Shantou, alternately

romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

as Swatow and sometimes known as Santow, is a

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...

on the eastern coast of

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

, China, with a total population of 5,502,031 as of the 2020 census (5,391,028 in 2010) and an administrative area of . However, its built-up (or metro) area is much bigger with 12,543,024 inhabitants including Rongcheng and Jiedong districts, Jiexi county and Puning city in

Jieyang Jieyang ( zh, s=揭阳, p=Jiēyáng, t=揭陽; Chaozhou dialect: gig4 iên5; Jieyang dialect: gêg4 ion5) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangdong Province (Yuedong), People's Republic of China, part of the Chaoshan region whose peopl ...

plus all of

Chaozhou Chaozhou ( zh, t=潮州), alternatively Chiuchow, Chaochow or Teochew, is a city in the eastern Guangdong province of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, ...

city largely conurbated. This is de facto the 5th built-up area in mainland China between

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

Shaoxing Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the south ...

(13,035,026 inhabitants),

Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...

Xianyang Xianyang ( zh, s=咸阳 , p=Xiányáng) is a prefecture-level city in central Shaanxi province, situated on the Wei River a few kilometers upstream (west) from the provincial capital of Xi'an. Once the capital of the Qin dynasty, it is now int ...

(12,283,922 inhabitants) and Tianjin (11,165,706 inhabitants). Shantou, a city significant in 19th-century Chinese history as one of the

treaty ports Treaty ports (; ) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Qing dynasty of China (before th ...

established for Western trade and contact, was one of the original

special economic zones of China The Special Economic Zones of China (SEZ) are designated areas with economic policies and regulations designed to attract foreign business. These zones have more Free market, market-oriented business regulations compared to the rest of the country. ...

established in the 1980s, but did not blossom in the manner that cities such as

Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...

Xiamen Xiamen,), also known as Amoy ( ; from the Zhangzhou Hokkien pronunciation, zh, c=, s=, t=, p=, poj=Ē͘-mûi, historically romanized as Amoy, is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Stra ...

and

Zhuhai Zhuhai; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Jyūhói''; Chinese postal romanization, also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern ...

did. However, it remains eastern Guangdong's economic centre, and is home to

Shantou University Shantou University (; abbreviated STU), is a university under the provincial Project 211 program in Shantou, Guangdong, was founded in 1981 with the approval of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, State Council. It's the only ...

, which is under the provincial Project 211 program in Guangdong.

History

Shantou was a fishing village part of Tuojiang Du ( zh, labels=no, t=鮀江都), Jieyang County during the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

. It came to be known as Xialing ( zh, labels=no, t=廈嶺) during the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

. In 1563, Shantou became a part of Chenghai County in Chao Prefecture (

). As early as 1574, Shantou had been called Shashanping ( zh, labels=no, c=沙汕坪). In the seventeenth century, a cannon platform called Shashantou Cannon ( zh, labels=no, t=沙汕頭炮臺) was made here, and the place name later was shortened to "Shantou". Locally it has been referred to as Kialat. Connecting to Shantou across the

Queshi Bridge The Queshi Bridge (), in Shantou, China, is among the world's longest bridges. Its long span of ranks it among the largest cable-stayed bridges in the world. See also * Shantou Bay Bridge * List of largest cable-stayed bridges This list rank ...

is Queshi ( zh, labels=no, t=礐石) which had been known by the local people through the 19th century as Kakchio. It was the main site for the American and British consulates. Today the area is a scenic park but some of the structures from its earlier history are somewhat preserved. In 1860, Shantou was opened for foreigners and became a trading port according to

Treaty of Tientsin The Treaty of Tientsin, also known as the Treaty of Tianjin, is a collective name for several Unequal treaty, unequal treaties signed at Tianjin (then Postal Map Romanization, romanized as Tientsin) in June 1858. The Qing Empire, Qing dynasty, ...

