Shantou

This article is about the city. For the classic-winning racehorse, see Shantou (horse).

Shantou 汕头市 Prefecture-level city From top:Zhengguo Temple, Renmin Square, Queshi Bridge, Shantou overview. Location of Shantou City jurisdiction in Guangdong Shantou Location in China Coordinates: Country People's Republic of China Province Guangdong Municipal seat Jinping District Government  • CPC Committee Secretary Chen Maohui (陈茂辉)  • Mayor Zheng Renhao (郑人豪) Area  • Prefecture-level city 2,248.39 km2 (868.11 sq mi)  • Metro 7,385.2 km2 (2,851.4 sq mi) Elevation 51 m (167 ft) Population  • Prefecture-level city 5,389,328  • Density 2,400/km2 (6,200/sq mi)  • Metro 11,535,677  • Metro density 1,600/km2 (4,000/sq mi)  • Major Nationalities Han Time zone China Standard (UTC+8) Postal Code 515000, 515041 Area code(s) 754 License Plate Prefix 粤D Website http://www.shantou.gov.cn/ Shantou "Shàntóu", as written in Chinese Simplified Chinese 汕头 Traditional Chinese 汕頭 Postal Swatow Literal meaning head or tip of the fishing sandbar Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shàntóu Wu Romanization sae去deu平 Hakka Romanization Sân-thèu Yue: Cantonese Jyutping saan3 tau4 Yale Romanization Saantàuh Southern Min Hokkien POJ Sòaⁿ-thâu Teochew Peng'im Suan1 tao5

Shantou (Chinese: 汕头), also known as Swatow or Santow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, with a total population of 5,391,028 as of 2010 and an administrative area of . 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 metropolitan region known as Chaoshan covers an area of 10,404 km² (4,017 sq mi), and had a permanent population of 13,937,897 at the end of 2010. It's built up area spread of 11 districts was home to 11,635,577 inhabitants at the 2010 census.

Shantou, a city significant in 19th-century Chinese history as one of the treaty ports established for Western trade and contact, was one of the original Special Economic Zones of the People's Republic of China established in the 1980s, but did not blossom in the manner that cities such as Shenzhen, Xiamen and Zhuhai did. However, it remains eastern Guangdong's economic centre, and is home to Shantou University, a member of the Project 211 group.

History

The historic quarter of Shantou, which features both Western and Chinese architecture

Shantou was a fishing village part of Tuojiang Du (鮀江都), Jieyang County (揭陽縣) during the Song Dynasty. It came to be Xialing (廈嶺) during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1563, Shantou was a part of Chenghai County (澄海縣) in Chao Prefecture (Chaozhou). As early as 1574, Shantou had been called Sha Shan Ping (沙汕坪). In the seventeenth century, a cannon platform called Shashantou Cannon (沙汕頭炮臺) was made here, and the placename 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 are somewhat preserved from its earlier history. In 1860, Shantou became a trading port.

It became a city in 1919, and was separated from Chenghai in 1921. 1922 saw the devastating Swatow Typhoon, which killed 5,000 out of the 65,000 people then inhabiting the city. Some nearby villages were totally destroyed. Several ships near the coast were totally wrecked. Other ones were blown as far as two miles inland. The area around the city had around another 50,000 casualties. The total death toll was above 60,000, and may have been higher than 100,000.

In the 1930s, as a transport hub and a merchandise distribution centre in Southeast China, Shantou Port's cargo throughput ranked third in the country. A brief account of a visit to the city in English during this period is the English accountant Max Relton's A Man in the East: A Journey through French Indo-China (Michael Joseph Ltd., London, 1939). On June 21, 1939, Japanese troops invaded Shantou. Japanese force occupied Shantou until 1945.

With higher-level administrative authority, Shantou governed Chaozhou City and Jieyang City from 1983 to 1989.

Geography

Shantou
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     34     18 11     67     18 12     100     20 14     173     24 18     214     27 22     287     30 25     227     32 26     259     32 26     141     30 24     52     28 21     41     24 16     38     20 12 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: CMA
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.3     64 51     2.6     64 53     3.9     69 57     6.8     76 65     8.4     81 71     11     86 76     8.9     89 78     10     89 78     5.6     86 75     2     82 69     1.6     75 61     1.5     68 54 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

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 . 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 187 miles (301 km) north of Hong Kong.

