Chaozhou overview 潮州

About Chaozhou

Kaiyuan Temple contains calligraphy and inscribed steles, while Guangji Bridge combines fixed sections with a central connection formed from boats. Look at the bridge from the Han River bank before deciding whether to cross. Between these anchors, the old-city streets provide places to stop for Teochew food; the riverfront and temple offer more rewarding starting points than a drive around the whole municipality.

Archaeological finds at the Chenqiaobei Hill site, west of Chaozhou, show that early inhabitants fished, farmed and hunted about 6,000 to 5,000 years ago, and Shang- and Zhou-era remains of the Fubin Culture in Raoping indicate an early bronze and agricultural civilization. In 214 BC the area was part of Nanhai Commandery under the Qin dynasty. Haiyang County (海陽縣) was established in 331 under the Eastern Jin dynasty as part of Dongguan Commandery (東官郡), renamed Yi'an Commandery (義安郡) in 413, and became a prefecture in 590, first as Xun Prefecture, and then, from 591, as Chao Prefecture.

Chaozhou is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangdong, bordering Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, Fujian province to the east, and the South China Sea to the southeast, with a land area of 3,613.9 square kilometres. Hills and mountains cover 65 percent of the city's area, mainly in Raoping County and the north of Chao'an District. The main rivers are the Han River (韩江) and the Huanggang River (黄岗河).

Chaozhou is a National Historic and Cultural City (国家历史文化名城) and has been named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. As of 2010 the city had 728 recorded cultural relic sites, including 8 Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) and 11 at the provincial level.

What to look for

• Kaiyuan Temple preserves calligraphy and inscribed steles within its religious spaces.
• Guangji Bridge’s boat-supported middle section contrasts with its fixed piers and pavilions.

The surrounding area

An eastern Guangdong city base for old-city architecture, the Han River and gongfu tea; give it its own stay.

Location & getting there

Getting to Chaozhou

Arriving by rail, use Chaoshan station and continue by local road transport into Chaozhou’s old city. For a precise starting point, Kaiyuan Temple is at 32 Kaiyuan Road in Xiangqiao; the Han River and Guangji Bridge lie on the old city’s eastern side.