Best Things to Do in Shantou: A Local's List

Short answer: Give Shantou one full day minimum: the Xiaogongyuan old town in the morning, a museum or the seaside in the afternoon, and a beef hotpot dinner you will talk about for years.

1. Xiaogongyuan old town — early morning

The restored treaty-port quarter around the Small Park is Shantou's heart. Come before 9am: shopkeepers rolling up shutters, old men playing chess under the arcades, none of the afternoon crowds. The former post office and the Nansheng Department Store facades are the photo stops.

2. A proper morning market

Shantou wakes up eating. In any neighborhood wet market before 10am you will find guo snacks made to order, rice noodle rolls, and fish balls bouncing fresh. Go with a guide the first time — half the good stuff has no English name and no sign.

3. Beef hotpot, done by the rules

Order by named cut, cook for seconds, dip lightly in shacha. Our full guide is in the Travel Guide section. The short version: diaolong first, wuhuazhi after, beef balls and guotiao to finish.

4. The seaside promenade at dusk

Locals walk, fish, and drink tea along the bay in the evening. Join them — it costs nothing and tells you more about the city than any attraction.

5. Shantou Museum + old post office

Small, free, and genuinely good on treaty-port history and the qiaopi remittance letters that connected Chaoshan families to Southeast Asia.

6. Gongfu tea like a local

Skip the staged tea ceremonies. A neighborhood tea shop will seat you, brew Fenghuang Dancong, and let the afternoon pass. That is the real thing.

FAQ

Is one day enough for Shantou?

One full day covers the highlights. Two days lets you slow down and eat properly.

What is the one thing not to miss?

Beef hotpot dinner followed by an evening walk in the old town.