Stand at the corner of Shengping Road and Anping Road in the old town and the fan-shaped street plan opens up around you: arcaded shopfronts, peeling facades, and a scale of building that belongs to another century. Shantou rewards travellers who like their cities layered and a little rough at the edges, where a treaty-port past sits beside working food streets.
This guide suits independent travellers who are comfortable navigating by bus, taxi or ride-hailing app, and who would rather walk a historic district than tick off a list of polished attractions. It covers the sights named in the source material, grouped so you can build a route around the old town, the coast and the island.
Top things to do in Shantou
1. The old town
The old town occupies the western part of central Shantou, and its historic buildings are in a state of advanced dilapidation, with ground floors kept operating while the upper storeys crumble. It is worth your time precisely because it is changing: sections are being torn down and replaced, so what you see now will not last.
The one section marked for preservation is the part next to the renovated post office and the Shantou Founding Museum, so combine your walk with a visit to both.
2. Shantou small park
Shantou small park is the historic cultural district at the centre of the old urban area, centred on Shengping Road and Anping Road and laid out in a fan shape. It preserves early twentieth-century arcade buildings and commercial structures, and mixes traditional Chaoshan commercial culture with modern dining businesses.
Take a local bus to stops such as "kaihou culture hall", "zonggonghui" or "yongping road", then walk a few minutes. It pairs naturally with the old town and the Shantou Founding Museum.
3. Shantou Founding Museum
This museum is devoted to the establishment of Swatow as a treaty port in the 19th century and to the city's subsequent history and daily life. It sits in the original central part of Shantou, across from the renovated post office, and is free to enter.
Opening hours differ by day: Tuesday to Friday 09:00-11:00 and 15:00-17:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00-17:00, closed Monday. Do not confuse it with Shantou Museum, which is a separate institution.
4. Shantou Post Office Building
This European-style post office on Waima Road was built in 1922 and is still used for the same purpose. Inside there is a gallery about postcards and Shantou's postal history, and stamps and postcards are sold there.
It is free, open 09:00-17:00 and closed on Mondays. Because it faces the Shantou Founding Museum, the two make a single stop.
5. Shantou Museum
Shantou Museum on Yuemei Road in Jinping District has the space for an impressive collection, though not all exhibit halls are open. Exhibits cover Buddhist figurines and sculptures, paintings and calligraphy, ceramic wares, and relics recovered from a Ming Dynasty commercial vessel discovered in 2007 just southeast of Shantou.
It is free and open 09:00-17:00 with no entry after 16:30, closed Mondays. It sits near the western side of Zhongshan Park and is reachable on bus no. 47.
6. Stone Fort Park
Stone Fort Park on Haibin Road is a seafront fort with replica cannons, a moat and bridges. You can walk the ramparts, and rollerskating takes place in the middle of the fort.
The park is free and open 06:30-23:00, while the fort itself opens 07:30-18:00. Bus routes 19, 46, 103, 105 and k1 serve it.
7. Queshi Scenic Area
Queshi Scenic Area is a large hilly park on the south bank of the Rong River, directly opposite the city centre. The area across the Queshi Bridge was the main site for the American and British consulates, and some structures from that earlier history are somewhat preserved.
It is open 07:00-18:00. Tickets are ¥15 for a combo covering Pagoda Hill and Flame Peak, ¥10 for Pagoda Hill only, ¥6 for Longquan Cave, ¥25 one-way by cable car and ¥40 return. Catch a ferry from the terminal near People's Square, or bus nos. 11, 37, 49 or 162.
8. Nan'ao Island
Nan'ao Island is reached by a 9-km bridge and has kept an original feel, with sea views, the working life of fishermen and plenty of seafood. On the island you can see a Song Dynasty fresh water well right on an ocean-front beach (Song Jin, ¥16) with its beach and park, the ancient military headquarters of the island and coastal defence (Zong Bing Fu, ¥13) with a marker for the former Fujian-Guangdong border, the Changshanwei Gun Battery and the Xiongzhen Pass, plus wind-powered turbines on the mountains.
