A Memorable Trip to Hengqin Island, Zhuhai
Introduction
On July 5, 2020, I was deeply attracted by the charm of Hengqin Island in Zhuhai. The idea of this trip came when I was lost in thought looking at the sea while reading Walden. At that moment, a message from my friend k invited me to Hengqin Island. Hengqin, the largest among over a hundred islands in Zhuhai, is like an untouched paradise. It’s surrounded by water, with a mild climate, beautiful scenery, fresh air, and well – preserved original vegetation, which perfectly fits my longing for a pastoral life.
Attractions in Hengqin Island
1. Lijun Pandu Square
- Appearance and Style: Opposite the Hengqin Port, Lijun Pandu Square is a newly – emerging photo – taking spot in Zhuhai. It’s the first large – scale Portuguese – style complex in Zhuhai, an art shopping center integrating Chinese and Western cultures. With Portuguese court – style architecture, it’s full of exotic flavors. The palace – style carvings follow the Manueline style, aiming at the harmony of people, architecture, and the city, achieving the unity of art and technology, function and form, nature and man – made.
- Location and Transportation: It’s very convenient to reach. It’s right opposite the Hengqin Port, just one customs away from Macau. It’s also at the hub of the railway and the main road, seamlessly connected to the Hengqin Station of the first phase of the Zhuji Intercity Rail. You only need to walk about 20 meters from the station to the square. Its address is on the west side of Huandao East Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai. You can take buses 14, 62, 86, 87, 89, k10, k11 to the Yinxin Garden Bus Station and then walk for a few minutes.
2. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
- General Introduction: One of the must – visit places in Zhuhai. Here, you can get up close to rare animals like whale sharks, beluga whales, and polar bears. It’s also a great science – popularization base for both kids and adults to learn about marine knowledge and animals. It has won many world records and offers a comprehensive ocean – themed vacation experience with accommodation, dining, and entertainment.
- Specific Areas:
- Ocean Avenue: As soon as you enter the park, you’ll be shocked by the world’s largest LED devil – fish screen. Walking through it is like entering a magical movie.
- 5D Castle Cinema: After passing through Ocean Avenue, start your tour from the right. The 5D Castle Cinema is a good place to watch The Adventures of Kaka first.
- Dolphin Island: Besides seeing dolphins playing on the ground, you should go down the thatched – cottage栈道 to get a close look at the Pacific white – sided dolphins. These dolphins from the South Pacific are very lively, often jumping out of the water. You can feel their high swimming speed through the glass, which can reach up to 12 nautical miles per hour.
- Rainforest Tower and Parrot Coaster: Along the way, you’ll see the Rainforest Tower, a vertical – up – and – down ride that’s not as intense as a跳楼机. When it goes up, you can overlook the whole ocean kingdom. If you want more excitement, try the Parrot Coaster and just scream out!
- Whale Shark Museum: It’s the most spectacular museum in the ocean park. There’s a huge three – dimensional whale shark statue at the entrance. Inside, you can see many Guinness World Record signs, such as the largest acrylic board, the largest aquarium display window, etc. There’s an arc – shaped underwater corridor with all kinds of fish, corals, and even Nemo and his friends. You’ll also see devil fish, hammerhead sharks, turtles, and of course, the huge whale sharks. The exit has a large transparent dome like the vast universe.
- Beluga Whale Museum: When you enter, you’ll first see a model of the Jiaolong manned submersible. Then you can see the beluga whales. Despite their seemingly clumsy appearance, they are very flexible, able to turn their heads 90 degrees and nod.
- Manatee Museum: Manatees from West Africa are also known as “mermaids”. They have a large and streamlined body without hind limbs and dorsal fins, with a very special appearance.
- Polar Iceberg Coaster: Not far from the beluga whale museum, it’s a great choice for excitement and cooling off. It’s recommended to prepare a disposable raincoat in advance, or you can buy one in the scenic area.
- Polar Bear Museum: There are some cute brown bears at the entrance. Inside, it’s very cool as polar bears live in extremely cold environments. Polar bears evolved from brown bears, and their genes are very close to those of the grizzly bear in North America. There are also Arctic wolves and Arctic foxes in the museum.
- Penguin Museum: Penguins are birds. Although they can’t fly, they are excellent swimmers and divers. You can observe them from all angles here, and sometimes you’ll even be confused whether they are in the water or flying in the sky.
- Ocean Night Light Parade: Around 7:40 p.m., there will be an ocean night light parade passing by the whale shark museum. You can see mermaids, pirate ships, cute penguins, etc.
- Ocean Defense Battle: It may be the most beautiful night sky in Hengqin. With the fireworks blooming and the lights changing, the sky looks like a mysterious ocean and universe. There’s also a voice calling on humans to save the earth and protect the ocean. More than a hundred drones will transform into whale sharks or devil fish. It’s a feast of sound, light, electricity, fountains, and drone shows on the Hengqin Sea.
- Tips for Ticket – buying and Dining:
- Buy tickets online in advance and enter the park with a QR code and ID card (if you forget your ID card, you can also enter with the QR code and ID number).