. It became a city in 1919, and was separated from Chenghai in 1921. 1922 saw the devastating Swatow Typhoon, which killed 5,000 out of the 65,000 people then inhabiting the city. Some nearby villages were totally destroyed. Several ships near the coast were totally wrecked. Other ones were blown as far as two miles inland. The area around the city had around another 50,000 casualties. The total death toll was above 60,000, and may have been higher than 100,000. In the 1930s, as a transport hub and a merchandise distribution centre in Southeast China, Shantou Port's cargo throughput ranked third in the country. A brief account of a visit to the city in English during this period is the English accountant Max Relton's ''A Man in the East: A Journey through French Indo-China'' (Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1939). On 21 June 1939, Japanese troops invaded Shantou. Japanese forces occupied Shantou until 15 August 1945. The Communist

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

captured Shantou on 24 October 1949, 23 days after the People's Republic of China was founded. With higher-level administrative authority, Shantou governed

Chaozhou City Chaozhou ( zh, t=潮州), alternatively Chiuchow, Chaochow or Teochew, is a city in the eastern Guangdong province of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, ...

and

Jieyang City Jieyang ( zh, s=揭阳, p=Jiēyáng, t=揭陽; Chaozhou dialect: gig4 iên5; Jieyang dialect: gêg4 ion5) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangdong Province (Yuedong), People's Republic of China, part of the Chaoshan region whose people ...

from 1983 to 1989.

Geography

Shantou is located in eastern Guangdong with latitude spanning 23°02′33″ – 23°38′50″ N and longitude 116°14′40″ – 117°19′35″ E; the

Tropic of Cancer The Tropic of Cancer, also known as the Northern Tropic, is the Earth's northernmost circle of latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun ...

passes through the northern part of the city, and along it there is a monument, in fact the easternmost in mainland China, at . The highest peak in the city's administration is Mount Dajian () on

Nan'ao Island Nan'ao or Nanao (), formerly romanized Namoa, is an island and county of the prefecture-level city of Shantou in Guangdong Province, China. The county spans a land area of , and sea area of . As of 2020, the county had a permanent population of ...

, at ; the highest peak on the geographic mainland is Mount Lianhua (), at in

Chenghai District Chenghai (; postal: Tenghai; Teochew: Thěng Hài) is a district of the city of Shantou, Guangdong Province, China. Located at the Han River Delta in the southeast part of Guangdong Province, Chenghai spans from 116°41' to 116°54' E longitud ...

. The city is located at the mouths of the Han, Rong (), and Lian Rivers. Shantou is northeast of

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

Climate

Shantou has a monsoon-influenced

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cwa''), with short, mild to warm winters, and long, hot, humid summers. Winter begins sunny and dry but becomes progressively wetter and cloudier. Spring is generally overcast, while summer brings the heaviest rains of the year though is much sunnier; there are 8.2 days annually with of rainfall. Autumn is sunny and dry. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in July, and the annual mean is . The annual rainfall is around , about 60% of which occurs from May to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 28% in March to 58% in July and October, the city receives 1,979 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from (unofficial record of was set on 18 January 1893) to .

Administration

Shantou is a

. It has direct jurisdiction over six

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

and one

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

. As of 2003, the district of Haojiang was established out of

Hepu Hepu (), alternately romanized as Hoppo, Hopu or Hop'u, is a county under the administration of Beihai City in southeastern Guangxi, China. It borders Lianjiang (Guangdong) to the southeast, Bobai County to the northeast, the Gulf of Tonkin to t ...

and

Dahao Dahao (達濠 Dáháo) is a suburban area of Shantou, China, located along the Haojiang River in the eastern coastal portion of Guangdong Province. The area extends from Guang’ao Street () westward to Shenshan Expressway, and contains the govern ...

which had been merged, and the district of Jinping Shengping and

Jinyuan Jinyuan District () is one of six districts of the prefecture-level city of Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province, North China. See also * Jinci The Jinci or Jin Temple (晉祠) is the most prominent temple complex in Shanxi, China. I ...

; Waisha and Xinxi Town, part of former Chenghai City, was merged into Longhu District; Chenghai City became Chenghai District; Chaoyang City was divided and became Chaoyang and Chaonan District respectively.

Economy

Shantou harbour and skyline viewed from Double Island June 2022

Shantou's economy is medium by

standards. Manufacturing accounts for a large and increasing share of employment.

Canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under ...

