Shantou: Parks, Arcades and Chaoshan Culture

Shantou combines urban heritage sites and historic arcades with a coastal natural and cultural landscape. Parks, port and trade history, Chaoshan culture and regional cuisine offer different focal points for your trip. When looking for a holiday rental, it helps to first consider which of these aspects you want to shape your stay.

Parks between urban history and nature

Established in 1928, Zhongshan Park is known for three prominent features: a grotto, a memorial archway and the Nine-Arch Bridge. These features give the park a distinctive architectural and commemorative character. A 2024 municipal report also lists a flower palace, a zoo, an amusement park and a botanical science park for children among the park’s facilities. If you plan to visit any of these facilities in particular, check in advance whether they are currently accessible. An exhibition hall on Chaoshan Gongfu tea culture, newly built in 2024, was also described as part of the park; check whether it will be open during your stay.

Another side of Shantou can be seen at Queshi Scenic Area: this coastal natural and cultural landscape encompasses the sea, hills, unusual rocks and caves, subtropical vegetation, as well as old homes and villas from the colonial era. The area lies between Shantou’s southern and northern urban districts and has been rated a national AAAA-class tourist attraction. Here, landscape and built history come together. Visitors interested in this combination will find a different focus from the city’s arcades and heritage sites.

Arcades, port and heritage sites

The Xiaogongyuan Opening Port Area preserves a comparatively well-preserved group of modern arcade buildings. They offer a glimpse of Shantou’s urban layout in the early 20th century and its character as a trading city shaped by overseas Chinese. In 2025, the area was named a provincial tourism and leisure district. The arcades give the city’s history a tangible architectural form: it is not just individual buildings, but a preserved group that shapes the impression of the district.

The Cai Chusheng and Chaoshan Film Figures Historical Exhibition Hall is also housed in an arcade building. The structure dates from the early 20th century and was designated a Shantou municipal cultural heritage site in 2017. Shipaotai Park offers a different focus: it is a memorial park whose main structure is Qilu Fort; the site has a history spanning more than a century. Together, these places offer different ways of exploring Shantou’s past—through urban architecture, a historic fort and memorial sites.

Another historic link is Shantou Central Station of the Central Red Traffic Line. It was established in 1931, during the Agrarian Revolutionary War, as a secret transport station directly administered by the Central Transportation Bureau of the Communist Party of China. The Qiaopi Museum in Shantou explores the history of Chaoshan emigrants: their ties to their homeland and their support for China and their home communities. These themes lead from the city’s history to the connections between emigration and origins.

Chaoshan cuisine as a focus in its own right

Regional cuisine can also shape your choice of experiences. When it opened, Zhenbang Food Street in Xiaogongyuan brought together 26 local Chaoshan food brands. A report dated January 16, 2023, lists the specialties at the time as braised goose, beef balls, oyster omelette, pork blood soup, Chaoshan cold dishes and Chaoshan desserts. The variety ranges from savoury dishes to sweets. If you plan to eat there, check in advance which vendors are currently operating.

Choosing the right base for your trip

When looking for a holiday rental, first consider whether urban history, scenery or regional cuisine will shape your stay the most. Then check the stated location of a specific property in relation to the places you want to visit. This lets you make your choice based on your own itinerary, rather than judging a property solely by a general impression of Shantou.

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