Shantou

Shantou was a fishing village part of Tuojiang Du (鮀江都), Jieyang County during the Song dynasty. It came to be known as Xialing (廈嶺) during the Yuan dynasty. In 1563, Shantou became a part of Chenghai County in Chao Prefecture (Chaozhou). As early as 1574, Shantou had been called Shashanping (沙汕坪). In the seventeenth century, a cannon platform called Shashantou Cannon (沙汕頭炮臺) was made here, and the place name later was shortened to "Shantou". Locally it has been referred to as Kialat. Connecting to Shantou across the Queshi Bridge is Queshi (礐石) which had been known by the local people through the 19th century as Kakchio. It was the main site for the American and British consulates. Today the area is a scenic park but some of the structures from its earlier history are somewhat preserved. …

Shantou is located in eastern Guangdong with latitude spanning 23°02′33″ – 23°38′50″ N and longitude 116°14′40″ – 117°19′35″ E; the Tropic of Cancer passes through the northern part of the city, and along it there is a monument, in fact the easternmost in mainland China, at 23°26′33″N 116°35′20″E. The highest peak in the city's administration is Mount Dajian (大尖山) on Nan'ao Island, at 587 m (1,926 ft); the highest peak on the geographic mainland is Mount Lianhua (莲花山), at 562 m (1,844 ft) in Chenghai District. The city is located at the mouths of the Han, Rong (榕江), and Lian Rivers. Shantou is 301 km (187 mi) northeast of Hong Kong. Shantou has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with short, mild to warm winters, and long, hot, humid summers. Winter begins sunny and dry but becomes progressively wetter and cloudier. …

Shantou people share the same culture with other Teochew. The tea-drinking tradition widely practised in town is a classic instance. According to China Daily, Shantou people "drink more tea than anyone else in China, in total 700 million yuan (US$87.5 million) each year".

Shantou's economy is medium by Guangdong standards. Manufacturing accounts for a large and increasing share of employment, with canning, garments, lithography, plastic, and toys being some of the principal products. Toy manufacturing is the city's leading export industry, with 400 million U.S. dollars' worth of exports each year. Canaton Calculator Co. is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company. Guiyu, a populous town in Chaoyang District, is the biggest electronic waste site on earth. Health-environmental issues incurred have concerned international organizations such as Greenpeace. In 2000, the biggest tax fraud in the history of the People's Republic of China was uncovered, estimated worthy of 32.3 billion yuan. In 2017, the analyzed data of Shantou GDP is approximately 230 billion yuan(US$35.4 billion). With an area of 2.34 km2 (0. …

Shantou Times Square light show (19:00-21:00 on Friday and weekend) Shipaotai Park (Chinese: 石炮台公园; pinyin: Shí pàotái gōngyuán) Chen Cihong's Former Residence (陈慈黉故居; Chén Cíhóng gùjū) Nan'ao Island, rated as Guangdong's most beautiful island by China's National Geographic magazine Palace-Temple of Old Mother (老妈宫; Lǎo Mā gōng): dedicated to Mazu, Goddess of Sea Temple of Emperor Guan (关帝庙; Guān Dì miào): dedicated to Lord Guan Tropic of Cancer Symbol Tower (北回归线标志塔; Běihuíguīxiàn biāozhìtǎ): The Tropic of Cancer slips through Centipede Mountain, which is 20 kilometers away from the city properly. Shantou Museum (汕头博物馆; Shàntóu bówùguǎn): An art museum. Shantou Founding Museum (汕头开埠博物馆; Shàntóu kāibù bówùguǎn): This history museum is devoted to the establishment of Swatow (Shantou) as a treaty port in the 19th century, not to be confused with Shantou Museum. Old town of Swatow and Dr. …

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. Shantou has direct jurisdiction over six districts and one county, and the six urban districts of Shantou have a population of 5,330,764. With it and the surrounding cities of Jieyang and Chaozhou, the administrative metropolitan area known as Chaoshan covers an area of 10,404 km2 (4,017 sq mi), and had a permanent population of 13,648,232 as of the 2020 census. Nevertheless, its built-up area spread on 11 districts, Puning city and Raoping county was home to 12,543,024 inhabitants as of 2020 census. This is de facto the fifth built-up area of China after Guangzhou-Shenzhen Pearl River Delta megacity, Shanghai-Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou conurbation, Beijing and Hangzhou-Shaoxing agglomeration. …