# Chaoshan travel guide (潮汕) Guangdong Province · South China, China · 15 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/guangdong/chaoshan ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Daoyun Tulou → Chaozhou Ancient City → Paifang Street - **Day 2:** Kaiyuan Temple → Guangji Bridge → Han Yu Memorial Museum → Longhu Ancient Village → Shantou - **Day 3:** Nan'ao Island - **Day 4:** Queshi Scenic Area → Old Town Quarter → Shantou University → Jieyang - **Day 5:** Huangmanzhai Waterfall → Qiaolou Xiaojiao (Watchtower Dawn Bugle) ## The feel of the place - **Gongfu Tea:** Gongfu tea is the tea ritual of Chaoshan households. When you enter a Chaoshan home, guests are welcomed alike, close or distant, and the host will immediately brew gongfu tea, a courtesy handed down through generations. To savour gongfu tea is to truly understand Chaoshan culture; it is an indispensable part of daily life and has become part of every household. Antique tea caddies and exquisite teacups, wreathed in rising steam and accompanied by warm, repeated invitations of 'please', will delight you even if you do not drink; simply watching is enough to enchant. - **Ancient Charm:** Chaozhou is a city that has weathered more than 1,600 years of history. As you wander through its ancient villages, ancestral halls and streets, the mottled walls seem eager to tell you of the city's rich past. The historic architecture that survives here radiates a sense of mystery, and scholars of Chinese and foreign architecture alike marvel at its exquisite craftsmanship. This is a city of ancient charm. Accompanied by the lilting sounds of the Chaozhou dialect, a light heart grows more contemplative, and as you explore you will be irresistibly drawn into its deep history. - **Chaoshan Cuisine:** No trip to Chaoshan is complete without its food. Chaoshan cuisine is a treasure of China's culinary culture and a hallmark of Chaoshan culture, renowned at home and abroad. Diners who seek it out often say, 'Chaozhou dishes are exquisitely made, light and delicious, truly hard to leave.' As one of the three major schools of Cantonese cuisine, Chaozhou cuisine is famed far and wide for its clarity, lightness, elegance and ingenuity, and it has become a shining signature of the Chaoshan region. ## The feel of the place ### Self-Guided Itineraries Sights in the Chaoshan area are rather scattered across Chaozhou, Shantou, Jieyang and other places. Travellers can plan their own itinerary according to the time they have. ### Chaoshan Folk Customs Chaoshan preserves many folk customs that are rare across the country, such as pig competitions, tower-burning and Yingge dance. Practices recorded in ancient texts can still be seen here today. ### Preparation and Advice ### Language Shantou and Chaozhou mainly speak Teochew (Chaozhou dialect). The mountainous northern part of Raoping County in Chaozhou City and most of Jiexi County in Jieyang are Hakka-speaking areas. Standard Mandarin is generally sufficient for communication. ### Climate and Best Time to Visit The Tropic of Cancer passes through the southern part of the area, which has a subtropical monsoon climate. The region is warm and humid all year round, and all four seasons are suitable for travel. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There Transport in the Chaoshan area is built around a road network radiating from Shantou. ### By Air Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport is the main airport of the Chaoshan region, located between Shantou, Chaozhou and Jieyang. It has domestic flights to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hong Kong and other cities, as well as international flights to Bangkok, Seoul, Naypyidaw and Singapore. ### Airport Express ### High-Speed Rail The Xiamen–Shenzhen High-Speed Railway, opened in early 2013, passes through Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang. Passengers can board high-speed trains here, or travel from here to Xiamen, Shenzhen and other cities. ### By Road With Shantou as the hub, expressways reach Shanwei, Lufeng and other cities and counties throughout the Chaoshan area, making travel very convenient. National Highways 206 and 324 and several provincial roads, including 523, 527, 528, 529 and 530, serve the region. - **Chaoshan Airport** — Airport express lines are now open to Shantou East, Shantou West, Shantou Chenghai, Shantou Chaonan, Chaozhou and Jieyang. The fare to Shantou is ¥28 on all of them. ## Eat & drink Chaoshan cuisine has a history of several thousand years. Its hallmarks are dishes that are light without being bland, fresh without a fishy taste, tender without being raw, and rich without being greasy. Chaozhou’s gongfu tea (工夫茶) is also world-famous for its meticulous brewing. Across the small cups and saucers, a sequence of steps known as “Guan Gong Patrols