Shantou sits on China’s southeastern coast in Guangdong province, the commercial heart of the Chaoshan region. Its 30 best attractions span Qing-dynasty merchant residences, a 23-islet archipelago at Nan’ao, colonial-era arcade streets, and some of the country’s most distinctive Teochew seafood. Most visitors base themselves in Jinping District downtown and take day trips to Nan’ao Island (via bridge or ferry) and the nearby Chenghai and Chaoyang districts.
Below is the full list, organized roughly from central Shantou outward to the islands and surrounding districts, with addresses so you can plan a route rather than backtrack across the city.
What Are the Best Things to Do in Shantou, China?
The best things to do in Shantou combine Teochew cultural history in the city center — Shantou Museum, the Opening-up Culture area, Cihong Former Residence — with coastal and island time on Nan’ao, plus day trips to Chaoyang and Chaozhou. Below are all 30, with addresses and what to expect at each.
1. Shantou Museum
Address: China, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Jinping District, 韩堤路39号
Shantou Museum is the city’s primary repository of Teochew history, with collections covering the region’s porcelain trade, jade craftsmanship, and Shantou’s decades as a treaty-port trading hub. Exhibits are organized chronologically, tracing local life from early settlement through the 19th-century opening of the port to foreign trade.
Plan on an hour or two if you want to read the exhibit text in full. It’s a useful first stop for understanding the Teochew culture that shapes everything else on this list, from the temple architecture to the local dialect still spoken in the old town.
See Related: Best Things To Do in Guilin, China
2. Zhongshan Park
Address: 5 Yuemei Rd, Jinping District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515031
Zhongshan Park is Shantou’s main downtown green space, built around a central lake where locals row small boats and practice tai chi in the early morning. It’s free to enter and easy to combine with a walk through the surrounding Jinping District.
Come at sunrise or early evening for the best atmosphere — the park is a working neighborhood amenity rather than a tourist attraction, so afternoons can be quiet.
3. Queshi Scenic Area
Address: 4 Haipang Rd, Haojiang District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515011
Queshi Scenic Area sits on hills overlooking the Han River estuary in Haojiang District, mixing coastal walking trails with rock carvings and a hilltop pagoda, the Stone Classic Tower. The elevated viewpoints give some of the better skyline-and-harbor photos in the city.
Trails are moderate — expect stairs and inclines — and there’s little shade, so an early morning or late afternoon visit beats midday heat for most of the year.
4. Cihong Former Residence
Address: HP6W+P6F, Qianmeicun, Longdu, Chenghai District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515825
Chen Cihong’s Former Residence, in Chenghai District, is a late-Qing-dynasty merchant complex built by an overseas Chinese businessman who returned wealthy from Southeast Asia. The compound blends traditional Teochew courtyard architecture with Western decorative details — a common pattern among the region’s “qiaopi” (overseas-remittance) family estates.
The wood carving and stone relief work on the eaves and door frames is the main draw; budget 30-45 minutes to walk the courtyards.
See Related: Best Things To Do in Guilin, China
5. Dahao Ancient City
Address: China, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Haojiang District, 竹园东街 邮政编码: 515071
Dahao Ancient City is a cluster of old residential streets in Haojiang District where centuries-old buildings are still lived in rather than roped off as a museum piece. Expect narrow lanes, small temples tucked between houses, and food stalls selling Teochew snacks rather than souvenir shops.
It’s a good stop for people who want a working neighborhood over a curated attraction — there’s no admission fee and no fixed route.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Changzhou, China
6. Dongzheng Jungeming Shiji Exhibition Hall
Address: 207 Waima Rd, Jinping District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515031
This smaller exhibition hall in Jinping District focuses on local folklore, calligraphy, and craft displays. It’s a low-traffic stop that works well as a 20-30 minute add-on to a walk through the surrounding streets rather than a destination on its own.
7. Queshi Bridge
Address: 8MR7+WP7, 324 Guo Dao, Jinping District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515011
Queshi Bridge is the S-shaped pedestrian span crossing part of the Queshi Scenic Area waterway, distinct from the highway Queshi Bay Bridge elsewhere in the city. Locals use it for evening walks, and it’s one of the few spots in central Shantou where you get an unobstructed water view at street level.
Pair it with the rest of the Queshi Scenic Area (entry 3) since they’re a short walk apart.
8. Shantou TV Transmission Tower
Address: China, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Jinping District, Chaoshan Rd, 潮汕路和金湖西路交界处 邮政编码: 515021
The TV Transmission Tower is Shantou’s tallest observation point, with an elevator to a viewing deck overlooking the Jinping District skyline and the harbor beyond. It’s best around sunset, when the city lights come on before full dark.
It’s still a functioning broadcast tower, so hours can shift — check ahead if you’re planning around a specific sunset time.
