Shantou (汕头)

1. Introduction

Shantou City, abbreviated as Shan and also known as Tuo City, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is designated by the State Council as a special economic zone under the Legislation Law, one of the central cities in the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait, a crucial gateway on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the central city of eastern Guangdong, and a significant port city along the southeastern coast. As a sub-central city in Guangdong Province, it is located in the eastern part of the province. The city borders Jieyang to the west, Chaozhou to the north, and faces Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait to the east. To the south, it fronts the South China Sea, situated at the southeastern foothills of the Lotus Mountain Range, on the Han River Delta Plain, at the estuaries of the Han River, Rong River, and Lian River. The eastern part includes Nan'ao Island, the largest island in Guangdong Province. The municipal government is located at No. 28 Yuejin Road.

nix

2. History

During the Song Dynasty, Shantou was a fishing village in the Tuojiang Du of Jieyang County. In the Yuan Dynasty, a larger fishing village had already formed in the area of present-day Guanghua, known as "Xialing." After the 42nd year of the Jiajing era of Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty (1563), it belonged to the newly established Chenghai County under the Chaozhou Prefecture. In the 3rd year of the Wanli era of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty (1575), Shantou was referred to as "Shashanping." In the 8th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1669), the Tuopu Water Fort was renamed the Shantou Garrison, and the name "Shantou" began to appear in historical records. As the urban area was originally located on a sandbar of the Han River Delta, and the sand ridge is called "Shan" in the Chaoshan dialect, it was named Shantou. In the 56th year of the Kangxi era, the Qing government built a fort here, and the place was renamed "Shashantou" (Shashantou Fort). During the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, it was gradually abbreviated to "Shantou." In the 21st year of the Qianlong era, the Qing government established a "Customs House" on Mayu Island.

After the Second Opium War, in the 8th year of the Xianfeng era (1858), the Treaty of Tianjin was revised, designating Chaozhou as a treaty port. Due to strong resistance from the people in the Chaozhou urban area, foreigners voluntarily abandoned trade in Chaozhou and instead chose the relatively safer Shantou as a treaty port for trade. On the 9th day of the 12th lunar month in the 9th year of the Xianfeng era (January 1, 1860), the Chaozhou Customs was established on Mayu Island. John E. Ward's brother, Ward, was appointed as the first Commissioner of Customs for the Chaozhou Customs, while Yu Enyi was appointed by the Qing government's Ministry of Revenue as the first Customs Superintendent of the Chaozhou Customs. Shantou officially opened as a port, becoming the third customs port in the country and the second in the province. Friedrich Engels, in his work Russia's Success in the Far East, considered Shantou to be the only port with any commercial significance outside of the five treaty ports. From then on, Shantou began to surpass the Chaozhou urban area due to its superior geographical location and relatively safe environment, gradually becoming the economic center of eastern Guangdong. On November 16, 1906, the Chaoshan Railway connecting Shantou and Chaozhou opened, which was the first commercially operated railway in China. The railway controlled the strategic passage for maritime access in southwestern Fujian and eastern Guangdong, with considerable business volume. The daily freight volume was over 100 tons, and its revenue was almost comparable to that of Japan's Tokaido Railway, making it one of the best-performing railways in China.

On February 13, 1918, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Shantou, the most severe earthquake recorded in Guangdong's history. Almost all houses in the Chinese towns collapsed, and consuls and foreign merchants stationed in Shantou suffered greatly. The French and Dutch consulates collapsed, while the British, Japanese, and American consulates were severely damaged, ultimately resulting in 1,000 deaths. After the earthquake, the people of Shantou and overseas Chinese began rebuilding the city. In 1921, Shantou established a municipal government, separating from Chenghai but still under the jurisdiction of the Chaoxun Circuit. On August 2, 1922, a typhoon made landfall in Shantou, causing severe damage to the region. This was the most severe typhoon disaster in China in the 20th century, resulting in approximately 60,000 to 100,000 deaths, historically known as the 1922 Shantou Typhoon.

