Zhanjiang, city in southern China, in southwestern Guangdong province. It is located on the eastern coast of the Leizhou Peninsula and is connected by railroad to the Hunan-Guangxi line to the north.
Zhanjiang was a small fishing port when it was occupied by the French in 1898. The next year, the French forced the Chinese to lease Zhanjiang to them for 99 years. The French wanted to develop the port, which they called Fort Bayard, to serve southern China, where France had exclusive rights to railway and mineral development. Their efforts, however, were hindered by the poverty of the surrounding land. The French retained control of the region until 1943, when the Japanese occupied the area during World War II. The Japanese relinquished control to the Chinese in 1945. Since 1955 Zhanjiang has developed industry, especially shipyards, textile plants, and sugar refining. A modern port is also under contruction. Population (1991) 349,032.
