AS we cruised through a mixed development in northern Zhongshan, about 100km from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, advertising executive Zhang Yuqiu pointed out its sudden spurt in growth.
“When I came here a few years ago to study, many of these buildings were still not around. Now, look how densely-populated this area has become,” he said.
Rated as one of China’s most liveable cities, Zhongshan has attracted people to settle down there because of its lovely landscaping, sustainable city planning and hassle-free way of life.
Despite being only a third-tier city, Zhongshan, the hometown of the late Sun Yat-sen and one of the earliest Chinese cities along with Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai in the Pearl River Delta to be developed under former leader Deng Xiaoping’s rule, is a class act in terms of city management, infrastructure and social order.
The city has some of the brightest people who translate great ideas into what it is today. Call it the influence of the revolutionary Sun.
“The city has 2.5 million people. For a city of this scale, traffic in Zhongshan is okay. It only takes 20 minutes to travel 2km in down town during peak hours,” said Zhang, a northerner who settled with his family in the city about a decade ago.
The city employs an open policy to encourage overseas Chinese to invest in and live there.
Many Hong Kong and Macau people find the city a nice place to live in, and have a great deal of properties and assets in the city.
Hopefluent Real Properties vice-general manager Jenny Ling, who has years of experience selling properties to Hong Kong and Macau people, said many of them were familiar with Zhongshan because of their proximity to the city.
According to Ling, many Macau and Hong Kong people invest in low-density residential developments in the countryside of Zhongshan, as they cannot enjoy such a living experience back in the special administrative regions.
“The ancestors of many Hong Kong and Macau people actually came from Zhongshan. Naturally, they would consider Zhongshan first when buying properties elsewhere.
“Although Zhongshan is a small city, the standard of its property development is quite high. Compared with Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the properties in Zhongshan are not far behind them in terms of planning, design, property management and building quality,” she said.
Transportation between Zhongshan, Macau and Hong Kong is very convenient.
By car and bus, it takes between one-and-a-half hours and two hours, or one can even take a ferry from Zhongshan to Hong Kong, across the Pearl River Mouth, within one-and-a-half hours.
Other factors of attraction include the similar Cantonese food culture and way of life, as well as lower cost of living in Zhongshan.
“Hong Kong people know how to enjoy life. They can spend a lot less in Zhongshan than in Hong Kong; this is a great thing for them,” Ling said.
“There is also a sense of happiness and togetherness among Zhongshan people. It’s an ideal place for people to retire, make friends, engage in communal activities and play some mahjong.”
Thomas Yu, 53, bought a bungalow in the city for about three million yuan (RM1.42mil) when he worked for Mitsubishi in Zhongshan for eight years.
He returned home twice a week, travelling between Hong Kong and Zhongshan by ferry.
“It’s really convenient and Zhongshan is very much a relaxing city. Property prices in the city are rising, but still affordable to many,” said Yu, who is now on his own having established three companies in Zhongshan.
He said the price of his property had now increased to about seven million yuan (RM3.3mil).
However, he is unsure what he will do to his villa, whether to furnish and rent it out or sell it.
“I don’t intend to live in the villa. If I rent it out, I need to spend at least 100,000 yuan (RM47,400) on renovations but I’m worried that not many people can afford a monthly rent of 20,000 yuan (RM9,480),” he said.
“However, I would like to retire in Zhongshan, as it’s my ancestral home.”
Zhao Yong, a taxi driver who settled in Zhongshan four years ago, said: “Property prices here are cheaper compared with other surrounding cities in the Pearl River Delta. Though they are cheaper, the houses here are no less comfortable or of poorer quality.”
Like Yu, Zhang was fortunate to have invested in two apartments in Zhongshan when prices were still low.
More properties are sprouting to meet demand, and they are selling like hot cakes.
All land across China belong to the government and are leased to residents on various terms and duration, depending on the land use.
According to Ling, the lease for residential-cum-commercial land is 70 years, and for strictly commercial purposes 40 years. If the government has no immediate plans for the land, occupants can extend the lease.
“There’s little room for property speculation in Zhongshan. Most people here invest for the long term,” she added.