In September 1925, remnants of the Guangdong warlord Chen Jiongming, defeated in the First Eastern Expedition by the Eastern Expeditionary Army of the Guangzhou National Government, took advantage of the main force of the Eastern Expeditionary Army returning to Guangzhou to launch a rebellion and occupied Shantou. To completely eliminate warlord forces in Guangdong and unify the Guangdong revolutionary base, the Guangzhou National Government, led by Commander-in-Chief Chiang Kai-shek, Political Department Director Zhou Enlai, and others, launched the Second Eastern Expedition, recapturing Shantou on November 4. In September 1927, the troops of the August 1 Nanchang Uprising entered Guangdong from Fujian, successively capturing Chaozhou and Shantou. During the seven days the uprising forces occupied the Chaoshan area, they established revolutionary regimes in Shantou and other places, historically known as the "Seven Red Days in Chaoshan."

In 1930, Shantou was officially established as a city, becoming one of the first cities in China to be designated as such. The old urban area of Shantou was centered around Xiaogongyuan, with surrounding streets like Anping Road and Guoping Road radiating in a fan-shaped pattern similar to the area around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Combined with the "Four Yong and One Shengping" on both sides, the "Four An and One Zhenbang," the old "Yantingtou" in the east, the Hongting in the north, and the "Shantou Port" in the south, it formed the bustling commercial and residential district of the time. In 1933, Shantou Port recorded a total of 4,478 vessel entries and exits, with a tonnage of 6,324,468 tons, accounting for 8.76% of the national coastal port freight volume that year. In the 1930s, Shantou Port's throughput ranked third in the country, after Shanghai and Guangzhou, and its commercial prosperity ranked seventh nationally. It served as a transportation hub, port of entry and exit, and commodity distribution center for eastern Guangdong, southwestern Fujian, and southeastern Jiangxi.

After the full-scale outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Japanese military imposed an economic blockade on mainland China. In October 1938, Guangzhou fell, and Shantou became the last port in South China for external contact, with large quantities of overseas anti-Japanese materials being transported to inland China via Shantou Port. To cut off China's supply routes, in the early morning of June 21, 1939, during the Dragon Boat Festival, the invading Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on Shantou, triggering the Chaoshan Campaign. At that time, only one independent brigade and two security regiments of the National Revolutionary Army were defending Chaoshan. Although the defending officers and soldiers, under the command of Generals Wu Qiwei and Hua Zhenzhong, fought back bravely, Shantou fell that afternoon due to the numerical superiority of the Japanese forces, beginning a six-year period of Japanese occupation. On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. On September 28, Xu Jingtang, the officer accepting the surrender in Chaoshan and Deputy Commander of the 12th Group Army of the Seventh War Zone during the War of Resistance, accepted the surrender document from the invading Japanese forces in Shantou, represented by Chief of Staff Tomita Naosuke of the 23rd Army of the Japanese Southern China Area Army, marking the liberation of Shantou.

On October 24, 1949, the Second and Fourth Columns of the People's Liberation Army's Fujian-Guangdong-Jiangxi Border Column defeated the Nationalist forces defending Shantou, and the urban area of Shantou, along with Chaoyang County and Chenghai County, changed hands. On February 23, 1950, the 41st Army of the People's Liberation Army took control of Nan'ao Island, liberating the entire territory of Shantou.

On March 15, 1950, the Shantou Municipal People's Government was established. In 1958, the Shantou Prefecture was established, shifting the administrative and cultural center of the Chaoshan region to Shantou. On July 28, 1969, the powerful Typhoon Viola made landfall in Shantou. This was the strongest, longest-lasting, most widespread, and most destructive typhoon to hit Shantou since 1949, historically known as the "July 28 Wind Disaster." At that time, 470 officers and soldiers and 83 university students tragically sacrificed their lives while protecting the embankment during land reclamation at Niutianyang in the western suburbs of Shantou. In 1981, with the approval of the State Council, a special economic zone was established on a trial basis in the Longhu area of Shantou, marking a new phase in Shantou's economic development. On July 13, 1983, the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party abolished the Shantou Prefecture system, implementing a merger of prefecture and city, establishing a system where the city leads counties. Shantou City administered 10 counties and 1 city (Jieyang, Raoping, Chenghai, Chaoyang, Nan'ao, Puning, Huilai, Jiexi, Haifeng, Lufeng, and Chaozhou City), 6 municipal districts (Anping, Tongping, Gongyuan, Jinsha, Dahao, and Suburbs), and one special economic zone. Starting September 1 of the same year, Haifeng and Lufeng counties were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Huiyang Prefecture.