- There are adult tickets, child tickets, and tickets with or without lunch and dinner. Generally, tickets with meals are more cost – effective.
- You can use the QR code to choose a lunch or dinner worth 88 yuan or less at the park’s theme restaurants (Ocean Avenue Restaurant, Castle Restaurant, Rainforest Restaurant, Hengqin Bay Restaurant, Hero Family Restaurant, Walrus Restaurant). If the meal costs more, you just need to pay the difference. Remember the dining times: lunch is from 11:00 to 15:00, and dinner is from 16:00 to the end of the restaurant’s business hours (usually 19:00).
- Tips for Visiting the Park:
- The park opens at 10:00 a.m. It’s recommended to start from the right and tour in a circular route.
- The park is quite large, so it’s advisable to get a park guide at the entrance. The performance times at different times of the day are also shown on the sign at the entrance.
- There are various restaurants in the park, so you don’t have to worry about food.
- You need to prepare a raincoat for the Polar Iceberg Coaster. It costs 15 yuan in the park.
- The closing time of each museum is generally 19:00, and the whale shark museum closes at 19:30 (subject to the actual time in the park). Since the whale shark museum is one of the most important museums in the park and is very crowded, if you want to take a photo without people, it’s recommended to enter it near the closing time. After leaving the whale shark museum at 19:45, you can just catch the Ocean Night Light Parade passing by the museum’s entrance.
- Accommodation – Penguin Hotel: It’s right next to the entrance of the ocean kingdom, which is very convenient. Hotel guests can enter the park half an hour earlier. The penguin theme is very popular among kids and even makes girls feel girly. It’s the most popular hotel in the resort area, probably because of its proximity to the park and good service. There are also other accommodation options like Hengqin Bay Hotel, Circus Hotel, and Yinghai Apartment.
3. Hengqin Innovation Square – Lionsgate Entertainment World
- General Introduction: It’s a must – visit place in Hengqin, Zhuhai. It’s an indoor amusement facility themed around popular movies of Lionsgate Studios in the United States, such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, Now You See Me, and Escape Plan.
- Specific Projects:
- Twilight: Midnight Chase: It’s a motorcycle project. You wear a VR helmet and ride a cool off – road motorcycle in the jungle. You’ll feel like you’re protected by wolves and fighting side by side. When a vampire suddenly jumps out and grabs your motorcycle, you’ll really want to punch. The sense of immersion is very strong.
- Twilight: Bella’s Exploration: This project is full of love, adventure, and courage, just like love itself, sometimes gentle and sometimes exciting.
- Eye of Power: Eternal City: It’s a roller – coaster project themed around a divine battle. With VR, you’ll fly over ancient Egypt, experiencing the thrill of suspension and weightlessness.
- The Hunger Games: It’s a project in a dynamic simulation experience cabin, where you’ll have a rapid chase. You’ll wonder who will be the last survivor in this fight of the fittest.
- Deep Valley Brave Challenge: Different from VR projects, it’s a high – altitude challenge project with three different heights. The highest one is more than 6 meters. It tests your courage, physical strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility.
4. Macau Street View
Just across the sea from Hengqin is Macau. You can feel the charm of Macau here, whether it’s the charming night view or the egg – tart shops and herbal – tea stalls on the streets. It’s also a popular photo – taking spot, and every photo you take here has a unique flavor.
5. National Geographic Explorer Center in Hengqin Innovation Square
It’s a great place for parent – child activities. It uses VR technology and is more educational for kids, inspiring their spirit of exploration and helping them understand nature. You can also feel like a kid again. For example, you can take a round – trip in a 360 – degree immersive simulated space capsule. You’ll encounter various charming marine creatures in the deep – sea exploration and learn how to protect them. There are also other projects like wild racing, natural forces, extreme expeditions, talking to animals, archaeological excavations, and imagination reconstruction, which teach us to love our planet.
6. Xingledu Camping Town
- General Introduction: It’s a place to get away from the city noise, get close to nature, and explore the “wild fun”. It has an outdoor camping style themed around “Sailing Adventure on Qin Island”. There are various types of accommodation like “Star – sky RVs”, “Luxury Tents”, “Star Cubes”, “Characteristic Wooden Houses”, “Waterfront Residences”, “Xianyeju”, “Adventure Wooden Houses”, and “Qinfange”.
- Features: “Qinfange” is designed in the shape of a sailboat, making you feel like you’re on an island in a sea – going journey. There’s a prince, a princess, and elves on this “island”. Every morning when you wake up, you’ll feel like you’re in a fairy – tale world. There’s a lawn in front of each room for barbecuing. Each type of room is a great photo – taking spot. There are also various entertainment facilities for kids outdoors, like Winnie the Pooh – themed areas and sandpits. You can buy ingredients at the nearby seafood market and have a barbecue in front of your room with your family or friends, which is very relaxing. The room rate usually includes breakfast, and there are also simple meals available. If you want lunch or dinner, there aren’t many choices in the hotel. You can go to Hengqin Commune a few kilometers away, where there are many Shunde – style restaurants.