, garments, lithography, plastic, and toys are some of the principal products. Toy manufacturing is the city's leading export industry, with 400 million U.S. dollars worth of exports each year. Canaton Calculator Co. is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company. Guiyu, a populous town in Chaoyang District, is the biggest

electronic waste Electronic waste (or e-waste) describes discarded electrical or electronics, electronic devices. It is also commonly known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or end-of-life (EOL) electronics. Used electronics which are destined ...

site on earth. Health-environmental issues incurred have concerned international organizations such as

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...

. In 2000, the biggest tax fraud in the history of the People's Republic of China was uncovered, estimated worthy of 32.3 billion yuan. In 2017, the analyzed data of Shantou GDP is approximately 230 billion yuan(US$35.4 billion).

Development zone

With an area of , Shantou Free Trade Zone lies at the south part of Shantou city. It was ratified by the

State Council of the People's Republic of China The State Council of the People's Republic of China, also known as the Central People's Government, is the chief administrative authority and national cabinet. It is constitutionally the highest administrative organ of the country and the e ...

and founded in January 1993, and it formally came into use on December of the same year after its supervision installations were checked and accepted by the

General Administration of Customs The General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC), also known as the China Customs, is a ministry-level administrative agency under the State Council of the People's Republic of China. It is responsible for the coll ...

. It has been comprehensively developing export processing, storage, international trade, finance and information industry. Its goal is to establish a modernized international zone that is open to overseas by drawing experience from international free trade zones.

Demographics

Shantou is one of the most densely populated regions in China. Former Chaoyang City was China's most populous county-level administrative region, with 2.4 million inhabitants. Shantou has direct jurisdiction over six districts and one county, and the six urban districts of Shantou have a population of 5,330,764.

Metro area

With it and the surrounding cities of

and

, the administrative

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

known as

Chaoshan Chaoshan or Teoswa ( zh, s=潮汕, p=Cháoshàn, cy=Chìusaan; peng'im: ) is a cultural-linguistic region in the east of Guangdong, China. It is the origin of the Teochew Min language. The region, also known as Chiushan in Cantonese, consists of ...

covers an area of , and had a permanent population of 13,648,232 as of the 2020 census. Nevertheless, its built-up area spread on 11 districts,

Puning Puning ( zh, c=, p=Pǔníng, s=普宁, t=普寧; Teochew: Pou2 leng5), officially Puning City, is a county-level city located in Eastern Guangdong, China, under the administration of the city, Jieyang. Nevertheless, its administrative power in ec ...

city and

Raoping Raoping County ( postal: Jaoping; ) is a county in eastern Guangdong Province, bordering Fujian Province to the east, facing the South China Sea to the south, Xiangqiao District to the southwest, Chenghai District of Shantou City, Chao'an Distr ...

county was home to 12,543,024 inhabitants as of 2020 census. This is de facto the fifth built-up area of China after Guangzhou-Shenzhen Pearl River Delta megacity, Shanghai-Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou conurbation, Beijing and Hangzhou-Shaoxing agglomeration.

Languages

Most residents are linguistically

Chaoshan Min Teochew, also known as Swatow or Teo-Swa, is a Southern Min language spoken by the Teochew people in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong and by their diaspora around the world. It is sometimes referred to as ''Chiuchow'', its Cantonese r ...

. Chaoshan dialect is a variant of Min Nan (Hokkien-Taiwanese) spoken in the neighbouring Southern Fujian and Taiwan. There are also

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka-speaking Chinese, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas, are a southern Han Chinese subgroup whose principal settlements and ancestral homes are dispersed widely across the provinces of southern China ...

