Observations of change in Zhuhai

I first lived and worked in Zhuhai from March, 2000 to September 2003. After a three year stay in the U.S., I returned to Zhuhai in December of 2006. While I was in the U.S., I maintained contact with several friends and former colleagues back here. They continuously told me that Zhuhai was changing so rapidly that they were having trouble keeping up. When I first began to inquire about returning, I was told several times; “This is not the same Zhuhai that you left in 2003.”

I must say that I didn’t pay too much attention to all of these comments. After all, how much could a relatively small (by Chinese standards) city change in three years? Certainly it couldn’t have changed so much that it wouldn’t be recognizable, could it? Well, it hasn’t. Although there have been some significant changes, thank goodness this is still the same old Zhuhai that I knew and loved “back in the day”. What follows are some of the changes in Zhuhai that I have observed since my return. Your comments and/or additions are more than welcome.

Since 2003, when Macau abolished the monopoly on gaming licenses and the resulting boom in the casino business there, and the significant and continuous lowering of the import/purchase taxes on private automobiles, there has been a notable increase in both local and pass-through vehicular traffic in Zhuhai. Perhaps the most visible (or audible) symptom of this condition can be best illustrated by the following anecdote. My first apartment after my return was located on the 13th floor facing Fenghuang Road in Wanzaisha. From about 7:30 am to 6:30 pm there was/is a constant, loud cacophony of car, truck and bus horns. I’m sure that you know what I mean; BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!

Bus or taxi rides from Xian Zhou to or from Gongbei, which used to take only 20 to 30 minutes during the peak traffic hours, now takes 35 to 50 minutes even during the “low” traffic times. Zhuhai did not then, nor does it now have the adequate infrastructure to handle all of this increased traffic.

In all fairness, I am well aware that the city is making a concerted effort to do what it can to relieve some of the traffic problems, but there are simply no short-term solutions. It will take several years to catch up and make any significant improvements to this ever-worsening situation.

More to come