Holiday in Chaozhou

About Chaozhou

Chaozhou is one of the oldest cultural cities in southern China, located on the Han River in the eastern province of Guangdong. The city is the historical center of Teochew culture (Chaoshan), which has produced its own language, cuisine, tea ceremony, and opera tradition over centuries. Millions of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia originate from this region — Chaozhou is considered the ancestral home of the Teochew diaspora. The Guangji Bridge (also known as Xiangzi Bridge) is one of the four most famous ancient bridge structures in China. It dates back to the Song Dynasty (1170 AD) and features a unique construction: during the day, 18 pontoon boats connect the two stone halves of the bridge, and at night they are moved aside to allow ships to pass. In the evening, the illuminated bridge offers a spectacular light show. The old city wall of Chaozhou, founded in the Song Dynasty and over 2,600 meters long, is one of the best-preserved historical city walls in southern China. The Paifang Street (Taiping Lu) with its 23 ornate stone honor gates is one of the most impressive streets in China — each arch tells the story of a significant figure from the city. Chaozhou is the capital of Gongfu tea: The Teochew tea ceremony (Gongfu Cha) is UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and is practiced in every household, business, and restaurant here. Phoenix Mountain (Fenghuang Shan) north of the city is famous for the Fenghuang Dancong Oolong tea, which grows at altitudes over 1,000 meters and is considered one of the finest teas in China.