Maoming

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 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.

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.