Things to do in Shantou
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Shantou
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Cooler, drier and clearer, with October to November the consensus peak.
Mild dry winter, excellent for eating and old town walking, too cold for Nan'ao swimming.
Wet shoulder. Playable and cheaper, with frequent rain, so build in museum and food days.
Worst months. Heat, peak rain, typhoon alerts and school holiday crowds on Nan'ao.
Transitional. Still hot and typhoon exposed early, lovely late in the month.
What's on
- Spring Festival and Yingge street performances Lunar New Year, usually January to February
Yingge dance, temple fairs and diaspora families home. Book everything early and expect crowds.
- Lantern Festival 15th day of Lunar New Year, usually February
The festival season's second act, with street performance and temple activity across Chaoshan.
- Summer solstice at the Gate of Nature 21 June
At noon the sun stands directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer marker on Qing'ao Bay.
- Mid-Autumn Festival Lunar date, usually September to October
Chaoshan lard pastry mooncakes, tea under the moon and the start of the good weather.
Best things to do in Shantou
Shantou Small Park
The pavilion and radiating 1930s arcade streets are Shantou's heritage core, best at dusk and again lit at night.
Shantou Opening Port Culture Exhibition Hall
The port opening and qiaopi remittance letter story that explains how overseas Teochew money built the old town.
Chaoshan History and Culture Expo Center
The big bay side survey of Chaoshan crafts, woodcarving and overseas history, and the best first day orientation.
Former Residence of Chen Cihong
A vast overseas Chinese mansion mixing Chaoshan ancestral planning with imported tiles, glass and European detail.
Shantou Museum
Free city museum strongest on the Nan'ao shipwreck, port history and gold lacquer woodcarving.
Shipaotai Park
A circular Qing coastal fort on the bay, a one hour stop with cannon platforms and views to Mayu Island.
Chaoshan Yingge Dance Performance
Chaoshan's thunderous hero dance of clashing sticks and percussion, bookable staged when no festival is on.
Shantou Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience Hall
An old town hall for a guided gongfu tea sitting and hands on Chaoshan heritage crafts in one stop.
Where to stay in Shantou
Longhu District: MixC and Longyan South Road
first trip, families, efficient eating
The modern centre with the best hotels and food streets, ten minutes by Didi to the old town.
Xiaogongyuan Old Town, Jinping
heritage atmosphere and early photography
Sleep inside the arcade district, with small local hotels, variable quality and no luxury tier.
East Coast and Zhugang New Town, Longhu
sea view rooms and business stays
New towers and bay views, but isolated at night with a Didi ride to every serious meal.
Qing'ao Bay and Houzhai, Nan'ao Island
one island night and sunrise
Guesthouses and mid tier hotels only, with the beach at Qing'ao Bay and more food in Houzhai town.
Think twice about
- Chenghai District as a city base
A separate urban area 30 to 40 minutes from every dinner. Visit Chen Cihong's residence, do not sleep there.
- Shantou Railway Station perimeter
A transit zone of wide roads and thin food choice. Sleep there only for an early train.
- Unrenovated old town lanes beyond the restored core
Not dangerous, but dark, quiet and confusing late, with the most variable guesthouse quality. Stay on the lit arcade streets.
- Chaoyang and Chaonan districts
Large local districts a long way from the old town, target food streets and the Nan'ao road. A geography flag, not a safety flag.
Best restaurants in Shantou
Dong Hai Jiu Jia
The fine dining end of Chao cuisine in the city, built on live tanks and classic banquet dishes.
Jinsha Azhou Fish Roll Shop
A no menu seafood hotpot of the day's catch, famous for fish rolls, deboned nage fish and marbled eel.
Xinghua Wuji Beef Hotpot
The consensus first beef hotpot, hand cut same day beef cooked for seconds in clear broth with shacha.
BAHELI HOTPOT
The practical beef hotpot answer, a Shantou born house with fresh cuts and a more organised room.
Chunmei Goose Restaurant
Nearly fifty years of lion head goose in galangal master brine, ordered by part as a sharing platter.
Guiyuan White Congee
The beloved da leng late night feast, dozens of displayed dishes pointed at and eaten with plain white congee.
Wu Ji Fu Yuan
The more restaurant like da leng, white congee with braised dishes, goose liver and raw marinated seafood.