9. Chaoshanfeng Culture Theme Garden
Address: 7H39+JGJ, Chaoyang, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515155
In Chaoyang District, this themed park recreates Chaoshan architectural styles and hosts craft demonstrations — pottery and woodcarving workshops where visitors can try the techniques rather than just watch. It’s more curated than Dahao Ancient City (entry 5), aimed at travelers who want a compact introduction to Chaoshan heritage crafts in one stop.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Suihua, China
10. Nan’ao Island
Address: China, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Nan’Ao, 南澳岛
Nan’ao Island is Shantou’s headline attraction: a cluster of 23 islets reachable by the Nan’ao Bridge (entry 19) or by ferry from Shantou port. Most visitors come for the beaches and clear water on the southern shore, but the island also has fishing villages with traditional stone-and-tile houses and hiking trails through Nan’ao Island National Forest Park (entry 29).
Plan a full day, or overnight if you want to see both the beaches and the forest park without rushing — the island is large enough that hopping between sights by taxi or scooter works better than walking.
11. Tashan Scenic Area
Address: China, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Haojiang District, 海关顶 邮政编码: 515011
Tashan Scenic Area sits in the hills of Haojiang District around Wutong Lake, with a pagoda and forested walking paths that see far fewer visitors than the city’s coastal sights. It’s a straightforward nature break if you want green space without leaving Shantou proper.
12. Longhu Cultural Center
Address: 4 Dabeishan Rd, Longhu District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515047
The Longhu Cultural Center houses rotating exhibitions on local history and art, including calligraphy and scroll painting collections. It draws a mostly local crowd and is a reasonable stop if you’re already in Longhu District rather than a dedicated destination.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Jiujiang, China
13. Jinsha Park (North Gate)
Address: China, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Jinping District, Jinsha Middle Rd, 金砂路42号 邮政编码: 515000
Jinsha Park’s North Gate area is a neighborhood park where you’ll find tai chi practitioners at dawn, Chinese chess games under the trees, and an illuminated evening walking path. It’s a free, unhurried spot for a break between sights rather than a headline attraction.
14. Magong
Magong is a red-brick market district known for its street food scene — Chaoshan beef hotpot stalls and seafood vendors packed into a compact grid of lanes. It’s one of the better places in Shantou to eat like a local rather than at a sit-down restaurant.
Go hungry and go in the evening, when the food stalls are in full swing.
15. Lotus Mountain
Lotus Mountain offers a hiking route through bamboo groves up to a summit pond and viewpoint over the surrounding countryside. It’s a half-day trip if you hike the full trail, with a temple and pagoda near the top.
Bring water — there’s little shade on the upper switchbacks, and the path is uneven in places.
16. Shantou Tiannian Science and Technology Museum
Address: China, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Jinping District, 金湖路金东花园8栋
This small museum combines art exhibits with science and technology displays, including a section tracing the history of television technology. It’s a low-key stop, more suited to families with kids or a rainy-day backup than a must-see.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Zibo, China
17. Chaoyang Museum
Address: Kina, Guangdong Province, Shantou, Chaoyang, Zhonghua Rd, 中华路 邮政编码: 515100
Chaoyang Museum covers the district’s history from the Neolithic period through the Qing dynasty, with pottery shards, calligraphy, and silverware among its collections. It also runs periodic workshops and lectures — check what’s on if you’re visiting during a weekend.
18. Haimen Town
Address: Haimen Town, Chaoyang District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
Haimen is a coastal fishing town in Chaoyang District where the Han River meets the South China Sea. Its old quarter has a mix of overseas-remittance architecture from returning emigrants and a working fishing harbor, so the pace is slower and less touristy than central Shantou.
If your visit lines up with the Dragon Boat Festival, Haimen is one of the livelier places in the Shantou area to watch the races.
19. Nan’ao Bridge
Address: CWW7+G5R, Nan Ao Da Qiao, Nan’Ao, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
Nan’ao Bridge is the main land route to Nan’ao Island (entry 10), connecting the mainland to the island chain across the South China Sea. It’s the cheaper, faster option compared to the ferry if you’re driving or taking a bus.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Yangzhou, China
20. Xiaogongyuan Old Town and the Overseas Chinese Building
Address: Xiaogongyuan (Little Park) Kaibu Culture Area, Jinping District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
Xiaogongyuan is Shantou’s colonial-era commercial district, laid out in a distinctive radial street pattern around a central roundabout when the port opened to foreign trade in the early 20th century. The area’s Overseas Chinese Building is the largest Republic-of-China-era hotel structure in Southeast Asia, and the surrounding arcade buildings — covered walkways lined with shophouses — are the city’s best-preserved example of this architectural style.
Restoration work has revived some of the arcades as cafes and small shops, but much of the district is still original and lived-in. Walk it in the late afternoon when the light is better for the pastel building facades.
See Related: Best Things to Do in Linfen, China
21. Zongbingfu
Address: C4X2+553, Nan’Ao, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515920
Zongbingfu, on Nan’ao Island, was a Ming and Qing dynasty military headquarters overseeing coastal defense against pirates. The Qing-era architecture and displays of period weaponry and military artifacts make it a worthwhile stop if you’re already on the island for the beaches (entry 10).