, popularly known as Half-

(), living mainly in Chaoyang District and Chaonan District, although they speak Chaoshan on a daily basis and practise Chaoshan culture. The Mandarin-medium education system, widely promoted throughout China, has made most people, especially younger generations, speak Mandarin fluently. Cantonese language TV and labor migrations to the Pearl River Delta has also made Cantonese widely spoken as a third language by the younger generations. Governmental statistics show that 2.16 million

overseas Chinese Overseas Chinese people are Chinese people, people of Chinese origin who reside outside Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. As of 2023, there were 10.5 milli ...

have roots in Shantou, with significant populations of

Teochew people The Teochew (), Teo-Swa, or Chaoshanese are an ethnic group historically native to the Chaoshan region in south China who speak the Teochew language. Today, most ethnic Teochew people live throughout Chaoshan and Hong Kong, and also outside ...

residing in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

, which constitute a majority of

Thai Chinese Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais, Sino-Thais) are persons of Chinese people, Chinese descent in Thailand. Thai Chinese are the largest mixed group in the country and the largest overseas Chinese community in the world with a popul ...

and a majority of

Chinese Cambodians Chinese Cambodians (or Sino-Khmers) are Cambodian citizens of Chinese ancestry or Chinese of full or partial Khmer ancestry. The Khmer term ''Khmer Kat Chen'' () is used for people of mixed Chinese and Khmer descent; ''Chen Khmer'' () means Cam ...

. This is demonstrated by the unusually high number of international direct flights between

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

and Shantou. In addition, there are at least two Teochew-speaking air hostesses on board each China Southern flight between Shantou and Bangkok. The Teochew presence, furthermore, is evident in Singapore and

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

;

Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...

, a coastal city situated at the latter's southernmost tip, is known as 'Little Swatow', due to the majority local

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

populace is dominantly Teochew and as well as the second largest group of the local

population in Singapore.

Culture and lifestyle

Shantou people share the same culture with other Teochew. The tea-drinking tradition widely practised in town is a classic instance. According to ''

China Daily ''China Daily'' ( zh, s=中国日报, p=Zhōngguó Rìbào) is an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. Overview ''China Daily'' has the widest print circulation of any ...

'', Shantou people "drink more tea than anyone else in China, in total 700 million yuan (US$87.5 million) each year".

Religions

Most of the population in Shantou is non-religious or practices traditional folk religions,

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Taoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

, or worship of

Chinese deities Chinese gods and immortals are beings in various Chinese religions seen in a variety of ways and mythological contexts. Many are worshiped as deities because traditional Chinese religion is polytheistic, stemming from a pantheistic view that ...

and

ancestors An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from w ...

. About 2% of the population belongs to an organised religion, with 40,000

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, 20,000

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

and 500

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

. St. Joseph's Cathedral of Shantou is the cathedral of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Shantou The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shantou/Swatow (, ) is a diocese located in the city of Shantou in the ecclesiastical province of Guangzhou in China. History * April 6, 1914: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Chaozhou 潮州 from the Apostoli ...

Infrastructure

Health

The public hospitals in the Shantou metropolitan area are operated by the Government of Shantou. Management of these hospitals and other specialist health facilities are coordinated by Shantou Board of Health.

Utilities

Shantou's electricity is provided entirely by

China Southern Power Grid China Southern Power Grid Company Limited (CSG; ) is one of the two Chinese state-owned enterprises established in 2002 in a power system reform promulgated by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, State Council, the other being ...

postal service The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sy ...

operated by

China Post China Post, officially the China Post Group Corporation, is the national postal service corporation of the China, People's Republic of China. It is incorporated as a state-owned enterprise. China Post shares its office with the sub-ministry- ...

Telecommunications

Shantou is one of the most important international telecommunications ports in China. Four international submarine communications cables land at Shantou submarine cable landing station, including APCN 2, China-US Cable Network, SMW3 and South-East Asia Japan Cable System (SJC).

China Telecom China Telecom Corporation Limited (CT) is a Chinese telecommunications company. It is one of the publicly traded red chip companies of the state-owned China Telecommunications Corporation. The company's H shares have been traded on the Sto ...

China Unicom China United Network Communications Group (China Unicom) is a Chinese state-owned telecommunications operator. Originally founded (on January 6 2009) as a wireless paging and GSM mobile operator, it currently provides a range of services inclu ...

and

China Mobile China Mobile is the trade name of both China Mobile Limited and its ultimate controlling shareholder, China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese State-owned enterprises of China, state-owned telecommunicationsStrait deals ''The Econ ...

provide fixed lines, broadband internet access and mobile telecommunications services there.

