汕头市
Chaoshan country on the coast — its own food, its own opera, its own dialect
Why this place
Shantou is the main city of the Chaoshan region, which has its own language, its own opera and one of the best cuisines in China. Chaoshan people run restaurants across Southeast Asia, and the food here — beef balls, braised goose, rice-noodle soup — is the origin of all of it.
What to see
- The old arcaded shophouse quarter (Xiaogongyuan area) and the 1920s city centre
- The Queshi scenic area and the coastal hills, with the old harbour
- Chaoshan opera and teochew puppet performances, which are still performed locally
- The Chaoshan teahouse culture — gongfu tea, drunk in tiny cups, all day
What to eat
- Beef balls (niurou wan) — bounced, springy and served in soup; Shantou's specialty
- Braised goose (lu e) — Chaoshan's most prized meat dish
- Rice-noodle soup (kway teow) for breakfast, and the local oyster omelette
- Gongfu tea, which is a social ritual as much as a drink
Best time
October–December and March–April; typhoon season is July–September
Practical tips
- Chaoshan food is the reason to come — plan your day around meals, not sights
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