Zhuhai is to Macau as Shenzhen is to Hong Kong. That's to say, like Shenzhen, it was designated a Guangdong Special Economic Zone in the 1980s in order to capitalize on its proximity to a long-time foreign colony. And just as laid-back Macau has always played second fiddle to high-powered Hong Kong, Zhuhai is a far more relaxed place than booming Shenzhen.

Today, modest Zhuhai is popular with tourists for its green expanses, decent beaches, intriguing offshore islands and laid-back vibe. It's also the site of a major border crossing into Macau and its Gongbei Port is a great place to find bargains on a bewildering range of goods. Within easy reach of metropolises like Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Zhuzhai (which translates as "Pearl of the Sea") makes for a pleasant side trip from its better-known Pearl River Delta neighbors. 

Home to several wonderful parks—Haibin Park and Jingshan Park with its peculiar boulder-covered Paradise Hill are standouts—Zhuzhai is also known for its massive theme park, New Yuanming Palace, a replica of Beijing's original Yuanming Yuan that also features numerous models of famous sites from around the world and Lost City, a large water park.
 

Zhuzhai's modern history began in 1980 when it was designated a Special Economic Zone, two years after Shenzhen. Its longer history extends well into the Stone Age, with artifacts dating back to at least 2000 BC having turned up in the area. 

Known in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) as Xiangshan, the region where Zhuzhai stands today became a major salt producer. The area, however, remained relatively peripheral well into the 20th century. In 1953, the government created Zhuhai County, bringing together historical Xiangshan with 146 islands—the Wanshan Archipelago, Sanzao Island and Dangan Archipelago.
 

Zhuhai has a subtropical monsoon climate, enjoying an annual average temperature of 22.4°C. January and February are the coldest months and tend to be drier, too, with the temperature and rainfall picking up in spring and summer as the region heads into typhoon season during late summer and early fall. In the event of a typhoon warning, travel is not recommended.