Transport

Urban transport

Public transportation is provided by bus, ferry, bike sharing system and taxi. Residents also travel by private car and

motorbike A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat. Motorcycle designs var ...

s. There are two bridges throughout the city that cross the Shantou Harbor: the

and

Shantou Bay Bridge The Shantou Bay Bridge is a suspension bridge located in Shantou, Guangdong Province, China. Built in 1995, it has a main span of . It is nicknamed "The Goddess of Bridges". The bridge carries the G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway. See also *Li ...

. A

metro system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a tu ...

is planned with construction of 3 lines (Lines 1, 2, and 3) commencing in 2018 and opening of the system planned in 2020. Shantou East Coast CBD

Air

Shantou previously had its own civil airport,

Shantou Waisha Airport Shantou Waisha Airport is a People's Liberation Army Air Force Base in the city of Shantou in Guangdong province, China. It served as the city's civilian airport from 15 April 1974 until 15 December 2011, when all commercial flights were transfer ...

. It was formerly the main airport serving the Shantou until nearby

Jieyang Chaoshan Airport Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport is an international airport serving the cities of Jieyang, Shantou and Chaozhou in South Central China‘s Guangdong province. It is located in the towns of Paotai and Denggang in Jiedong District, Jieya ...

was opened on 15 December 2011. Shantou Waisha Airport became a military airbase since then and all civilian flights were transferred to the newly built airport in Jieyang. Taxi is the usual way to travel between the airport and the city proper. The taxi fare is around 60

RMB The renminbi ( ; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB), also known as the Chinese yuan, is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. The renminbi is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of Chin ...

. Airport-Downtown Shantou shuttle charter is also suggested. Based in Shantou, Shantou Airlines Co. operated by China Southern Airlines has a 15 aircraft fleet in service.

Railways

There are 3 railway stations which serve Shantou:

Chaoshan Railway Station Chaoshan railway station () is a railway station located in Shaxi Town () in the Chao'an District of Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, China, on the Xiashen Railway operated by the Guangzhou Railway (Group) Corp., China Railway Corporation ...

and Chaoyang railway station which lie on the Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway line, and

Shantou Railway Station Shantou Railway Station () is a railway station located in Longhu District, Shantou. It opened on 28 December 1995, situating on the eastern end of Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou railway, and later also branching off from Xiamen–Shenzhen railway ...

which lies on the

Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou Railway The Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou railway () is a railway in Guangdong Province, China. The electrified railway, also known as the Guangmeishan railway, is named after the three primary cities along route Guangzhou, Meizhou and Shantou, and has a ...

and is under construction for the Guangzhou-Shanwei-Shantou 350 km/h high speed railway.

Tourism attractions

Shantou Times Square light show
(19:00-21:00 on Friday and weekend) * Shipaotai Park ( zh, s=石炮台公园 , p=Shí pàotái gōngyuán) * Chen Cihong's Former Residence ( zh, labels=no , s=陈慈黉故居 , p=Chén Cíhóng gùjū) *

, rated as Guangdong's most beautiful island by China's National Geographic magazine * Palace-Temple of Old Mother ( zh, labels=no , s=老妈宫 , p=Lǎo Mā gōng): dedicated to

Mazu Mazu or Matsu is a sea goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. She is also known by several other names and titles. Mazu is the deified form of Lin Moniang (), a shamaness from Fujian who is said to ...

, Goddess of Sea * Temple of Emperor Guan ( zh, labels=no , s=关帝庙 , p=Guān Dì miào): dedicated to Lord Guan * Tropic of Cancer Symbol Tower ( zh, labels=no , s=北回归线标志塔 , p=Běihuíguīxiàn biāozhìtǎ): The Tropic of Cancer slips through Centipede Mountain, which is 20 kilometers away from the city properly. * Shantou Museum ( zh, labels=no , s=汕头博物馆 , p=Shàntóu bówùguǎn): An art museum. * Shantou Founding Museum ( zh, labels=no , s=汕头开埠博物馆 , p=Shàntóu kāibù bówùguǎn): This history museum is devoted to the establishment of Swatow (Shantou) as a treaty port in the 19th century, not to be confused with Shantou Museum. * Old town of Swatow and Dr. Sun Yat-sen memorial pavilion ( zh, labels=no , s=汕头老市区和中山纪念亭 , p=Shàntóu lǎo shìqū hé Zhōngshān jìniàntíng) * Chaoshan Historical and Cultural Exhibition Center 潮汕历史文化博览中心 is a museum includes four major exhibition areas: Chaoshan cultural relics exhibition area, Chaoshan folk customs exhibition area, overseas Chinese cultural exhibition area, and calligraphy and painting art exhibition area. * East Coast Avenue ( zh, labels=no , s=东海岸大道, p=Dōng hǎi'àn Dàdào) The Shantou Cultural Revolution Museum ( zh, labels=no , s=文革博物馆 , p=Wéngé bówùguǎn) was the country's only museum dedicated to the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

