China Travel Guides
Last updated 2026-08-24

Shantou Travel Guide: Five Places Worth Visiting and How to Plan the Route

Before coming to Shantou, the two words you hear most are "qilou" (arcade houses) and "island." I checked the often-mentioned Shantou sights one by one against public sources, and kept five worth a dedicated trip. The standard was simple: there has to be something real to see, and none too far from the others. Shantou opened as a port in 1860, the third in China to set up a customs office. The old city's arcade houses, the islands on the sea, and the overseas-Chinese mansions of Chenghai are all the physical residue of that history. And the fame of Chaozhou cuisine adds the most solid pleasure to the trip.

When to come to Shantou

Shantou has a subtropical monsoon climate; January averages 13.8°C, July 28.3°C, and the year as a whole 21.5°C. No heavy coat needed in winter; in summer, with the sea nearby, days are hot but nights breezy. What to avoid is summer's typhoon season — once a typhoon arrives, the seaside and islands both have to give way. I'd suggest coming in spring or autumn: the temperature is most comfortable, and off-peak the crowds are thinner. Winter works in a pinch — a light jacket is enough.

Sights in the city worth a visit

Small Park (Xiaogongyuan) Arcade Historic and Cultural Block

The central square of the Small Park arcade block, Shantou
Xiaogongyuan square. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Sgnpkd, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Small Park sits at the center of Shantou's old town, with the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Pavilion at its core, and Anping, Shengping, and Guoping roads radiating outward in a fan. The sources are clear: this is the largest surviving arcade-house district on the Chinese mainland, its street pattern preserving the look of the 1930s. A "qilou" is a building whose second floor and above project a corridor over the street — the arcade gives shade and shelter from rain, the ground floor opens as shops, a common arrangement in the old coastal trading ports of Fujian and Guangdong. Shantou's port throughput once ranked third nationally, and its commercial scale entered the national top ranks; these arcade houses are the physical record of those decades of accumulation.

Visiting Small Park needs no ticket — all on foot. The arcade houses run in continuous rows; you can walk slowly beneath the colonnades, snack and souvenir shops lined up one after another. At night, when the area around the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Pavilion lights up, the block is at its best. The surrounding Nansheng Company and other Republic-era buildings are worth seeing; individual buildings' opening times are irregular — go by on-site notice.

Queshi Scenic Area

Rocks and river at the Queshi Scenic Area, Shantou
The rock outcrops of Queshi scenic area. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by CAL1994, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Queshi is across the river from the city, separated by a branch of the Rong River, and is the "Queshi Mountain Light" of Shantou's Eight Scenes. In 1989 it was designated a provincial scenic area. The Han, Rong, and Lian rivers empty into the South China Sea nearby, and the mountain bears cliff inscriptions across the dynasties. There are two ways across: the Queshi Bridge, or the ferry from Guangchang Pier to Queshi Pier — the ferry still runs, with schedules and fares per official notice. Going up the mountain for views of river and sea takes half a day.

Nan'ao Island

Beach and sea at Qing'ao Bay, Nan'ao Island
Qing'ao Bay beach. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by 燕难飞, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Nan'ao Bridge seen from Changshanwei Lighthouse
Nan'ao Bridge. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Nan'ao Island is Shantou's largest island, and the only one on the Chinese mainland crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, over thirty kilometers from the city. On January 1, 2015, the Nan'ao Bridge opened — 11.08 km long, the island's only land link. Before the bridge, the only way on or off was the ferry, about a 50-minute crossing. Nan'ao Island was rated a national AAAA tourist attraction in 2015.

The sights on the island fall into a few parts. Qing'ao Bay is the island's best-known gulf, with fine sand and clear water, a provincial AA bathing beach fit for swimming. Those who like history can head to the Song Well and the General's Mansion (Zongbingfu). Legend has it that the late-Song emperor Zhao Bing retreated to Nan'ao; the island still keeps the Song Well and the Prince's Tower among its relics, and outside the General's Mansion stands a "tree where Zheng Chenggong recruited soldiers." The island is windy, with the nickname "wind county"; the wind-turbine-covered ridges are a sight in themselves. The local specialties are the zhai squid, seaweed, and golden sweet potato — together the "Three Treasures of Nan'ao."

