The City of Zhanjiang, where Guangdong Ocean University is located, is situated in the southernmost of China's mainland, standing on Leizhou Peninsular in the southwest of Guangdong Province. In ancient times, the city was called Zhenchuan, which was affiliated to Luzhou Fu, an organization higher than a county in rank. Later on, it developed into a major city in the Leizhou region, known as Guangzhou Bay.

    Now, Zhanjiang City has a total area of 13,000 square kilometers, with a total population of 7.13 million, of which 1.43 million are urban citizens. It is governing three county-level cities (Leizhou City, Lianjiang City and Wuchuan City), two counties (Suixi County and Xuwen County), and four administrative districts (Chikan District, Xiashan District, Potou District and Mazhang District). There are also one state-level economical development zone and five province-level experimental zones for economical development.

    In 1984, Zhanjiang City was enlisted as the nation's 14 inshore cities open to the outside world. Now it ranks relatively high in China among the Type-I Big Cities, the 50 Power Cities of Comprehensive Strength, and the 40 Strong Cities of Investment Environment. Since 1999, the city has successively won such national honoraries as China's Green City, Guangdong Province's Health City, China's Excellent Tourist City, etc.

    Zhanjiang City is a scenic and relatively developed port-city. With its unique location, the city has been recognized as the economic, cultural center and the transportation hub in the region of Western Guangdong. With its east coast facing South Sea, the west coast looking towards the Northern Bay, and the southern coast adjacent to Hainan Province, it is at the intersection of three provinces: Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. As an important seaport and a prime sea route, the city has the shortest travel to the Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, Atlantic and the Middle East. Its land transportation is also convenient and comfortable. It has well-linked railways and well-knitted highways reaching every corner of China. And its airport is a class 4D air harbor which has the capacity of landing large aircrafts like Boeing 737, with 31 routes linking Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Changsha, and other cities.

    The city is worldwide famous for its resources of port, ocean, agriculture, mineral, and travel. It has 22 cargo seaports with 174 docks and a seaport coast line of 2,410 kilometers which is 4 times the length of the world's biggest port. Its off-coast fishing area amounts to 150,000 square kilometers, producing 520 kinds of economical fish, 28 species of shrimp, and 547 types of shellfish. The seawater cultured pearls account for two seconds of the national total production. The continental shelf is very rich in petroleum and natural gas. Owing to the favorable geological and climatic conditions, a large variety of tropical and subtropical plants and corps can grow well here. Located right above the North Tropic of the Capricorn, the city is typical of maritime climate in tropical and subtropical zones. You can find no frigid weather in winter or sizzling hot in summer, with an average yearly temperature of 23 ℃ and a yearly rainfall of 1500 millimeters.

    Zhanjiang City boasts beautiful scenery and landscapes, featured by its sea water, islands, bays, beaches, especially its sunshine, wind-proof forests and mangrove reservation zones. You can enjoy the charm typical in the South China Sea and experience the roaring sounds of forests on Nansan Island, the dawn at the East Sea Island, grand view of fishing at Techeng Island, blue sea with soft sand at Longhaitian, the world's second largest beach, lava-formed reef at Naozhou Island, strangely shaped rocks in soothing-soft sand in Jizhao Bay, and the volcanic lake in Huguangyan, the state-level geological park. There are other scenic spots of culture and heritage value, places of historic interest, and tourist resorts, such as the state-level historical city of Leizhou, the earliest out-bound harbor as a silk seaway, and so on.

    The city is also an academic, scientific, and educational center of Western Guangdong. Located here are 3 state-run universities supervised and supported by Guangdong Province. They are Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Normal College, and Guangdong Ocean University, the biggest of the three. There are 48 institutes for scientific research or technical development, 5 centers for engineering research and development, and 2 experimental bases for technology. Scholars and experts in all fields of science and technology amount to 90,000 or so.