Shantou Travel Guide, China

Shantou, China is a city in the Guangdong Province and has a population of almost five million people. If you include all of the surrounding metropolitan areas, the population is almost 14 million people and the cities cover an area of over 10,000 sq km.

Shantou was established as a treaty port for western contact and trade. It was one of the first Special Economic Zones established in 1980, but didn’t grow as expected. It still however, remains a great economic center and home to Shantou University, one Guangdont’s most prestigious colleges.

Shantou has economic relationships with over 165 countries. Over fifty international companies have investments in this city, with eleven of them being in the world’s top five hundred enterprises. The city has the seventh best commerce rate of all of China’s cities.

There are many tourist attractions in this city. Beautiful mountains, exquisite islands, and natural beaches all make for a great vacation holiday. Many seaside resorts cater to locals and tourists alike. Seafood is plentiful and is used in everyday cooking. Many of the restaurants offer great Chinese fare, as well as other local favorites. Shantou also has a very vibrant nightlife, offering just about anything you could want for entertainment, including shopping, clubs, bars, theaters, and coffee houses.

Shantou has an exotic culture that is mixed with the traditional. The Chao music and cuisine are very different from most Chinese music and food. The music is known for peculiar instruments and dulcet melodies. The cuisine is known for many different kinds of seafood and seasonings. A cup of Gongu tea is almost a nightly tradition.

Some of the more common historical and cultural sites include, Nan’ao Island, which has been rated as the most beautiful island in Guangdong by National Geographic, and the Temple of Old Mother, which is in reverence to the goddess Matsu.