the City” and “Han Xin Musters the Troops” unfolds, with graceful traditional vessels and fragrant tea that fills the air. ### Signature Dishes ### Specialty Food Streets Xima Road in Chaozhou, Fuping Road Food Street in Shantou, Longxing Seafood Stalls in Shantou, Chaoshan Food Street, etc. ### Chaoshan Cuisine Although the saying goes that “Chaozhou has the finest cuisine under heaven,” Shantou’s food reflects the depth of Chaoshan’s food culture. Every year Shantou hosts a variety of food festivals, and the Chaoshan Food Festival, the largest of its kind in eastern Guangdong, has created special food-themed travel routes around Shantou. ### Recommended Restaurants - **Chaoshan Signature Dishes** — Steamed Lobster, Chilled Jinzhong Chicken, Chess-Piece Tofu, Chaoshan Braised Meats, Steamed Lotus Chicken, Steamed Taiji Crab, Stir-Fried Large Prawns, Iron-Pressed Pigeon, Deep-Fried Shuangjiang Bird, Satay Beef, Wine-Soaked Shiitake, Glutinous Rice Crispy Chicken, Crispy-Skin Roast Chicken, Red-Braised Frog, Almond White Lung, etc. - **Chaozhou Snacks** — Bean-paste Haitang fruit, Hakka nian gao, sweet crystal buns, crystal balls, sha cake, dried shrimp and bamboo shoot, five-flavor ginger, glutinous rice ciba, Heping cake, oyster omelette sauce, beef balls, etc. - **Xinmeiyuan Grand Restaurant** — A hugely popular signature restaurant in Shantou serving Chaoshan-style cuisine, with a focus on seafood. Prices range from budget to upscale, and its snacks are good value. (Gaoxin Technology Development Zone, North Huashan Road, Jinping District, Shantou) - **Within the District** — - **Fuhecheng Beef Balls (Fuping Road Branch)** — A long-established name in Shantou, suited to everyday budgets. Recommended: beef balls and beef hotpot. (No. 93, Fuhe Comprehensive Building, Fuping Road, Shantou, 13670466666) - **Hu Rongquan Eatery** — A very famous old establishment. Whenever Chaozhou food comes up, someone is sure to mention “Hu Rongquan.” It is said that three well-known Chaozhou snacks were created here: yamu nian (鸭母捻), spring pancakes and qingyou subing (plain oil flatbread). (Nos. 183–185 Taiping Road, Chaozhou, 13670776143) ## Where to stay Accommodation in Chaoshan is not as convenient as in the Pearl River Delta, but prices are relatively lower. Every prefecture-level city and county town has budget two- and three-star hotels, and even cheaper guesthouses. ## Things to see - **Chaozhou Ancient City** (★★★★): Admission Ticket A ¥111; Ticket B ¥128; Time needed 3–5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/chaozhou-ancient-city - **Kaiyuan Temple** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kaiyuan-temple-chaoshan - **Guangji Bridge** (★★★★): Admission ¥20; Opening hours 10:00–17:30 (February–October); 10:00–16:30 (November–January); 9:00–17:30 (Saturdays and Sundays); Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/guangji-bridge - **Daoyun Tulou** (★★★★): Opening hours 8：00—18：00; Time needed 1 hour — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/daoyun-tulou - **Paifang Street** (★★★★): Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/paifang-street - **Longhu Ancient Village** (★★★★): Opening hours 8：30—17：30; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/longhu-ancient-village - **Han Wengong Shrine** (★★★★): Admission Free admission with ID card; Opening hours 8:30–17:00 (closed Mondays); Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/han-wengong-shrine - **Old Town Quarter** (★★★): Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/old-town-quarter - **Nan'ao Island** (★★★★): Admission Zongbingfu (Garrison Commander’s Office) ¥10; Qing’ao Bay free; Gold and Silver Island ¥5; Song Well ¥5; Time needed 1–2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/nan-ao-island - **Queshi Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission Tashan Scenic Area ¥10; Yanfeng Scenic Area ¥10; combined ticket for both areas ¥15; Longquan Cave ¥6; cable car ¥50; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/queshi-scenic-area - **Gate of Nature** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/gate-of-nature - **★** (★★★): Admission ¥20; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/-chaoshan - **Qiaolou Xiaojiao (Watchtower Dawn Bugle)** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 15–30 minutes — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qiaolou-xiaojiao-watchtower-dawn-bugle - **Huangmanzhai Waterfall** (★★★★): Admission ¥120; Time needed Half a day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/huangmanzhai-waterfall - **Qinglan Guaijiu Valley National Geopark** (★★★★): Admission ¥60; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qinglan-guaijiu-valley-national-geopark --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 2377–2391. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.