Shantou Old Town

Shantou Old Town is a famous historical and cultural area in Shantou City, Guangdong Province, which is located in the southeast of Shantou City, covering an area of about 3.5 square kilometers, and is the place where the port of Shantou was first opened. With a long history and rich culture, Shantou Old Town is one of the important representatives of Chaoshan culture.

Development history of Shantou Old Town

The history of Shantou Old Town can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, when it was a fishing village called "Chaoyang Fishing Harbor". During the Qing Dynasty, it became an important seaport of Chaozhou Prefecture, where many merchant ships came and went. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was classified as a trading port and began the process of modernization. At that time, many foreigners-built consulates, banks, churches and other buildings here, forming a "foreigners' street" with a western style. At the same time, many overseas Chinese returned to their hometowns to set up schools, hospitals, charitable organizations and other public welfare undertakings, which contributed to the social development of Shantou Old Town.

The culture of Shantou Old Town is diversified and unique, combining the cultural characteristics of different ethnic groups such as Chaoshan, Minnan and Hakka, as well as the influence of Western culture. You can enjoy traditional folk activities such as Teochew Opera, Puppet Show and Dragon Boat Race, as well as authentic Teochew cuisine such as Beef Hot Pot, Intestine Noodles and Spring Rolls.

Charms and Characteristics of the Old Town

The Old Town is a landmark building complex in Shantou and a must-visit place for returning overseas Chinese to find their roots. Most of the buildings are Western-style arcade buildings, and a large number of them were built in the early 20th century. Most of these styles are ancient Romanesque, imitation Gothic and Baroque.

The arcade buildings sheltered from the rain, the rows of old stores and the slightly cluttered streets all reveal the unique historical flavor of Shantou Old Town. It used to be the most prosperous commercial center of Shantou. Among the buildings, Shantou General Post Office Building and Laomagong still retain their original historical style. Besides, you can visit the Department Store Building, Yongping Restaurant, Small Park and other historical buildings.

In imitation of the Parisian neighborhood style buildings, which are distributed in a fan-shaped radial pattern, there is the largest cluster of Chinese and Western arcade buildings in China. Strolling through the open area of the park, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is the core location, carrying the collective memory of many citizens at home and abroad and Chaozhou people. It adopts the traditional Chinese mortise and tenon technology for restoration, like "building blocks" to build the main body of the Memorial Hall, the entire construction process does not need a nail. Balustrades, glazed roof, pavilion cover and other details are restored as old, steps, railings, floor, etc. are granite.

Near Zhongshan Memorial Hall, Nansheng Department Store was once a commercial landmark in Shantou's old town, which has been popular in Shantou for half a century. It was the first elevator company in Shantou. It has been used for 60 years since it was built. It has witnessed more than 20,000 people in Shantou at one important commercial development moment after another.

The Laomagong is located at No.1, Shengping Road, which was originally built in the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty (1760-1820) in the open space opposite to the Laomagong in Shantou, where the stage was built to hold performances based on the Paper Shadow Opera on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Chinese New Year and the twenty-third day of the third month of the Lunar Calendar, which are the main performances for the important folkloric festivals, while the stage was used as a trade fair in normal times.

The Shantou Port Cultural Exhibition Center is a three-storey building with a European architectural style, which has a deep history and witnesses the history of the opening of Shantou.

The Shantou General Post Office Building is located opposite to the Shantou Port Cultural Exhibition Center, which is the first self-built post office since the opening of the port of Shantou, witnessing the history of the development of Shantou, Guangdong and even China's postal communication. In the first floor of the old post office, there are postcards with Shantou characteristics for sale and free commemorative postmarks. The view in front of the post office is also good. There are bronze letter carriers and post boxes of Qing Dynasty and Republic of China, together with the European style Greek columns, which are very retro.

Visiting Information

Ticket Price: Free
Opening time: All day
Transportation: Take buses No. 2, 5, 7, 14, 18, 35, 36 in the city and get off at the Xiaogongyuan (small park) Station.