In November 1984 and November 1991, the Shantou Special Economic Zone was expanded twice, successively incorporating areas like Guang'ao, Jinyuan, and Shengping. In 1991, Shantou adjusted its administrative divisions, with Chaozhou and Jieyang established as separate prefecture-level cities. The urban districts of Shantou were adjusted to four municipal districts: Longhu, Jinyuan, Shengping, and Dahao. In October 1993 and April 1994, Chaoyang County and Chenghai County successively transitioned from counties to county-level cities. In May 1994, Hepu Town of Chaoyang was incorporated into Shantou City, establishing the Hepu District.

At 4:00 a.m. on July 15, 2000, a fire broke out at the Shantou Guesthouse, resulting in five deaths and three injuries. Because the fire originated in Building 2, where the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had been stationed for long-term investigations, and two of the deceased were Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection officials investigating cases in Shantou, there was widespread public suspicion that the fire was an act of arson and murder in retaliation, orchestrated by related interest groups colluding with criminal organizations.

On May 1, 2011, the scope of the Shantou Special Economic Zone was expanded to cover the entire city of Shantou. In 2017, Shantou was designated as a sub-provincial central city in Guangdong Province, with plans to complete the construction of the sub-provincial central city by 2035.

3. Geography

Shantou City is situated on the Chaoshan Plain, with only a small area of hills in the northwest. The highest peak in the city is Dajian Mountain on Nan'ao Island, with an elevation of 587 meters. The highest peak on the mainland is Lotus Mountain in the Chenghai District. Other major mountains include Sangpu Mountain, Xiaobei Mountain, and Danan Mountain. Shantou is located at the estuary of the Han River, Rong River, and Lian River. The Rong River, along with the Honglianchi River and Tuoji River, traverses the urban area. At the mouth of the Rong River, there are islands such as Mayu Island and Dezhou Islet.

3.1 Natural Resources

Mineral resources include lead, zinc, tungsten, tin, titanium, zirconium, etc. Crops include rice, peanuts, sugarcane, soybeans, jute, etc. The main forest trees are pine, fir, and camphor. Aquatic products include cuttlefish, mackerel, hairtail, round scad, lizardfish, filefish, dragonet, and parrotfish.