Climate

Shantou has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with short, mild to warm winters, and long, hot, humid summers. Winter begins sunny and dry but becomes progressively wetter and cloudier. Spring is generally overcast, while summer brings the heaviest rains of the year though is much sunnier; there are 8.2 days annually with 50 mm (1.97 in) of rainfall. Autumn is sunny and dry. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) in January to 28.3 °C (82.9 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 21.53 °C (70.8 °F). The annual rainfall is around 1,630 mm (64 in), about 60% of which occurs from May to August. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 28% in March to 58% in July and October, the city receives 1,979 hours of bright sunshine annually.

Climate data for Shantou (1971–2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	17.9 (64.2)	17.9 (64.2)	20.3 (68.5)	24.3 (75.7)	27.4 (81.3)	29.9 (85.8)	31.8 (89.2)	31.5 (88.7)	30.2 (86.4)	27.7 (81.9)	23.9 (75)	19.9 (67.8)	25.2 (77.4)
Average low °C (°F)	10.7 (51.3)	11.5 (52.7)	14.1 (57.4)	18.2 (64.8)	21.8 (71.2)	24.5 (76.1)	25.6 (78.1)	25.5 (77.9)	24.0 (75.2)	20.5 (68.9)	16.0 (60.8)	12.0 (53.6)	18.7 (65.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	33.6 (1.323)	66.8 (2.63)	99.5 (3.917)	172.9 (6.807)	213.5 (8.406)	286.9 (11.295)	227.2 (8.945)	258.5 (10.177)	140.8 (5.543)	52.3 (2.059)	41.3 (1.626)	38.1 (1.5)	1,631.4 (64.228)
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 (%)	78	80	82	82	85	86	83	83	81	77	76	75	80.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours	143.2	96.0	101.7	112.8	134.7	170.9	239.7	218.6	200.7	207.6	181.2	171.5	1,978.6
Percent possible sunshine	43	30	28	30	33	42	58	55	55	58	55	52	44.9
Source: China Meteorological Administration

Administration

Shantou is a prefecture-level city. It has direct jurisdiction over six districts and one county.

Administrative divisions of Shantou
Jinping Longhu Haojiang Chaoyang Chaonan Chenghai Nan'ao County
Division code	English name	Chinese	Pinyin	Area in km2	Population 2010	Seat	Postal code	Divisions
								Subdistricts	Towns	Residential communities	Administrative villages
440600	Shantou City	汕头市	Shàntóu Shì	2248.39	5,389,328	Chancheng District	515000	37	32	517	548
440507	Longhu District	龙湖区	Lónghú Qū	119.42	536,356	Jinxia Subdistrict	515000	5	2	80	32
440511	Jinping District	金平区	Jīnpíng Qū	146.15	810,284	Shipaotai Subdistrict	515000	17		169
440512	Haojiang District	濠江区	Háojiāng Qū	179.89	267,463	Dahao Subdistrict	515000	7		60
440513	Chaoyang District	潮阳区	Cháoyáng Qū	664.91	1,626,357	Wenguang Subdistrict	515100	4	9	93	179
440514	Chaonan District	潮南区	Cháonán Qū	596.42	1,288,165	Xiashan Subdistrict	515100	1	10	65	167
440515	Chenghai District	澄海区	Chénghǎi Qū	429.43	800,399	Chenghua Subdistrict	515800	3	8	45	137
440523	Nan'ao County	南澳县	Nán'ào Xiàn	112.17	60,304	Houzhai Town	515900		3	5	33

As of 2003, the district of Haojiang was established out of Hepu and Dahao which had been merged, and the district of Jinping Shengping and Jinyuan; Waisha and Xinxi Town, part of former Chenghai City, was merged into Longhu District; Chenghai City became Chenghai District; Chaoyang City was divided and became Chaoyang and Chaonan District respectively.

