, basalt columns, and lava fields stretch across the peninsula. The Tianluo Mountain crater with its perfect cone shape and the Haian volcanic harbor are geological highlights. The French Concession in the Xiashan district preserves colonial buildings from 1899 to 1945: villas with arcades, a Gothic-style Catholic church, and the former French governor's building testify to a little-known episode of French-Chinese history. Some of the buildings are in decay, giving them a morbid charm. Zhanjiang is the gateway to Hainan Island — ferries and speedboats connect the city daily with Haikou on the tropical island.