Overview

Shantou is located at the southern end of the Hanjiang Delta in the eastern part of Guangdong Province, China. It borders Chaozhou to the north, Jieyang to the west, faces the South China Sea to the south, and Taiwan is opposite to it on the other side of Taiwan strait. Shantou serves as a vital link among the Greater Bay Area, the coastal city cluster of Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang, and the original Central Soviet Area. It possesses a unique geographical advantage as the gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.

Established as a special economic zone due to overseas Chinese contributions, Shantou’s development is closely tied to “openness” and overseas Chinese capital and expertise. As one of the earliest economic special zones in China, Shantou is renowned as a major hometown of overseas Chinese. Approximately 15 million overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are originated from Chaoshan area and spread across more than 100 countries and regions worldwide.

Exemplary city for living, working, and tourism

The average annual temperature of Shantou is around 22°C, with an excellent air quality rate exceeding 98%. Shantou had been recognized as a “National Forest City”; Culinary reputation extends globally with specialties like beef hotpot, lion-head goose, seafood, and Kungfu tea.

Boasts 13 national level intangible cultural heritage items such as Yingge dance, Chao opera, Qianci (inlaid porcelain) and Chaoyang paper cutting, as well as 39 provincial level items, and 120 municipal level items.

Shantou is one of the important places where Chaoshan culture originated. As a branch of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation, Chaoshan culture is becoming much richer and more varied nowadays. In Shantou, you can find the original and remarkable Chaoshan Culture presented in different ways, such as Chaoshan dialect, Chao Opera, Chaozhou cuisine, Gongfu tea, Chaoshan craft, Chaoshan folk customs and so on.