A night on the island is recommended. Drive the round-island road, watch the sunrise and the wind turbines — a much slower rhythm than the city.

Overseas-Chinese mansions of Chenghai District

Former Residence of Chen Cihong

The Chinese-Western fused courtyard architecture of the Chen Cihong Residence
Former Residence of Chen Cihong. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Alexchen4836, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Chen Cihong Residence is in Qianmei Village, Longdu Town, Chenghai District — a courtyard complex left by the family of the Thai overseas Chinese Chen Cihong. Built in stages from 1910 onward, it covers 25,400 square meters, hailed as the "first overseas-Chinese mansion of Lingnan," and in 2002 was listed among Guangdong's protected cultural sites. The draw is the Chinese-Western fusion: the main body follows the Chaoshan "four horses drag a cart" (si ma tuo che) layout, while doors and windows use Western round-arch forms; the façades are clad in colored ceramic tile, with porcelain-shard inlay (cici) and plaster relief mixed together. The four residences together have 506 halls and rooms — without a guide you can easily get lost. Opened to the public in 1999; ticket and hours per official notice.

Mayu Island

Mayu Island and the entrance to Swatow Harbor, 19th century
Mayu and the entrance to Swatow Harbor, photographed between 1860 and 1880. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by 赖阿芳, public domain.

Mayu sits at the mouth of Shantou Port, under one square kilometer, named for the two (old and new) Mazu temples on it. Fishermen would release live chickens after worshiping Mazu, so it is also called "Mountain of Released Chickens" (Fangji Shan). This small island has a special place in port history: on January 1, 1860, the Chao Customs Office was set here, and Shantou opened as a port. On the island you can still see the Mayu Tianhou Temple and the old Chao Customs site; in the 1930s, "Watching the Tide at Mayu" was voted into Shantou's Eight Scenes. In 1979 the city listed Mayu as a sightseeing area. Access depends on the passage around the Bay Bridge; follow official notice. The island is small — half a day does it.

Eating in Shantou

The bedrock of Shantou food is Chaozhou cuisine, listed among national intangible cultural heritage in 2021. Chaozhou cuisine is seafood-forward, valuing original flavors, plainly distinct from Guangfu (Cantonese) cuisine. On any must-eat list for Shantou, beef hotpot ranks first — freshly sliced beef swished in a clear broth, dipped in shacha sauce. Oyster omelet, guotiao (rice-noodle) soup, and braised goose are everyday staples. Beneath the old-city arcade houses is the best place to forage — guotiao noodles in the morning, beef hotpot at noon, another round of braised meats at night; four meals a day is not extravagant. When you're tired of eating, find a spot for gongfu tea — Chaoshan people have several cups before and after meals, and it's part of local life.

How to arrange the route

City plus Nan'ao: three days is comfortable.

Day one: Small Park arcade block in the morning; cross the river to Queshi in the afternoon; back to the old city for beef hotpot in the evening.

Day two: cross the Nan'ao Bridge onto the island in the morning; Qing'ao Bay for a swim in the afternoon; stay on the island at night.

Day three: a lap of the island in the morning — the General's Mansion and the wind turbines; off the island at noon. With time to spare, fit in the Chen Cihong Residence and Mayu after leaving the island — pick whichever is on the way.

Things to confirm before you go

Frequently asked questions

How many days for Shantou?

City plus Nan'ao: three days is comfortable. Two days if you're rushing can cover the main sights, just tiring.

Which season is best for Shantou?

Spring and autumn. Shantou's winters aren't cold and summers are tempered by the sea — the only thing to avoid is summer's typhoon season.

How to get to Nan'ao Island?

By the Nan'ao Bridge — opened 2015, 11.08 km long, the island's only land link. Traffic is heavy on holidays; leave a buffer.

Where is Small Park?

In the center of Shantou's old town, in Jinping District — the fan-shaped arcade block centered on the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Pavilion. Entry is free, all on foot.

Sources

The facts in this article were checked against the following Chinese Wikipedia entries, retrieved August 11, 2026.

  1. Shantou (city) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/汕头市
  2. Nan'ao Island https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/南澳岛
  3. Former Residence of Chen Cihong https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/陈慈黉故居
  4. Mayu https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/妈屿
  5. Chaozhou cuisine https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/潮州菜

All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under CC licenses; re-use requires attribution.