A man who killed 35 people in a car attack in Zhuhai last month was on Friday sentenced to death.

Fan Weiqiu was on trial at the Zhuhai Intermediate People's Court on charges of endangering public safety by dangerous means.

The court heard that Fan, 62, deliberately drove through people exercising outside a sports complex in his small SUV on November 11.

The court said his motives "were extremely vile, the nature of the crime extremely egregious, the methods particularly cruel, and the consequences particularly severe, posing significant harm to society", state media said.

In front of some of the victims' families, officials and members of the public, Fan pleaded guilty, it added.

The court found Fan had decided to vent his anger over a broken marriage, personal frustrations and dissatisfaction with the division of property after divorce, the report said.

Fan was also deprived of his political rights for life.

The incident in Zhuhai has been described as the worst attack in China in a decade. (Xinhua/AFP)