3.2 Climate

Shantou City has a South Asian tropical monsoon climate. The average temperature in January is 13.8°C, with an extreme minimum of 2.3°C (December 29, 1991). The average temperature in July is 28.3°C, with an extreme maximum of 41.8°C (July 27, 1981). The annual average temperature is 21.5°C. The average annual precipitation is 1631.4 mm. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |------------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|--------|--------|--------|-------|-------|-------|-------|--------| | Record high °C | 29 | 29.7 | 31.6 | 33.8 | 35.2 | 36.9 | 38.8 | 37.6 | 36.9 | 34.1 | 32.2 | 29.4 | 38.8 | |Record high °F | 84.2 | 85.5 | 88.9 | 92.8 | 95.4 | 98.4 | 101.8 | 99.7 | 98.4 | 93.4 | 90 | 84.9 | 101.8 | | Average high °C | 19 | 20 | 21.9 | 25.4 | 28.7 | 30.8 | 32.8 | 32.4 | 31.6 | 28.7 | 24.9 | 20.9 | 26.4 | | Average high °F | 66.2 | 68 | 71.4 | 77.7 | 83.7 | 87.4 | 91 | 90.3 | 88.9 | 83.7 | 76.8 | 69.6 | 79.6 | | Daily mean °C | 14.7 | 15.8 | 17.8 | 21.6 | 25.2 | 27.5 | 29.1 | 28.9 | 27.9 | 25.1 | 20.8 | 16.6 | 22.6 | | Daily mean °F | 58.5 | 60.4 | 64 | 70.9 | 77.4 | 81.5 | 84.4 | 84 | 82.2 | 77.2 | 69.4 | 61.9 | 72.7 | | Average low °C | 11.7 | 13 | 14.9 | 18.9 | 22.6 | 25.1 | 26.4 | 26.1 | 25.1 | 22 | 17.3 | 13.2 | 19.7 | | Average low °F | 53.1 | 55.4 | 58.8 | 66 | 72.7 | 77.2 | 79.5 | 79 | 77.2 | 71.6 | 63.1 | 55.8 | 67.5 | | Record low °C | 2.4 | 5 | 5.2 | 11.6 | 16.9 | 18.5 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 20 | 14.1 | 8.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | | Record low °F | 36.3 | 41 | 41.4 | 52.9 | 62.4 | 65.3 | 71.8 | 72.1 | 68 | 57.4 | 46.8 | 34.2 | 34.2 | | Average precipitation mm | 28 | 68.3 | 103.6 | 171.9 | 207.7 | 273.1 | 225.2 | 280.5 | 162.9 | 31.4 | 32.1 | 33.2 | 1617.9 | |Average precipitation inches | 1.1 | 2.69 | 4.08 | 6.77 | 8.18 | 10.75 | 8.87 | 11.04 | 6.41 | 1.24 | 1.26 | 1.31 | 63.7 | | Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 7.2 | 10.8 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 15.3 | 17.1 | 13.4 | 13.7 | 9.9 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 128.6 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 76 | 75 | 77 | 78 | 82 | 78 | 79 | 75 | 69 | 71 | 70 | 75 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 143.2 | 96 | 101.7 | 112.8 | 134.7 | 170.9 | 239.7 | 218.6 | 200.7 | 207.6 | 181.2 | 171.5 | 1978.6 | | Percentage of possible sunshine | 43 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 42 | 58 | 55 | 55 | 58 | 55 | 52 | 45 |

4. Administrative Divisions

Shantou City currently administers 6 municipal districts and 1 county. Among them, Jinping District, Longhu District, and Haojiang District constitute the central urban area.

• Municipal Districts: Longhu District, Jinping District, Haojiang District, Chaoyang District, Chaonan District, Chenghai District
• County: Nan'ao County

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | |-------------------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------|-------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------| | 440500 | Shantou City | Shàntóu Shì | 2,179.95 | 5,502,031 | Jinping District | 515000 | 37 | 30 | | 440507 | Longhu District | Lónghú Qū | 114.2 | 630,749 | Jinxia Subdistrict | 515000 | 10 | | | 440511 | Jinping District | Jīnpíng Qū | 140.05 | 777,024 | Shipaotai Subdistrict | 515000 | 12 | | | 440512 | Haojiang District | Háojiāng Qū | 169.08 | 269,471 | Dahao Subdistrict | 515000 | 7 | | | 440513 | Chaoyang District | Cháoyáng Qū | 665.74 | 1,654,276 | Wenguang Subdistrict | 515100 | 4 | 9 | | 440514 | Chaonan District | Cháonán Qū | 599.86 | 1,231,638 | Xiashan Subdistrict | 515100 | 1 | 10 | | 440515 | Chenghai District | Chénghǎi Qū | 378.35 | 874,444 | Chenghua Subdistrict | 515800 | 3 | 8 | | 440523 | Nan'ao County | Nán'ào Xiàn | 112.66 | 64,429 | Houzhai Town | 515900 | | 3 |

5. Economy

Designated by the Guangdong Provincial Government as a provincial sub-central city, a regional central city in eastern Guangdong, and one of the five leading cities in the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait, it serves as a vital transportation hub, import-export gateway, and commodity distribution center for eastern Guangdong, southern Jiangxi, and southern Fujian. The built-up urban area spans 212 square kilometers, ranking among the top in Guangdong.

The city has over 30,000 program-controlled telephone lines, and local fixed-line telephone numbers were upgraded to 8 digits starting from 00:00 on May 18, 2008. Direct dialing is available to 158 countries (regions) and over 580 domestic cities.