Shikou Restaurant
Claypot congee cooked to order with live crab and shrimp, plus the radish omelette on every table.
Outdoor things to do in Shantou
Nan'ao Island
The island loop by bridge and ring road, past red lighthouses, wind turbines, fishing villages and coves.
Qing'ao Bay
Nan'ao's main beach for sunrise and a guarded swim, beside the Tropic of Cancer Gate of Nature marker.
Queshi Scenic Area
Granite hills, pavilions and a cable car panorama across the bay, reached by the short Guangchang ferry.
Huanghua Mountain National Forest Park
Forest trails up Dajianshan, Shantou's highest point, with sea on three sides and views over both coasts.
Mayu Island
A small fishing island in the port mouth with two Mazu temples, boardwalks, graffiti walls and harbour views.
Sea Fishing in Nan'ao Island
A working boat half day fishing the reefs and passing the coloured oyster rafts off Nan'ao.
Zhongxin Golf Seaside Resort
Shantou's serious coastal golf, an 18 hole resort course with range and clubhouse across the bay in Haojiang.
Guangji Bridge
Chaozhou's pontoon bridge over the Han River, the centrepiece of an easy walking day trip from Shantou.
Best hotels in Shantou
Sheraton Shantou Hotel
The established five star by MixC, a short walk to Longyan South Road food street and strong on service.
Holiday Inn Express Shantou City Center
A clean, predictable mid tier international in Longhu, good for first trips and families between food runs.
Orange Hotel (Shantou Jinsha East Road Store)
The named example of Shantou's strong cheap chain tier, small and clean in the food rich Longhu centre.
Regency Hotel Shantou
The long standing local upscale name, recurring on most booked lists, with variants near the station and MixC.
Shantou Marriott Hotel
The newer five star on the East Coast with spacious rooms and bay views, in a district quiet at night.
UrCove by Hyatt Shantou Zhugang New Town
A modern, well reviewed Hyatt brand hotel in the new town, best if you accept a Didi ride to every meal.
Ibis Hotel (Nan'ao Ocean-view Branch)
The island's most substantial branded stay near Qing'ao Bay, with big sea view balconies steps from the beach.
Nan'ao BALANG Youth Hostel
The named budget pick in Houzhai town, for an island night with sunrise at Qing'ao Bay next morning.
Is Shantou expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CN¥350 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CN¥750 a person |
| Splurge | CN¥1,600 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Chaoshan Yingge Dance Performance: a few days ahead
- Eatwith Shantou Old Town Food Walk: a few days ahead
- Sea Fishing in Nan'ao Island: a few days ahead
- Zhongxin Golf Seaside Resort: a few days ahead
- Guangji Bridge: a few days ahead
- Ibis Hotel (Nan'ao Ocean-view Branch): weeks ahead
- Nan'ao BALANG Youth Hostel: weeks ahead
- Dong Hai Jiu Jia: a few days ahead
- Book Nan'ao hotels weeks ahead for holidays and summer weekends.
- Book Chaozhou trains a few days ahead on weekend peaks, the chef food walk days ahead, and golf visitor play days ahead.
- Municipal museums are generally free and closed Mondays. Check the weekday before planning around one.
Is Shantou safe?
- Watch bags in crowded food streets and use in app Didi trips rather than unlicensed cars at stations.
- Start raw marinated seafood small, at a busy place, with hot congee. Skip it if pregnant or unwell.
- Swim only in guarded areas at Qing'ao Bay and obey typhoon alerts. Do not cross to Nan'ao ahead of a landfall.
Shantou travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Scenic entrance snack sets and pretty, mediocre rated trendy restaurants near Xiaogongyuan. The same dishes are better nearby.
- Agree Nan'ao seafood prices by weight before cooking, in the restaurant, out loud.
- Eat snacks off Chaozhou Paifang Street's main drag, on side streets and Xima Road instead.
Getting around Shantou: public transport and more
- No metro. Use Didi, city buses and walking in the old town and Longhu.
- Jieyang Chaoshan Airport is 30 to 40 minutes by Didi. Do not rely on the airport bus after a late flight.
- Take the short Guangchang ferry to Queshi and a hired car or day tour for a first Nan'ao visit.
Who Shantou suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Shantou your trip
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