. It closed in 2016.

Media

In 1912 Swatow had four newspapers, all in Chinese. They were '' Han Chao Pao'', '' Ming Chuan'' (People's Rights), '' Ta Fung Pao'' (The Typhoon), and '' Ta Tung Pao'' (Eastern Times).

United States Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce The International Trade Administration (ITA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that promotes United States exports of nonagricultural U.S. goods and services. Duties The ITA's stated goals are to # Provide practical info ...

p. 187
In 2018, Shantou Metropolis Daily Post and Shantou Special Economic Zone Evening News both stopped their traditional newspaper business and transform into e-newspaper newspapers. Meanwhile, th

(Municipal) keep providing both newspaper service and e-newspaper service for Shantou citizens and other readers.

Education

Education is overseen provincewide by the Guangdong Education Bureau.

Primary and secondary

Shantou has a host of well-known schools: * Shantou Jinshan Middle School * Shantou Number One Middle School * Shantou Experimental School

Colleges and universities

(STU) * Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT)
South China University of Technology Shantou College

Shantou Polytechnic

Shantou Radio and TV University

Sports

* Haibin Stadium (Jinping District)
Zhengda Stadium (Longhu District)

Shantou Natatorium and Diving Stadium
(Haojiang District)
Youngsters Soccer Court of Shantou Times Square
(Downtown)
Fitness square and tennis courts of Xinghu Park
(Longhu District) * Shantou Citic Golf Club(27Holes) (Haojiang District) * Shantou Jinfeng Sports Park(Including golf course, basketball fields and soccer courts)(Longhu District)

Twin towns – sister cities

Shantou is twinned with: *

Cần Thơ Cần Thơ () is the List of cities in Vietnam, fourth-largest city in Vietnam, and the largest city along the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam. It is noted for its floating markets, rice paper-making village, and picturesque rural canals. It has ...

, Vietnam (2005) *

Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...

, Israel (2015) *

Kishiwada is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 190,853 in 88,598 households and a population density of 2,600 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . The city is well known for its Danjiri Mat ...

, Japan (1990) * Saint John, Canada (1997)

Friendly cities

Shantou has friendly relations with: *

, Thailand (2000) *

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...

, Albania (2015) * Fairfield, Australia (2005) *

Federal Way Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. One of the most recently incorporated cities in the county, its population was 101,030 at the 2020 census. Federal Way is the 10th most p ...

, United States (2013) *

, Malaysia (2011) *

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...

, Russia (2019) *

Leiria Leiria () is a city and municipality in the Central Region, Portugal, Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, after Coimbra, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat o ...

, Portugal (2018) *

Libreville Libreville (; ) is the capital and largest city of Gabon, located on the Gabon Estuary. Libreville occupies of the northwestern province of Estuaire Province, Estuaire. Libreville is also a port on the Gabon Estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea. A ...

, Gabon (2015) *

Puntarenas Puntarenas () is a city in the Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Puntarenas canton, it is awarded the title of city, which comprises the Puntarenas, Chacarita and El Roble districts. A ...

, Costa Rica (2014) *

Pyeongtaek Pyeongtaek (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 1940. It was elevated to city status in 1986 and is home to a South Korean naval b ...

, South Korea (2003) *

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...

, Cambodia (2024)

Notable people

Many notable Chinese come from Shantou or their

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

is Shantou.