22. Mayu Island
Mayu Island is a small, quiet fishing island reached by ferry off the Shantou coast, with stone-walled houses, lychee orchards, and hiking trails up its hills for coastal views. It sees far fewer visitors than Nan’ao, which is the appeal if you want an unhurried, low-key island day.
23. Longhu Waishazhen Culture Service Center
Address: CQR3+HQ5, Qingnian Rd, Longhu District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515023
This community cultural center in Longhu District hosts rotating local history and heritage exhibitions. It’s a minor stop best combined with the Longhu Cultural Center (entry 12) if you’re covering that part of the city.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Guiyang, China
24. Baihuajian
Baihuajian is a hillside temple and nature area with wooded trails and stone paths through the Shantou countryside. It’s less developed than the city’s main scenic areas, appealing to visitors who want a quiet hike over a curated attraction.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Chenzhou, China
25. Xiti Park
Address: Jinping District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
Xiti Park sits along the waterfront in Jinping District and is regarded as one of the better spots in Shantou for watching the sunset over the harbor. It’s a low-key, local spot rather than a designed tourist attraction — bring a bench seat and go around golden hour.
26. Shantou-Hong Kong Kelun Ticket Office
Address: 8 Xidi Rd, Jinping District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China, 515011
This preserved historic ticket office once handled passenger bookings for the Shantou-Hong Kong shipping route, a link that shaped decades of migration and trade between the two ports. The building itself, rather than any interior exhibit, is the point of interest — a compact piece of the city’s maritime history in the middle of the modern waterfront.
27. China Overseas Golden Coast Water Park
Address: Zhonghai Golden Coast, Haojiang District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
About a 30-minute drive from downtown, this water park is Shantou’s main option for a family-friendly beach-and-slides day, with pools and water rides alongside a stretch of coastline. It’s seasonal — busiest and most worthwhile in the warmer months from late spring through early autumn.
28. Guangji Bridge (Day Trip to Chaozhou)
Address: Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou, China, 521021 — about an hour’s drive from central Shantou
Guangji Bridge is in neighboring Chaozhou, not Shantou proper, but it’s a common day trip since the two cities share the Chaoshan cultural region and are roughly an hour apart by car. Built during the Song dynasty and nicknamed the “Unsinkable Stone Ark,” it’s a hybrid structure — 18 stone piers connected partly by permanent spans and partly by a floating pontoon section of boats that opens to let river traffic through.
If you’re combining Shantou and Chaozhou into one trip, this is worth the drive; if you’re keeping to Shantou only, it’s the one entry on this list that requires leaving the city.
29. Nan’Ao Island National Forest Park
Address: China, 南澳 Nan’Ao, 公园内CN 广东省 汕头市海岛国家森林 邮政编码: 515900
Nan’Ao Island National Forest Park covers a large stretch of Nan’ao’s interior with hiking trails through subtropical forest, plus rocky coastline and beaches on the park’s edges. It’s the natural counterpart to the island’s fishing villages and Zongbingfu (entry 21) — plan a few hours minimum if you want to hike beyond the entrance area.
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Yangzhou, China
30. Haimen Seafood and Hotpot
Address: Haimen Town, Chaoyang District, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
Haimen’s harbor-town food scene runs on fresh daily catch — congee with seafood, and Chaoshan-style hotpot with thinly sliced beef and locally caught fish. It pairs naturally with a stop at Haimen Town itself (entry 18) rather than as a separate trip.
Shantou Travel FAQ
How many days do you need in Shantou?
Two to three days covers the city center — Shantou Museum, Xiaogongyuan Old Town, Cihong Former Residence — plus a full day on Nan’ao Island. Add a fourth day if you want to include a Chaozhou day trip to see Guangji Bridge.
How do you get to Nan’ao Island from Shantou?
Drive or bus across the Nan’ao Bridge, or take a ferry from Shantou port. The bridge is faster; the ferry gives better views of the islet cluster on approach.
Is Shantou worth visiting?
Shantou sees far fewer international visitors than Guangzhou or Shenzhen, which means lower prices and more room to explore without crowds. It’s a strong choice if you want Teochew cultural history, island beaches, and seafood without the tourist infrastructure of bigger Guangdong cities.
What food should you try in Shantou?
Chaoshan beef hotpot, fresh seafood (especially raw crab preparations popular in the region), and Teochew-style congee are the signature dishes. Magong (entry 14) and Haimen (entry 30) are two of the better areas for street-level versions of these.
When is the best time to visit Shantou?
Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) bring milder temperatures and less rain than summer, which is hot, humid, and carries typhoon risk. Winter is mild but can be damp.
Last updated August 2026: headers, addresses, and descriptions revised for accuracy; Guangji Bridge relabeled as a Chaozhou day trip rather than a Shantou attraction; three unverifiable entries replaced with Xiaogongyuan Old Town, Xiti Park, and China Overseas Golden Coast Water Park.
Related Resources:
Leave a Reply