Zhanjiang

Zhanjiang was a small fishing port when it was under French occupation in the early 20th century. French colonizers forced the Qing Dynasty to agree for a 99-year lease in 1899 (in a manner similar to what British colonizers did with Hong Kong's New Territories) and renamed the city as Fort Bayard — some old colonial buildings still survive. That said, mismanagement and fierce competition with other neighbouring cities failed to create another Hong Kong for the French, and they returned Zhanjiang to China in 1946 due to unprofitability. In 1964, Zhanjiang began its development into a naval base owing to its geographic importance, and this also enabled Zhanjiang's heavy industrial development. Now it is a rapidly developing modern city and the gateway to Hainan by car and railway.

Cantonese is the main language spoken in Zhanjiang, albeit with a distinctive accent. Nevertheless, if you are fluent in standard Cantonese, this shouldn't pose too much of a challenge. The local language in Leizhou is Leizhouhua (雷州话 Léizhōuhuà), a member of the Min family of Chinese dialects that is closely related to Hainanese, though not mutually intelligible. Most younger locals are able to speak Mandarin as well, though often with a heavy accent.

Zhanjiang is at the base of the Leizhou Peninsula that points toward the island province of Hainan. Travellers often pass through Zhanjiang en route to Hainan. There are trains and buses to and from nearby mainland cities and boats to Haikou, capital of Hainan. The boat is an hour's bus ride away from Zhanjiang.

There are two major train stations and a small airport that service Zhanjiang. Buses also run daily to most nearby cities. The downtown bus terminal next to the downtown train station (end of Jiefang West Rd) has one bus daily to Kaiping at 14:00.

• 🌍 Zhanjiang Railway Station (湛江站 Zhànjiāng zhàn). The old Zhanjiang Station is commonly referred to (on maps, bus schedules) as Zhanjiang South Station (湛江南站), to distinguish it both from the former Zhanjiang North Station and the new Zhanjiang West Station. It is the terminal station for the slow "conventional" trains that come to Zhanjiang from a number of cities throughout China; it also has the baggage/parcel service department (中铁快运). It is located at the western end of the old Xiashan downtown area, and has good local bus service. The Xishan intercity bus station, with bus service to destinations throughout Guangdong and south China, is a block to the north from the train station. 
• 🌍 Zhanjiang West Railway Station (湛江西站 Zhànjiāng xī zhàn). Zhanjiang West Station has two kinds of service. It is the terminal station for the frequent high-speed (D series) train service from Guangzhou South (a bit over 3 hours), via Kaiping South and Maoming. This is also the station where "conventional" trains connecting Hainan (Haikou or Sanya) with mainland destinations stop. As many other new train stations in China, Zhanjiang West sits in an empty field a few miles west of town, but it is well served by city buses. There is also a small intercity bus station adjacent to it. 
• 🌍 Zhanjiang Wuchuan Airport (湛江吴川机场), ☏ +86-0759-8210000, zjazb@gdairport.com. A new airport in Wuchuan that is far away from downtown Zhanjiang to accommodate growing air traffic. The old airport in Xiashan District was closed and will be demolished to free urban land for redevelopment. 

A bus runs daily to Zhanjiang from Hong Kong (8 hours) via Shenzhen and tickets are ¥280 at the travel agency's office in Chikan District.

Zhanjiang is almost like two cities combined. The northern half, composed of Chikan district (赤坎区 Chìkǎn qū) and Mazhang District (麻章区 Mázhāng qū) and the southern Xiashan District (霞山区 Xiáshān qū) are separated by a less developed corridor.

The main bus routes (2, 11, 12, 22) travel from the northern districts to Xiashan and back. Smaller buses and other routes can allow you to explore more areas of the individual districts.

The Zhanjiang bus company has a list of its routes (公司所有线路) on its web site (in Chinese only).

Taxis in Zhanjiang are fairly cheap, starting at ¥5. Afterwards the fare increases by ¥2 per kilometer. Please note that there is an additional ¥1 fuel surcharge that will be added onto your final fare.

• Movie theaters, Xiashan District. There are a few movie theaters. Admission is usually around ¥25. 
• Haibin Hotel and Hotsprings, Xiashan District. Admission includes a dinner buffet and an evening to enjoy the various hotsprings and pools. 
• Body Sculpture Fitness Club (behind Chikan Nursery). A gym. 
• Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 duānwǔjié). The fifth day of the fifth month according to the lunar calendar. A large international boat race. 

As a major stop for many bikers heading to the islands, Zhanjiang has a fair range of bicycle shops to shop on components and parts. Most shops are along Minzhi Road (民治路) and certain brands such as Dahon, Giant, Merida also have their branches there.

• Trust Mart (in Shimao Shopping Complex in the center of Chikan District). A large supermarket with a number of things to buy. Also found in the same building KFC and Macau Street Food City. 
• Wal-Mart, Xiashan District and Chikan District. Has a few imported items not found at other locations and also regularly has fresh milk. 
• Export Market (on the outskirts of Xiashan District). A clothing and fabric market with goods that are produced in China for export. You can sometimes find name-brand clothing items for cheap prices here. 

Local specialties include seafood, sugarcane, charcoal-grilled oysters (炭烧蚝) and chicken (湛江鸡). The Lianjiang area is known for its red oranges (红江橙).

• Inner Mongolia Dumpling Restaurant (in 100 names village (百姓村 bǎixìng cūn)). If you would like dumplings or to sample a different variety of Chinese cuisine, this restaurant serves excellent food at inexpensive prices. 
• Steakking Kitchen Production (in the new Wal-Mart Plaza in Chikan District). An upscale restaurant. The menu includes fairly authentic western food and an excellent Japanese sushi selection. Included in the price of your meal is a free trip to the salad bar. 
• Macau Street Food City (locations in Chikan [Shimao Plaza] and Xiashan [Wal-Mart Plaza]). This restaurant is very foreigner-friendly and offers tons of dishes to choose from. 

Zhanjiang has a small bar street (酒吧街 jiǔbā jiē) in Xiashan District. Unfortunately, most places do not serve cocktails or shots, but instead tend to sell liquor by the bottle. Beers in the bar also tend to be about three to four times more expensive than on the street.

Some western-style restaurants such as Steakking Kitchen Production and the West Coast Coffeehouse (西海安 xīhǎi ān) do sell mixed drinks and shots.

Also, Wal-Mart has the best selection of spirits for sell if you would like to make your own drinks.

Zhanjiang is separated as two major districts: Chikan and Xiashan, in which Xiashan is more developed and newer than Chikan, but both districts also have plenty of hotels.

• Xiashan

Many budget hotels are along Minzhi Road (民治路) near to Jiefang East Road (解放东路). Prices range from ¥60-70 for a double room.

• Crowne Plaza (In the Xiashan District). The only five-star hotel in Zhanjiang. Hosts a buffet dinner with both western and Asian dishes. All you can eat food and beer for ¥100 per person. 

• Donghai Island, the fourth largest island in China, is about 1½ hours drive from Zhanjiang and is popular for its beaches. Buses leave regularly from the Xiashan District.
• Naozhou Island, reachable by ferry from Donghai Island.
• There are almost hourly buses to Guangzhou, the provincial capital. Buses also leave four times a day for Zhuhai, where you can easily cross into Macau.
• Several trains to Hainan Island originate in Beijing and other mainland cities, and will take you from Zhanjiang West Station to either Haikou or Sanya. It is about eight hours to Sanya, the southernmost Chinese city.
• There are also regular trains to Guilin in neighboring Guangxi province. The ride takes about eight hours.