Maoming

Maoming (茂名; Màomíng) is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province in China. It also administers the nearby county-level cities of Xinyi (信宜), Gaozhou (高州) and Huazhou (化州). Maoming has a very young history and is known for its petrochemical industry.

Understand

The name "Maoming" comes from Pan Maoming, an ancient Chinese Taoist priest. In the 1950s, a large amount of oil shale was discovered in the area, so the Chinese government decided to build a new city based on the oil industry. Maoming was established in 1959 and upgraded to a prefecture-level city in 1975.

The most famous local historical figure is Madam Xian, who was the female leader of Li people, promoted reconciliation between Li and Han people, and successfully brought Hainan Island under Chinese rule. Later generations regarded her as a deity and built many temples to commemorate her. Her most famous saying is "I served the masters of three dynasties with only a good heart."

Get in

By plane

There is no airport in Maoming. The nearest airport to Maoming is Zhanjiang Wuchuan International Airport, where there are direct buses to Maoming. You can also go to the airport in Guangzhou and then take a train or bus to Maoming.

By train

There are two major train stations in Maoming:

• Maoming Railway Station. The main local station, located in the city center. There are high-speed and low-speed railroads to Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Nanning, Beijing and Hong Kong.
• Maomingwest Railway Station. It used to be the main station in Maoming, but now it has declined. Only low-speed railroads to Guangzhou, Nanning, and Kunming.

By bus

There are many buses going to Maoming.

Get around

Maoming has a relatively good public transportation system. Municipal buses and tour buses will take you to the tourist attractions you want to see, though you might have to wait a long time for them to arrive. These buses also often skip stops unless you ring the bell before you have to get off.

See

• 1 Open Pit Ecological Park (露天矿生态公园). Where the city of Maoming sprang up. It used to be a mine where a large amount of oil shale was mined, but now it is no longer mined. The mine has accumulated water to form a lake, and the area has been converted into an ecological park. There are green trees everywhere, and a museum introducing the history of Maoming. 
• 2 China's First Beach (中国第一滩). The most famous beach in Maoming, it is a must-visit place for Maoming people on vacation. The beach stretches from the mountains in the west to the harbor in the east. 
• 3 Chicken Island (放鸡岛). The most famous island in Maoming, the island is a resort with a number of hotels. 
• 4 Madam Xian's Native Place (冼太夫人故里). 
• 5 Temple of Madam Xian (冼太庙 Xiǎn Tài Miào), 18 Guangming Road, Gaozhou (高州市光明路18号) (Take bus no. g1 from the Maoming Railway Station. The bus terminates here). Temple dedicated to Madam Xian, one of the most widely-celebrated female military leaders in Chinese history. There are many Madam Xian temples in Maoming. This one is said to be the largest. Free.  
• 6 Tianmashan (天马山). 
• 7 Gaozhou Immortals' Cave (高州仙人洞风景区). (updated Dec 2017)
• 8 Maoming City Museum (茂名市博物馆), 20 Renmin Road North (人民北路20号) (The nearest bus stop is New Lake Park (新湖公园), which is served by bus routes 11, 18, 302, and 309), ☏ +86 668 2899355, bwg2899355@163.com. 09:00-12:00, 14:30-17:30. Free. (updated May 2018)

Eat

Eateries in Maoming mainly serve Cantonese cuisine, but the city also has some unique delicacies of its own:

• Claypot Rice Noodles（沙煲粉）: A common snack in Maoming, it's mainly made of rice noodles, with bean sprouts, peanuts, cabbage, etc.
• Shiguanzui（食惯嘴）: A kind of rice noodle skin from Maoming, it's thin, smooth, soft and chewy and very delicious.
• Shuidong Duck Congee（水东鸭粥）: A simple snack from Shuidong, Maoming, consisting of duck soup congee and duck meat.