Entrepreneurs

Mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

** Huang Guangyu (1969–), Chairman of Gome Group and once the richest persons in Mainland China **

Ma Huateng Ma Huateng (, born October 29, 1971) is a Chinese businessman, investor and philanthropist who is the co-founder, chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO) of Tencent, one of the most valuable companies in East Asia, one of the largest int ...

(1971–), Founder of

Tencent Tencent Holdings Ltd. ( zh, s=腾讯, p=Téngxùn) is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology Conglomerate (company), conglomerate and holding company headquartered in Shenzhen. It is one of the highest grossing multimed ...

Computer System Co., Ltd and creator of QQ **Ji Haipeng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Logan Property Holdings Co, Ltd. **

Yao Zhenhua Yao Zhenhua (born 1969/1970) is a Chinese billionaire businessman, and the chairman of Baoneng Group. Career In 1992, Yao founded Baoneng Group, which now has over 40 shopping malls in China. In February 2017, Yao was banned from China's insur ...

, the chairman of

Baoneng Group The Baoneng Group (legal name Baoneng Investment Group Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese property and financial services conglomerate controlled by Chinese billionaire Yao Zhenhua, China's 52nd-wealthiest person as of August 2020. History The first pred ...

, China's fourth-richest man as of January 2017 ** Xie Jian, the chairman o
Leyu Bricks
*

** Low Kiok Chiang (1843–1911), founder of Khiam Hoa Heng entreprises (1872-1950s) **

Dhanin Chearavanont Dhanin Chearavanont (; ; born 19 April 1939), known in Chinese as Xie Guomin, or Chia Kok Min in Teochew (, Peng'im: ''zia7 gog4 min5'' ), is a Chinese-Thai billionaire businessman, based in Bangkok. He is the senior chairman of Charoen Pokphand, ...

(1939-), Senior Chairman of CP Group, Thailand's largest private company and Forbes ranked. *Hong Kong **Sir

Li Ka-shing Sir Ka-shing Li (; born 29 July 1928) is a Hong Kong billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the senior advisor for CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, after he retired from the Chairman of the Board in May ...

GBM

KBE KBE may refer to: * Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, post-nominal letters * Knowledge-based engineering Knowledge-based engineering (KBE) is the application of knowledge-based systems technology to the domain o ...

JP (1928–;

), tycoon, the

chairman of the board The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a Board of directors, board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by ...

for

CK Hutchison Holdings CK Hutchison Holdings Limited () is a Hong Kong–based and Cayman Islands–registered multinational conglomerate corporation. The company was formed in March 2015 through the merger of Cheung Kong Holdings and its main associate company Hutc ...

. **

Lim Por-yen Lim Por-yen（21 December 1914 – 18 February 2005) was a Hong Kong industrialist. He founded the Lai Sun Group, and his family was the biggest shareholder of Asia Television. Biography Lim was born in Chaoyang, Shantou, on 21 December 1 ...

(1914–2005), media tycoon, banker and charitarian *Singapore ** Tang Choon Keng (1901–2000), founder of

Tangs TANGS is a department store located on Orchard Road in Singapore, owned by C.K. Tang Limited. The store is regarded as a principal shopping destination in the city, comparable to Bloomingdale's in New York City and Selfridges in London. The co ...

Entertainment

*Hong Kong born **

Emil Chau Wakin Chau (; born 22 December 1960), better known by his stage name Emil Chau during the 1980s and 1990s, is a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese singer and actor, popular throughout Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and parts of Southeast Asia (Sing ...

(1960–) actor and singer **

Kwong Wah Kwong Wa (born Chan Muk-wah on 19 November 1961) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. He is known for his portrayals of Chinese historical characters such as Lao Ai ('' A Step into the Past''), Xiang Yu (''The Conqueror's Story''), Tang Sanzang (''Jou ...

(1962–), actor and singer **

Canti Lau Lau Sek Ming (; born 16 July 1964) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. He was born in Hong Kong, but his ancestral home is Chaoyang, Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefec ...

(1964–) actor and singer **

Sammi Cheng Sammi Cheng Sau-man (; born 19 August 1972) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. She is considered one of the most prominent female singers in Hong Kong, with album sales of over 25 million copies throughout the Asia-pacific. Most notably in the 199 ...