On September 20, 2014, the State Council of China approved Shantou's application to establish the "Shantou Overseas Chinese Economic and Cultural Cooperation Pilot Zone" within the Special Economic Zone. In 2018, Shantou's regional GDP reached 251.205 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of 6.9%. Key industries include light textiles, machinery, electronics, plastics, and handicrafts. Products include Chaozhou embroidery, wood carving, shell carving, painted porcelain, handicrafts, ultrasonic electronic instruments, canned goods, drawnwork, toys, and photosensitive materials.

5.1 Agriculture

Agriculture comprises six sectors: grain, vegetables, poultry and livestock, aquatic products, fruits and tea, and flowers. It is an important export base for agricultural products in China.

6. Transportation

6.1 External Transportation

6.1.1 Railway

The Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shantou Railway, with a total length of 480 kilometers, commenced construction in January 1991. The track laying was completed in July 1995, with freight service starting on September 27 and passenger service commencing on December 28 of the same year. Shantou Station is the terminal station of the Guangzhou-Meizhou-Shantou Railway.

The Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway was completed and opened to traffic on December 28, 2013. Its intermediate station, Chaoyang Station, is located in Gurao Town, Chaoyang District. On December 31, 2018, the Shantou Connecting Line of the Xiamen-Shenzhen High-Speed Railway officially began operation. Starting from January 5, 2019, 13.5 pairs of high-speed trains operate daily between Shantou and Guangzhou East, Guangzhou South, and Shenzhen North.

The Meizhou-Shantou High-Speed Railway (Meizhou West Station to Chaoshan Station) and the Shantou-Shanwei Railway (Shantou South to Shantou) are currently under construction, along with the Port Railway.

6.1.2 Highway

Expressways include the G15 Shenzhen-Shantou Expressway, G15 Shantou-Fenyang Expressway, G78 Shantou-Kunming Expressway, and the under-construction G35 Shantou-Zhanjiang Expressway. National highways include Guangzhou-Shantou (National Highway 324), Shantou-Jieyang (National Highway 206), Guanshan, and the Chaoshan Trunk Line, connecting to Guangzhou, Meizhou, and Xiamen. Highways planned or under construction include National Highway 228, the Chaoshan Ring Expressway, and the Jiedong to Nan'ao National Highway 539.

6.1.3 Aviation

Shantou Waisha Airport is located in Waisha Town, Longhu District, Shantou City. It officially ceased civil aviation operations on December 15, 2011, with the commencement of operations at Chaoshan Airport, and was converted to a purely military airfield. The last civil flight from Waisha Airport departed for Nanjing around 22:00 on December 14, 2011. From the 15th onwards, all civil aviation services were transferred to Chaoshan Airport.

6.1.4 Port

Shantou Port is located on the eastern coast of Guangdong Province and is one of the major ports among China's five coastal port clusters. It has 38 berths with a capacity of over 5,000 tons, including 16 berths capable of handling over 10,000 tons. It handles freight with 272 ports in 58 countries and regions worldwide, undertaking the transportation of import and export goods for eastern Guangdong, southwestern Fujian, and southern Jiangxi.

Shantou is not only the central city of eastern Guangdong but also a "central city of the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait." It serves as a commodity distribution center for eastern Guangdong, southeastern Jiangxi, and southwestern Fujian, occupying an important node in the "Greater Pearl River Delta" and "Pan-Pearl River Delta" economic circles. It is also a crucial link connecting the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait, possessing a unique geographical advantage as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. Shantou Port is near the West Pacific international golden shipping route, only 187 nautical miles from Hong Kong and 160 nautical miles from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is one of the mainland ports open to Taiwan. Shantou opened direct freight shipping to Kaohsiung on January 18, 2008, and direct passenger shipping to Taiwan on May 6, 2008.

6.1.5 Bus Stations

The Bus Passenger Transport Center Station, located on Taishan Road in Longhu District, is currently the largest and most well-equipped bus station in Shantou City.

