Zhanjiang

Zhanjiang
湛江市
Zhanjiang Bay Bridge with Chikan's Skyline in the background
Nickname: 
"Harbor City" (港城)
Location of Zhanjiang City jurisdiction in Guangdong
Zhanjiang
Location in China
Coordinates (Zhanjiang municipal government): 21°16′12″N 110°21′27″E / 21.2701°N 110.3575°E / 21.2701; 110.3575
CountryPeople's Republic of China
ProvinceGuangdong
Municipal seatChikan District
Government
 • CCP Party ChiefZheng Renhao (郑人豪)
 • MayorJiang Jianjun (姜建军)
Area
13,225 km2 (5,106 sq mi)
 • Urban
1,720.3 km2 (664.2 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,720.3 km2 (664.2 sq mi)
Elevation
21 m (69 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)
6,981,236
 • Density527.88/km2 (1,367.2/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,931,455
 • Urban density1,122.7/km2 (2,907.9/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,931,455
 • Metro density1,122.7/km2 (2,907.9/sq mi)
GDP
 • Prefecture-level cityCN¥ 356 billion
US$ 55.2 billion
 • Per capitaCN¥ 50,814
US$ 7,876
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
524000
Area code759
ISO 3166 codeCN-GD-08
Major NationalitiesHan
County-level divisions9
License Plate Prefix粤G
Local dialect
Websitewww.zhanjiang.gov.cn
Zhanjiang
"Zhanjiang", as written in Chinese
Chinese湛江
Jyutpingzaam3gong1
Cantonese YaleJaamgōng
Hanyu PinyinZhànjiāng
Postal
  • Tsamkong
  • Fort Bayard (pre-1946)
Literal meaningAzure River
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhànjiāng
Wade–GilesChan4-ch'iang1
IPA[tʂântɕjɑ́ŋ]
Wu
Romanizationzaekaon
Hakka
RomanizationChhám-kông
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJaamgōng
Jyutpingzaam3gong1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJTām-kang
Leizhou RomanizationTchiàm-kōng

Zhanjiang is a port city in southern China, located on the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong province. The prefecture-level city administers the entire Leizhou Peninsula, which lies directly opposite to Haikou, the capital of the Hainan province, across the Qiongzhou Strait. It is the southernmost port on the coast of mainland China, serving as a centre of commerce and navigation for much of southwestern China. The city's built-up urban centre consists of four districts: Chikan, Xiashan, Potou, and Mazhang.

According to the 2020 census, the city's resident population was 6,981,236, down slightly from 6,994,832 in 2010—the highest decade-census figure to that date. More recent estimates (2023) place the total resident population at about 7,078,400, an all-time high, while the urban population of the built-up centre is estimated at roughly 3,402,700 (2023), also an all-time high.

In 2007, the Chinese Cities Brand Value Report ranked Zhanjiang among China's ten most livable cities.

Zhanjiang's culture is shaped by the Leizhou Peninsula, home to the distinctive Leizhou Opera (雷剧). The city also hosts a major base of the People's Liberation Army Navy.