Transport on the island is not convenient: bus no. 601 runs around the coast and bus no. 602 serves the north coast, but no bus routes serve the interior, so hiring a car for the day is the usual solution at around ¥200-250. Buses 105, 161a, 161b, 161k, 203k and 515 run from Shantou to the main town of Hou Zhai, and ferries from the Laiwu Ferry Terminal run only twice per day.
9. The former residence of Chen Cihong
This mansion in Qianmei Village, Longdu Town, Chenghai District, was built in the early 20th century and remains largely intact, in traditional Chinese style with one- to three-storey houses under sloped tile roofs. People still live in many of the houses, and away from the tourist centre, museum and parking lot you can wander the alleys for a sense of unadorned traditional housing.
It is open 08:30-17:30 and costs ¥40. Bus 103 from Shantou drops you at Qianmai, followed by about a 15-minute walk; if you go by bus, ask when the last trip back into town is.
10. Longyan South Road
Longyan South Road in Dongfeng Subdistrict, Jinping District, is an urban street with a high concentration of food vendors and small restaurants. Most eateries and night-time stalls operate in the evening, making it one of the commonly visited night-dining zones in the district, with a mix of traditional snacks and contemporary casual food.
It is free to walk, and you can reach it by city bus to stops such as Dongfeng Street or Longyan Street, or directly by taxi or ride-hailing service. Note that hygiene on the street is poor, with litter and vermin as ubiquitous as the food stalls.
11. Pagoda Mountain
Pagoda Mountain, also called Tashan Scenic Area, is in Lianshang Town, Chenghai District. It is not to be confused with the similarly named place at the Queshi Scenic Area.
It is open 05:00-17:30 and costs ¥10. Take bus nos. 101, 102, 207 or 209 and get off at the Tashan Intersection.
12. Qingyun Rock
Qingyun Rock in Haojiang District combines temples and a lake on a cemetery hill, with religious structures, historical grave areas and landscaped footpaths following the natural slope. Visitors walk the terraces for the temple architecture, stone inscriptions and forested surroundings, while the lake sits on a lower platform bordered by simple walkways and rest spots.
It is free, and the area is used for worship, casual walking and observing ancestral memorial practices. Facilities are basic and the paths involve moderate walking, especially on uneven steps. It is the last stop of bus no. 16, and bus nos. 8, 35, 37 and 56 also stop here.
13. Dahao Ancient Town
Dahao Ancient Town in Haojiang District is small but attractive, enclosed by a thin ancient wall. It is free and open all day.
The nearest bus stop is the Xincheng Commercial Hotel stop, served by bus no. 35, which makes it easy to pair with Qingyun Rock in the same district.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in the old town and walk the preserved section around the Shantou Post Office Building, then visit the Shantou Founding Museum across the road. Continue into Shantou small park, following Shengping Road and Anping Road for the arcades and the fan-shaped street layout.
Afternoon: Head to Stone Fort Park on Haibin Road to see the sea fort, its moat and replica cannons. If time allows, take the ferry from near People's Square to Queshi Scenic Area for the hilly park and the surviving consulate-era structures.
Evening: Finish at Longyan South Road, where the food vendors and small restaurants operate in the evening, for a dinner of local snacks.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Shantou?
Autumn is sunny and dry, and spring is generally overcast. Summer brings the heaviest rains of the year, with about 60% of annual rainfall falling from May to August, though it is also much sunnier. Winters are short and mild to warm, beginning sunny and dry before turning wetter and cloudier.
Do I need to speak Mandarin or Teochew in Shantou?
Most residents are Teochew people and Teochew is widely spoken, but Mandarin-medium education means most people, especially younger generations, speak Mandarin fluently. Cantonese is also widely spoken as a third language by younger generations.
How do I get around Shantou without a car?
City buses serve most of the sights listed here, including routes to the old town, Stone Fort Park, Queshi Scenic Area and Nan'ao Island. Taxis and ride-hailing services are also an option, and on Nan'ao Island hiring a car for the day is the usual way to reach sites that buses do not serve.
Which museums in Shantou are free?
The Shantou Founding Museum, the Shantou Post Office Building gallery and Shantou Museum are all free to enter. Note that Shantou Museum and the Shantou Founding Museum are separate institutions with different locations and opening hours, and both close on Mondays.
Pick your season, check the bus routes for the old town and the island, and start laying out the days.