- Location and Transportation: Its address is Xingledu Hengqin Camping Town, Zhuhai. It’s located on Huandao North Road, Hengqin New Area, Zhuhai. It’s near two of the most beautiful scenic spots in Hengqin – Hengqin Flower Corridor and Mangzhou Wetland Park. It’s 18 kilometers away from Zhuhai Intercity Rail Station (about 25 minutes by taxi), 24 kilometers away from Jiuzhou Port (about 35 minutes), and 51 kilometers away from Zhuhai Airport (about 50 minutes).
7. Xingqita Power – free World
It’s next to the camping town. It’s a full – age – range parent – child paradise themed around a fantasy ocean adventure, advocating an immersive play experience. You can play rope – net climbing, swinging, sliding, bouncing, sensory – experience, and expansion games here. A good way to visit is to stay in the camping town at night and go to the park when the sun is about to set. You can enjoy the dreamy fairy – tale world and won’t be too hot. The ticket prices are 150 yuan for the summer – special day – time session, 180 yuan on weekdays, and 60 yuan for the night session. The opening hours are from 10:00 to 19:00 from January 1st to December 31st, Monday to Sunday, and from 16:00 to 20:30 for the night session from August 1st to September 30th, Monday to Sunday.
8. Hengqin Mangzhou Wetland Park
In the hot weather, we were eager for a cool and quiet place, so we went to Mangzhou Wetland Park and the Flower Corridor. We rented a car near the dock and drove to the park. It’s located at the northwest corner of Hengqin New Area, at the intersection of Modaomen Waterway and Malizhou Waterway. It’s the first wetland park in Zhuhai themed around a bird ecological home. It’s like a backyard for urban people. You can walk on the wooden栈道 or the floating bridge, and live in harmony with the surrounding mangroves and more than 60 species of birds in this long – awaited ecological pastoral area. The co – existence of saltwater and freshwater and the combination of lakes and the sea make the original ecology here very diverse. The plants are lush and full of vitality. When the migration season comes, it becomes a paradise for migratory birds. When you overlook the wetland park, you’ll see blue sky and clear water, with a vast view. Whether in terms of space or visual layout, it creates a unique wetland comprehensive landscape. If you don’t have a drone, you can climb up the “Santai Lan Yue” to get a full view of the wetland, which is very spectacular. The design of the landscape – tree observation tower is very beautiful, standing in the wetland like a beautiful scenery. You can also see other special landscapes like “Qixia Guanlu”, “Fisherman’s Song at Dusk”, “Nine – Curve Lotus Bridge”, and “Release Square”.
9. Hengqin Flower Corridor
Walking on the flower corridor is like reliving your care – free childhood. The corridor is composed of flowering plants like cherry – blossom kapok, flame trees, kapok, and some ground – cover plants like ixora, allamanda, and rhododendron. It’s about 13.4 kilometers long, starting from the west after the Hengqin Bridge and stretching eastward. It has flowers blooming all year round. There are five stations connected by greenways on the corridor. The stations have white walls and red tiles, and some have bell towers with a fairy – tale flavor, integrating the local coastal architectural style of Hengqin. There are also stations in European, Lingnan, and ecological styles, each with its own unique scenery. It’s recommended to start from Station 1. You can take buses 14, 86, 87, 88, k10, k11 to the Hengqin Bridge South Station and then walk about 1 kilometer north to Qinhai North Road. Bus 87 can directly take you to Mangzhou Wetland Park.
10. Hengqin Stone Garden
The stone garden interprets the relationship between stones and the earth, human life, love, art, music, and folk customs through landscape language. When you enter the strange – stone museum, you’ll be shocked by the first strange stone, which is the garden’s signature stone. It looks a bit like the map of China, shaped like a rooster crowing at dawn and a Chinese “dragon”, which is a unique strange stone, symbolizing the rise of China.
11. The Hengqin Branch of China紫檀 Museum
- General Introduction: It’s located in the center of Hengqin Island, Zhuhai, Guangdong. It has a rich collection of rosewood artworks, showing the preciousness of rosewood. It’s themed around Chinese wood – working culture, combining Chinese architecture and classical furniture. It displays 6 groups of miniature ancient – building models and more than 400 pieces of Ming and Qing – style furniture, where you can appreciate the beauty of Ming and Qing court furniture and ancient architecture.
- Specific Floors:
- First Floor: It starts from the Qianqing Palace in the foyer. The screen throne here is made according to the gilded dragon – patterned screen throne in the Qianqing Palace of the Forbidden City, following traditional craftsmanship. The screen is made of teak and covered with gold. There are also models of the Forbidden City corner tower, double – ring pavilion, and courtyard house made of rosewood, as well as large – scale models of old Beijing city gates. The tenon – and – mortise structure, delicate carvings, and textures show the long – standing national cultural heritage and strong oriental charm.
- Second Floor: You can overlook the architectural structures like the courtyard house from here. It’s also a great place for Hanfu lovers to take photos.
- Third Floor: It holds a special exhibition of Forbidden City court furniture called “The Glory of the Forbidden City”. More than a hundred precious court cultural relics are on display for the first time outside the Forbidden City. These relics have high historical, artistic, and research values. Through the exhibition, the scene of the Qing – dynasty imperial court life and the cultural connotation of