Economy

Shantou Harbor

Shantou's economy is medium by Guangdong standards. Manufacturing accounts for a large and increasing share of employment. Canning, garments, lithography, plastic, and toys are 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.

Guiyu, a populous town in Chaoyang District, is the biggest electronic waste site on earth. Health-environmental issues incurred have concerned international organisations 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.

Development zone

With an area of 2.34 km² (0.90 sq mi), Shantou Free Trade Zone lies at the south part of Shantou city. It was ratified by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and founded in January 1993, it formally came into use on December of the same year after its supervision installations are checked and accepted by the General Customs. It has been comprehensively developing export processing, storage, international trade, finance and information industry. Its goal is to establish a modernized international zone that is open to the overseas by drawing experience from international free trade zone.

Demographics

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.

Most residents are linguistically Teochew. There are also Hakka, popularly known as Half-Hakka (半山客), living mainly in Chaoyang District (潮陽區) and Chaonan District (潮南區), although they speak Teochew on a daily basis and practise Teochew culture. Thanks to the Mandarin-medium education system, most people, especially the younger generations, can speak Mandarin fluently. Thanks to Cantonese-language TV and labor migrations to the Pearl River Delta, Cantonese is widely spoken as a second or third language by the younger generations.

Governmental statistics show that 2.16 million overseas Chinese have roots in Shantou, with significant populations of Teochew people residing in Thailand and Cambodia. This is demonstrated by the unusually high number of international direct flights between Bangkok and Shantou. In addition, there are at least two Teochew-speaking air hostesses on board each China Southern flight between Shantou and Bangkok. The Teochew presence, furthermore, is evident in Singapore and Malaysia; Johor Bahru, a coastal city situated at the latter's southernmost tip, is known as 'Little Swatow'.

Culture and lifestyle

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".

• Teochew culture

Religions

St. Joseph's Cathedral of Shantou

Most population in Shantou is non religious or partakes to traditional folk religions, Buddhism, Taoist rites, worship of gods and ancestors. About 2% of the population belongs to organised religions, with 40,000 are Protestants, 20,000 are Catholics and 500 are Muslims. St. Joseph's Cathedral of Shantou is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shantou.

Infrastructure

Health

The public hospitals in the Shantou metropolitan area are operated by the Government of Shantou. Management of these hospitals and other specialist health facilities are coordinated by Shantou Board of Health.

Utilities

The main post office in the old city centre

Shantou's electricity is provided entirely by China Southern Power Grid, postal service operated by China Post.

Telecommunications

Shantou is one of the most important international telecommunications ports in China. Four international submarine communications cables land at Shantou submarine cable landing station, including APCN 2, China-US Cable Network, SMW3 and South-East Asia Japan Cable System (SJC).

China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile provide fixed lines, broadband internet access and mobile telecommunications services there.

Transport

Shantou Queshi suspension bridge during sunset

Urban transport

A bus stop sign in Shantou

The private car has matured as a transport option for Shantou residents. However, more still travel by autobikes. Public transportation is provided by bus, ferry and taxi.

Air

Shantou previously had its own civil airport, Shantou Waisha Airport. It was formerly the main airport serving the Shantou until nearby Jieyang Chaoshan Airport was opened on 15 December 2011. Shantou Waisha Airport became a military airbase since then and all civilian flights were transferred to the newly built airport in Jieyang. Taxi is the usual way to travel between the airport and the city proper. The taxi fare is around 60 RMB.

Railways

Shantou Railway Station

There are 3 railway stations which serve Shantou: Chaoshan Railway Station and Chaoyang Railway Station which lie on the Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway line, and Shantou Railway Station which lies on the Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou Railway.

