Paifang Street
Many arcade-style (qilou) buildings line the street, and 22 memorial archways (paifang) stand along it, giving it a lingering sense of antiquity. Beyond the historic sights,…
Paifang Street, Chaoshan
Key facts
- Admission
- Free
- Opening hours
- Open all day
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Getting there
- Take the K1 line high-speed train (高铁K1线) to Nanqiao Market, then walk 100 metres.
- Guidebook rating
- 4 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 2384. Open in Google Maps
About Paifang Street
Many arcade-style (qilou) buildings line the street, and 22 memorial archways (paifang) stand along it, giving it a lingering sense of antiquity. Beyond the historic sights, the street’s local food is also very tempting.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Paifang Street cost?
Admission to Paifang Street is Free, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
What are the opening hours of Paifang Street?
Paifang Street is open Open all day.
How do I get to Paifang Street?
Take the K1 line high-speed train (高铁K1线) to Nanqiao Market, then walk 100 metres.
How long should I spend at Paifang Street?
Plan on 1–2 hours for Paifang Street.
Where is Paifang Street?
Paifang Street is in Chaoshan, Guangdong Province, in the South China of China. No. 663 Taiping Road, Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou, Guangdong Province
More places in Chaoshan
Daoyun Tulou
One of the largest Hakka tulou (earthen round houses) discovered in China so far, its defining feature is a layout based on the Bagua (eight trigrams) diagram. Daoyun Tulou is still home to local residents, adding lively local character to the ancient earthen walls. Its unique architecture attracts many ancient-architecture experts and visitors from China and abroad to study and sightsee. It is also a paradise for photography enthusiasts.
1 hour
Guangji Bridge
Commonly known as Xiangzi Bridge, it is one of China’s four great ancient bridges, alongside Zhaozhou Bridge, Luoyang Bridge and Lugou Bridge, famed for its unique “eighteen shuttle boats and twenty-four piers” design. First built in 1171 and repaired by successive dynasties, it took on its “eighteen shuttle boats and twenty-four piers” form by 1513. The bridge is linked by 24 piers in its eastern and western sections and 18 shuttle boats in the middle. Its floating section can be opened and closed, and its structure is unusual, combining beam, arch and pontoon bridge types in one, a unique case in the history of Chinese bridge building.
¥20 · 1–2 hours
Longhu Ancient Village
The village still preserves hundreds of ancestral halls and mansions from successive dynasties, along with inscriptions, calligraphy and stone tablets left by notable scholars. Its depth of history, scale and distinctive layout are rare in Chaoshan and across eastern Guangdong.
Free · 2 hours
Han Wengong Shrine
Han Yu served as prefect of Chaozhou, where he suppressed evil practices, supported farming and sericulture, freed enslaved people and promoted education, making outstanding contributions to the region’s development. To commemorate him, the Han Wengong Shrine was built. The most worthwhile feature of the shrine is its historical stele inscriptions: 40 stone steles from different dynasties are preserved here. The most notable include the Ming-dynasty “Record of the Expanded Han Shrine” and “Merit Not Inferior to Yu”, the Qing-dynasty seal-script carving “Transmitting the Dao and Initiating Literature”, and the re-carved “Stele of the Han Wengong Temple of Changli Count in Chaozhou”. There are also plaques written by many modern celebrities.
Free admission with ID card · 1–2 hours
Kaiyuan Temple
One of the largest ancient architectural complexes in Chaozhou, Kaiyuan Temple is known as “the First Ancient Temple of Eastern Guangdong” and is one of the four surviving Kaiyuan-era temples in China.
Free · 1–2 hours
Nan'ao Island
Lying on the sea where Guangdong and Fujian meet, Nan’ao is made up of 23 islands, large and small, known as “the guardian of Chaoshan and the throat of Fujian and Guangdong”. Besides historic sites such as Changshanwei Battery, Zongbingfu and Xiongzhen Pass, the island also has Huanghua Mountain National Forest Park and the Qing’ao Bay tourist area.
Zongbingfu (Garrison Commander’s Office) ¥10; Qing’ao Bay free; Gold and Silver Island ¥5; Song Well ¥5 · 1–2 days