Overview of Hailing Island
China’s Hailing Island, located in the Greater Bay Area, is approximately a 3.5-hour drive from Hong Kong. Covering 16.9 square kilometres, the island attracts around 1.2 million visitors each year and is celebrated for its pristine golden beaches and exceptional fresh seafood.
Among its key attractions are the renowned Dajiao Bay and the scenic Shili Silver Beach. Dajiao Bay, a National AAAA-rated scenic area, is known for its soft sands and well-developed recreational facilities.
Shili Silver Beach is also home to a remarkable museum currently under construction, which will house artefacts from the 600-year-old shipwreck, Nanhai No. 1, offering insight into China’s historic maritime trade routes. The ship itself is located on the beach opposite the museum, whose distinctive design makes it a noteworthy sight in its own right.
To see where Hailing Island is on the map and the distance by car from Zhuhai, please see here]
First Impressions
We visited in July and stayed for three days in a high-floor holiday apartment with a spacious balcony overlooking the sea. The property was part of a well-planned mixed development, featuring villas, apartments, swimming pools, restaurants, and a supermarket, all spread across a large, open area.
Surprisingly, there were relatively few tourists, yet every restaurant was open. Prices were remarkably low compared to Hong Kong, especially for seafood. A six-dish meal for two came to just RMB98, with everything freshly prepared to order, and even included a complimentary bottle of Coke or Sprite. Menus were also user-friendly, with photos for each dish.
Shili Silver Beach was impressive; a wide stretch of soft sand with plenty to see and do. An ancient boat, recovered from the sea and believed to be around 600 years old, adds a unique historical element.
Visitors can rent four-wheel all-terrain vehicles or try various water sports. Lifeguards patrol the shoreline, and designated swimming zones are clearly marked with ropes. There is also a private beach section that requires an entrance fee.
[Park next to the beach, and someone will place QR code receipt on your windscreen. This has to be paid upon departure and only via WeChat.]
The beaches are stunning. Clean, well-organised, and notably free from pollution. Many offer a range of water sports, including paragliding, jet skis, and other activities.
Every beach we visited had stalls selling water toys and inflatables. Although the usual tourist beach T-shirts you’d expect in similar destinations were nowhere to be found. Instead, there were plenty of vendors offering jackfruit, drinks, beer, and snacks. Most beaches also had a nearby café or stall serving ice-cold lager.
The drive across to Hailing Island was memorable, with a narrow road running close to the water. On the way in, we noticed an alternative route: a long, elevated highway off to the right. Our mapping app took us along this road for the return journey, offering a faster and more expansive drive back.
Hailing Accommodations
The Crowne Plaza Hailing Island is a luxurious five-star hotel overlooking the stunning Shili Silver Beach, one of China's most beautiful beaches. Spanning an area of 87,000 square meters, with 63,000 square meters dedicated to lush greenery, the hotel offers panoramic views of Huashan Mountain and the South China Sea.
Rather than a hotel, we stayed in a holiday apartment with a stunning sea view, access to another sandy beach, and a supermarket nearby. This was booked on Taobao.
Driving To Hailing Island
We went to Hailing Island from Foshan, so if you’re driving from Hong Kong, here’s how to do it using Apple Maps.
- Take the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to Zhuhai.
- Follow the G94 Guangzhou-Macau Expressway westward.
- Continue onto the G15 Shenyang-Haikou Expressway heading southwest.
- Take the exit for Yangjiang and follow local roads to Hailing Island.
Most highway signs are in Chinese and English, but it's always handy to have a map app for navigation or go old-school and print out the directions before you travel. It's about 300 kilometres.
We found Apple Maps to work on a limited basis, so make sure you download the map before traveling. You may also want an in-car phone charger because map apps are power thirsty.
We use WeChat to pay for the tolls, and cash is accepted, but make sure you have small denominations because it's rare for people to pay using money, so making change will be hard and may cause a delay.
The road is fast, easy to navigate, and even on a weekend, the traffic was light.
Food
Beyond the wonderfully fresh and affordable seafood, Hailing Island is also known for a local speciality — Hailing Mud Jiong Chicken. This unique dish involves a whole chicken encased in mud and slow-cooked, a traditional preparation distinctive to the island.
We were keen to try it, but unfortunately the restaurant was closed during our visit; one for next time.
Golfing
I don't golf but those that do may be interested to take their clubs and play on the Poly Nanhai No. 1 Golf Club, next to Shili Silver Beach and offers an 18-hole course designed by Schmidt Corey.
Other
Take sunscreen. We didn't get bitten by mosquitos at all but take mossie spray just in case. There are petrol stations along the highway and the price per litre is about a third of Hong Kong. There are pump attendants and you pay inside via QR code.
The sunsets are stunning on Hailing Island.
About Ivan Theodoulou
Ivan Theodoulou lives and works in Hong Kong and runs his own power / fractional PR agency (Eight PR). He first visited China in 1987 by train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and has since traveled extensively on the mainland and in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Places visited in China (by car, plane, train, high speed train, ferry, coach, bus) include: Beijing, Beijou, Chengdu, Dali, Daya Bay, Dongguan, Foshan, Ganzhou, Gaoming, Guangzhou, Hainan, Hailing Island, Heishan, Huizhou, Junan, Kunming, Lijang, Longjiang, Nanhai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Shilin Yi, Shunde, Wuzhou, Xiamen, Xiqaio, Yingde, Yinghe, Zhuhai, and Zhaoqing.
Did you know there is a Hayling Island in the UK?