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Shantou is a city of 4,971,000 permanent inhabitants (as at end 2006) in coastal eastern Guangdong Province, China, occupying an area of 2,064 sq. km. With its immediately surroundinmg cities of Jieyang and Chaozhou, the metropolitan region - known as Chaoshan - covers an area of 10,404 sq.km. and had a permanent population of 13,139,800 at the end of 2006.
Shantou, a city significant in 19th-century Chinese history as one of the treaty ports established for Western trade and contact, was one of the original Special Economic Zones of the People's Republic of China established in the 1980s, but failed to blossom like other cities such as Shenzhen, Xiamen and Zhuhai. However, it remains as East Guangdong's economic centre, and is home to one of Guangdong's top rated universities, Shantou University.
The city came to prominence during the 19th-century when it was established as one of the treaty ports for trading with the West, and in the 1980s it was also designated as one of the original Special Economic Zones of the People's Republic of China. Shantou has a population of around 1,500,000.
Overseas visitors are not common in the rural areas around Shantou, and those of non Chinese ethnicity will definitely be an attraction to residents. Those unaccustomed to this may feel intimidated. However, this is a very friendly type of attention, and unless you really dislike interaction with people you don't know, this will almost certainly be a highlight of your trip. Do not be surprised if people want their picture taken with you, or if they yell to friends and family to come look at you as well. Any sort of communication you attempt to make, especially in the local Teo-Chew dialect, will almost always be happily received.
Zhuhai (8 hours, 160 RMB), Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Xiamen (4 hours, 100 RMB). There is fairly new highway that is on par with U.S or European expressways running between Shenzhen and Shantou (and beyond). However, food and gas stops are limited so make sure your gas tank is full if you opt to pass a fueling station. Note that restrooms are far below Western standards as well, particularly if you are female.
Some Hong Kong residents prefer to drive these highways in groups of 3-4 cars, as robberies sometimes take place along the road .
Administration
Shantou is a prefecture-level city. It has direct jurisdiction over six districts and one county.
Districts
* Chenghai District
* Longhu District
* Jinping District
* Haojiang District
* Chaoyang District
* Chaonan District
* Nan'ao County: island-county
As of 2003, the district of Haojiang was established out of Hepu and Dahao which had been merged together, and the district of Jinping Shengping and Jinyuan; 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 Chaoyao and Chaonan District respectively.
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.
Most residents are ethnically Teochew. There are also Hakka, specifically known as Half-Hakka-Hoklo, majorly living in Chaoyang District and Chaonan District. Though they actually speak and feel Teochew. Thanks to compulsory Mandarin study in school, most people, especially the younger generations, can fluently speak the national dialect.
Government statistics show that 2.16 million overseas Chinese have roots in Shantou, with significant populations of Teochew people residing in Southeast Asia. This is demonstrated by the unusually high number of international direct flights between Bangkok and Shantou.
Culture & Lifestyle
Shantou people, like other Teochew, cannot live without tea. According to China Daily,[2] Shantou people "drink more tea than anyone else in China, in total 700 million yuan (US$87.5 million) each year".
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
The dominate electricity to Shantou is China Southern Power Grid. The city's postal service is operated by China Post. The major telecommunications companies providing terrestrial and mobile telecommunications services to Shantou are: China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and China TieTong.
Transport
Most Shantou residents travel by autobikes. However, car use has grown rapidly over the past couple of years. Public transportation is provided by bus, ferry and taxi.
The Shantou Waisha Airport is 13 kilometres away from the city centre and was constructed in 1956. Nearly 2 million people utilise the airport each year. Taxi is the usual way to travel between the airport and the city centre. The taxi fare is around 20-30 RMB. The new Chaoshan International Airport, located in Jiedong Country which borders Shantou to the southeast, is currently under construction. It is expected to replace Waisha Airport in 2010 and to provide better services to Chaoshan residents.
Tourism
* The Former Residence of Chen Ci Hong
* Nan'ao Island: rated as Guangdong's most beautiful island by China's National Geographic magazine
* Palace-Temple of Old Mother: dedicated to the goddess Matsu
* Temple of Emperor Guan: dedicated to Guan Yu
* Tropic of Cancer Symbol Tower
Colleges and universities
* South China University of Technology Shantou College
* Shantou Polytechnic
* Shantou Radio and TV University
* Shantou University
Sister cities
* Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan
* Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
* Can Tho, Vietnam
Cities of friendly exchanges
* Pyongtaek, Gyeonggi, South Korea
* Fairfield, New South Wales, Australia
Miscellaneous
The Tropic of Cancer slips through Centipede Mountain, which is 20 kilometres away from the City.
The Malaysian city of Johor Bahru, which has a significant Teochew population, is known as little Swatow.
Most taxi drivers in Shantou are of Henan origin.
Shantou, along with Shanghai, are the two SMW3 beach-landing points in China.
Guiyu, a small town in Chaoyang District, despite being even unknown to most Shantou locals, is the biggest electronic waste site on earth. The health-environmental issues there have concerned international organisations such as Greenpeace.
In 2000, the biggest tax fraud in China's history was uncovered, estimated worthy of 32.3 billion yuan.
There are at least two Teochew-speaking air hostesses on board each China Southern flight between Shantou and Bangkok.
Get around
See
* Buddhist Pagoda Mountain in Chenhai
* Cultural Revolution Museum A surprisingly candid and straightforward representation of events.