Tourism attractions

Chen Cihong's Former Residence

• Shipaotai Park (Chinese: 石炮台公园; pinyin: Shí pàotái gōngyuán)
• Chen Cihong's Former Residence (Chinese: 陈慈黉故居; pinyin: Chén Cíhóng gùjū)
• Nan'ao Island (南澳島 Nanao Dao): rated as Guangdong's most beautiful island by China's National Geographic magazine
• Palace-Temple of Old Mother (老媽宮 Laoma Gong): dedicated to the goddess Matsu
• Temple of Emperor Guan (關帝廟 Guandi Miao): dedicated to Guan Yu
• Tropic of Cancer Symbol Tower (北回归线标志塔 Beihuiguixian Biaozhita): The Tropic of Cancer slips through Centipede Mountain, which is 20 kilometers away from the city proper.
• Cultural Revolution Museum (文革博物馆 Wenge Bowuguan): The country's only museum dedicated to the Cultural Revolution.
• Shantou Museum (汕头博物馆 Shantou Bowuguan): An art museum.
• Shantou Founding Museum (汕头开埠博物馆 Shantou Kai Bubowuguan): 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.

Media

In 1912 Swatow had four newspapers, all in Chinese. They were Han Chao Pao, Ming Chuan (People's Rights), Ta Fung Pao (The Typhoon), and Ta Tung Pao (Eastern Times).

Education

Education is overseen provincewide by the Guangdong Education Bureau.

Primary and secondary

Public primary and secondary schools provide education free.

A list of known schools:

• Shantou Jinshan Middle School
• Shantou Number One Middle School
• Shantou Experimental School
• Shantou Number four Middle School
• Shantou Number ten Middle School
• Shantou Number two Middle School
• Shantou Number three Middle School
• Dahua number one primary school
• Yuhuai Middle School

a rural primary school in Chenghai District

Colleges and universities

• South China University of Technology Shantou College
• Shantou Polytechnic
• Shantou Radio and TV University
• Shantou University
• Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT)

Twin towns — sister cities

Shantou is twinned with the following cities:

Country	City	County/District/Province/Region/State	Date
Japan	Kishiwada	Osaka Prefecture	June 2, 1990
Canada	Saint John	New Brunswick	February 28, 1997
Vietnam	Can Tho	N/A	August 1, 2005
Malaysia	Johor Bahru	Johor	November 4, 2011

Friendly exchanges:

Country	City	County/District/Province/Region/State	Date
South Korea	Pyongtaek	Gyeonggi-do	March 25, 2003
Australia	Fairfield	New South Wales	April 26, 2005
United States	Orlando	Florida	August 8, 2007
United States	Los Angeles	California	December 25, 2001

Prominent people

Many famous Chinese come from Shantou or their ancestral home is Shantou.

Entrepreneurs

• Mainland China
  • Huang Guangyu (1969–), chairman of Gome Group and once the richest person in Mainland China
  • Ma Huateng (1971–), Founder of Tencent Computer System Co., Ltd and creator of QQ
• Hong Kong
  • Li Ka-shing (1928–; Chaozhou), tycoon
  • Lim Por-yen (1914–2005), media tycoon, banker and charitarian
• Thailand
  • Low Kiok Chiang (1843–1911), founder of Khiam Hoa Heng entreprises (1872-1950s)
• Singapore
  • Tang Choon Keng (1901–2000), founder of Tangs
• Malaysia
  • Teh Liang Teik (1923–2011), chairman of Malayan Flour Mills

Entertainment

• Hong Kong born
  • Emil Chau (1960–) actor and singer
  • Kwong Wah (1962–), actor and singer
  • Canti Lau (1964–) actor and singer
  • Sammi Cheng (1972–) actress and singer
• Mainland China
  • Cai Chusheng (1906–1968), famous director, and the film "Yu Guang Qu" (渔光曲) directed by him received the first international film prize in China's history

Other

• Nuon Chea (1926–), politician
• Adele M. Fielde (1839–1916), missionary and author
• Qin Mu (1919–1992), writer
• Watchman Nee (1903–1972), theologian, and opponent of prosperity theology
• Tan Howe Liang (1933–), Singaporean weightlifting Olympian
• Xu Shilin (1998–), Chinese tennis player, Junior Olympic gold medallist

See also

• Chaoshan
• Chaozhou
• Teochew people

References

• Miscellaneous series, Issues 7-11. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 1912.

Further reading

• (Harvard University)

External links

• (Chinese) Official government website
• Website of Shantou Government
• Shantou Daily
• Guangdong Statistical Yearbook