• Shantou Central Bus Station, located on Chaoshan Road in Jinping District, has a history of sixty years and is operated by Shantou Bus Passenger Transport Corporation, the only state-owned passenger transport enterprise in Shantou.
• Qishan Passenger Station, located in Qishan, Jinping District, near the main road Jinfeng Road and National Highway 206, was built in 2007, primarily facilitating travel for residents in the northwestern part of the city.
• Zhongke Passenger Station, located on Shanzhang Road in Jinping District, mainly operates routes within the province and to surrounding counties and cities. Although small in scale, it greatly facilitates travel for nearby residents. It ceased operations on May 16, 2023.
• Queshi Bus Passenger Station, located on Queshi Haibang Road in Haojiang District.
• Chaoyang Bus Station, located on Mianxi Road in Chaoyang District.
• Xiashan Bus Station, located on Xiashan Street in Chaonan District.
• Chenghai Bus Station, located on Zhongshan North Road in Chenghai District.

Additionally, smaller bus stations are located in some towns and townships.

6.2 Urban Transportation

6.2.1 Local Railway

• Shantou historically had the Shanzhang Light Railway and the Shanchao Tramway, which are no longer in operation.

6.2.2 Bridges and Tunnels

• Shantou Bay Bridge is located in the sea area near Mayu Island at the eastern entrance/exit of Longhu District, Shantou City. It connects to the Shenzhen-Shantou Expressway in the south and the Shantou-Fenyang Expressway in the north. It is the first large-span modern suspension bridge in China, with a total length of 2,500 meters, taking four years to complete.
• Queshi Bridge is located at the western entrance/exit of Jinping District, Shantou City. It is another large bridge connecting the northern and southern urban areas of Shantou, following the Bay Bridge. The bridge is a reinforced concrete cable-stayed bridge with a total length of 3,500 meters (1,000 meters longer than the Bay Bridge), a width of 30 meters, and six lanes in both directions. Sightseeing pedestrian walkways are on both sides of the main bridge, and the main span has a navigational clearance of 38 meters.
• Nan'ao Bridge is located in Laiwuwei, Chenghai District, Shantou City, with a total length of 11.08 kilometers. Construction began in January 2009, and it opened to traffic on January 1, 2015.
• Shantou Bay Tunnel commenced construction on February 2, 2015, and opened on September 28, 2022.

6.2.3 Public Transportation

The central urban area of Shantou currently has sixty bus routes, operated by Shantou Public Transport Corporation, Guan Zhong Bus (no longer in operation), Shenzhan Bus, Nanxiang Bus, and Nanchen Bus Company. These buses travel between the northern and southern banks of the central urban area daily. Fares are mostly between 1 and 2 yuan, with some longer routes implementing sectional fares. Public transportation cards and Tuocheng Tong cards can be used. Operating hours extend until 24:00 at the latest.

Additionally, Chaoyang District, Chaonan District, and Chenghai District have their own public bus routes.

6.2.4 SkyRail (云轨)

The Shantou SkyRail is a pilot and tourism rail transit project constructed and operated by Shantou City using BYD's SkyRail technology. Construction on the Shantou BYD SkyRail test line began on September 28, 2016, but has been suspended since due to the inability to obtain approval from the National Development and Reform Commission.

6.2.5 Ferry

• Square Pier (Northern Central Urban Area) – Queshi Pier (Southern Central Urban Area)
• Xidi Pier (Northern Central Urban Area) – Queshi Pier (Southern Central Urban Area)
• Laiwu Ferry (Chenghai) – Changshanwei Ferry (Nan'ao)

Before the construction of the Shantou Bay Bridge and Queshi Bridge, residents mainly relied on ferries to travel between the northern and southern banks of the central urban area. Currently, fewer people use the ferries from Square Pier and Xidi Pier to the southern area.