(1972–) actress and singer **

Kent Cheng Kent Cheng Jak-si is a Hong Kong film and television actor. He is a two time recipient of the best actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Biography Cheng was born in a poor family in Hong Kong.Interview of Be my Guest, TVB, 21 June 2008 He int ...

(1951-), actor *

Cai Chusheng Cai Chusheng (January 12, 1906 – July 15, 1968) was a Chinese film director of the pre-Communist era, and was the first Chinese director to win an international film award at the Moscow International Film Festival. Best known for his progres ...

(1906–1968), director, and his film '' Song of the Fisherman'' () received the first international film prize in China's history

Other

* King Taksin (Zheng Xin) (1734–1782), Thailand King from 1767 to 1782 *

Hsu Shu-hsi Hsu Shu-hsi (; April 3, 1892 – January 14, 1982) was a diplomat of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China. He represented his country in Canada, Peru and Bolivia. Biography Hsu was born in Swatow, the son and grandson of physici ...

(1892–1982), Chinese diplomat *

Nuon Chea Nuon Chea (; born Lao Kim Lorn; 7 July 1926 – 4 August 2019), also known as Long Bunruot () or Rungloet Laodi ( ), was a Cambodian communism, communist politician and revolutionary who was the chief ideologist of the Khmer Rouge. He also briefl ...

(1926–2018), Cambodian politician *

Wu Nansheng Wu Nansheng (; August 1922 – 10 April 2018) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and reformist politician. A stalwart proponent of the reform and opening policy after the end of the Cultural Revolution, he proposed the establishment of free ...

(1922-2018), former Secretary of Guangdong Provincial Party Committee * Adele M. Fielde (1839–1916), missionary and author *

Qin Mu Qin Mu (; 19 August 1919 – 14 October 1992), born Lin Ashu, also known as Lin Paiguang, Lin Juefu, and Lin Wanshi, was a Chinese educator and writer. He was best known for his essays, particularly ''Travels in Xinjiang'' which is included in ...

(1919–1992), writer *

Watchman Nee Watchman Nee, Ni Tuosheng, or Nee T'o-sheng ( zh, t=倪柝聲, p=Ní Tuòshēng; November 4, 1903 – May 30, 1972), was a Chinese church leader and Christian teacher who worked in China during the 20th century. His evangelism was influenced b ...

(1903–1972), theologian, and opponent of prosperity theology *

Tan Howe Liang Tan Howe Liang, (; 5 May 1933 – 3 December 2024) was a Singaporean weightlifter who was the first Singaporean to win an Olympic Games medal. He did so in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome where he won the silver medal in the lightweight cate ...

(1933–), Singaporean weightlifting Olympian *

Chua Soi Lek Chua Soi Lek ( zh, s=蔡细历, t=蔡細歷, p=Cài Xìlì, poj=Chhòa Sòe-le̍k; born 2 January 1947), also known as Chua Kin Seng, is a Chinese Malaysian politician from the state of Johor. He is the 9th President of the Malaysian Chinese A ...

(1947–), Malaysian politician and former President of MCA * Xu Shilin (1998–), Chinese tennis player, Junior Olympic gold medallist *

Shing-Tung Yau Shing-Tung Yau (; ; born April 4, 1949) is a Chinese-American mathematician. He is the director of the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center at Tsinghua University and professor emeritus at Harvard University. Until 2022, Yau was the William Caspar ...

(1949–), American mathematician, winner of the 1982 Fields Medal, the William Caspar Graustein Professor of Mathematics at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Hao Huang
, Chinese mathematician, solver of Sensitivity Conjecture and Assistant Professor at

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

References

Sources

* ''Miscellaneous series, Issues 7–11''.

United States Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for gathering data for business and governmental decision making, establishing industrial standards, catalyzing econ ...

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce (BFDC) was a bureau in the United States Department of Commerce and Labor from 1912-1953 that conducted statistical analysis, promoted trade and industry. Organizational History The BFDC was establishe ...

, 1912.

External links

*
Official government website

Website of Shantou Government

Shantou Daily

HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHINA by UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
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