6.2.6 Taxi

Taxis in Shantou City are primarily orange. Some branded company taxis have their own colors, such as Shanyun in light green, Nanxiang in dark green, and Dalian in blue. Over 1,000 taxis in Shantou's central urban area went on strike on November 20, 2009. Starting July 1, 2009, the taxi flag-down fare and per-kilometer rate were adjusted. The flag-down fare was unified to 5 yuan for the first 2 kilometers (previously 9 yuan for the first 3 km for Class 1 vehicles and 8 yuan for Class 2). The fare per kilometer was adjusted to 2.4 yuan (0.6 yuan per 250 meters). Waiting fees (including traffic jams, passenger requests to wait, etc.) are free for the first 4 minutes, charging 0.3 yuan per minute thereafter. For single trips exceeding 20 kilometers, a 30% empty return surcharge is added to the per-kilometer fare. From 23:00 to 06:00 the next day, a 20% surcharge applies to the fare. Bridge, ferry, and toll road fees are paid by the passenger (except for annual pass systems). A 10-kilometer trip costs approximately 24 yuan, and about 29 yuan at night. Currently, it is common for taxis in Shantou not to use the meter, especially during holidays. Traffic management authorities have addressed this issue, but the effectiveness remains limited.

7. Education

7.1 Higher Education

Shantou City currently has 4 universities, including 2 undergraduate universities and 2 vocational colleges.

• Regular Undergraduate Higher Education Institutions: Shantou University, Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
• Regular Vocational Higher Education Institutions: Guangdong Shantou Preschool Teachers College, Shantou Polytechnic

7.2 Adult Education

Adult Higher Education Institution: Shantou Open University

7.3 Primary and Secondary Education

Shantou City currently has 85 regular high schools, including 10 national exemplary high schools such as Shantou Jinshan Middle School, Shantou Chaoyang Experimental School, and Shantou No. 1 Middle School.

7.4 Special Education

• Shantou School for the Deaf and Mute
• Shantou Cunxin Special Education School
• Chenghai Qizhi School

7.5 Vocational Education

There are currently 22 secondary vocational and technical schools, along with 1 secondary vocational department within a higher education institution. Among these, there are 2 national key secondary vocational schools, 4 provincial key secondary vocational schools, 2 municipal key secondary vocational schools, and 2 provincial-level training centers.

8. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's resident population is 5,502,031. Compared with the 5,389,328 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 112,703 people over the past ten years, a growth of 2.09%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.21%. Among them, the male population is 2,776,205, accounting for 50.46% of the total population; the female population is 2,725,826, accounting for 49.54% of the total population. The sex ratio of the total population (with females as 100) is 101.85. The population aged 0–14 is 1,226,029, accounting for 22.28% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 is 3,422,367, accounting for 62.2% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above is 853,635, accounting for 15.51% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above is 587,052, accounting for 10.67% of the total population. The urban population is 3,890,169, accounting for 70.7% of the total population; the rural population is 1,611,862, accounting for 29.3% of the total population.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's resident population, the Han population is 5,421,147, accounting for 98.53%; the population of various ethnic minorities is 80,884, accounting for 1.47%. Compared with the Sixth National Population Census in 2010, the Han population increased by 52,430, a growth of 0.98%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 1.09 percentage points; the population of various ethnic minorities increased by 60,273, a growth of 292.43%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 1.09 percentage points.

nix

9. Culture

The local dialect is Teochew, and Teochew opera, Teochew music, Teochew snacks, and Gongfu tea are renowned both at home and abroad.

9.1 Cultural and Artistic Venues

Shantou Teochew Opera Cultural Center
Shantou Yidu Grand Theater

9.2 Related Film and Television Works

• 1997 TV series "I Am from Teochew"
• 1998 TV series "Major Cases in the South"
• 1999 TV series "Homeland"
• 2022 film "Only Fools Rush In"

10. Sister Cities

• Kishiwada, Japan (Established on June 2, 1990)
• St. John's, Canada (Established on February 28, 1997)
• Cần Thơ, Vietnam (Established on August 1, 2005)
• Pyeongtaek, South Korea (Established on March 25, 2003)
• Fairfield, Australia (Established on April 26, 2005)
• Sandakan, Malaysia (Established on May 28, 2009)
• Johor Bahru, Malaysia (Established on November 4, 2011)
• Federal Way, United States (Established in March 2013)
• Haifa, Israel (Established on December 16, 2015)
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Established on August 12, 2024)

nix

nix

nix

nix

Jinping District

Chaoyang District

nix

nix

Yellow Bauhinia (1933)
Golden Trumpet Tree (1983–present)
Orchid (1997–present)