Chaozhou:Classic Tourist City

Historical Sites

Chaozhou’s history as an established city dates to the Sui Dynasty, and as such the city boasts an abundance of historical sites. The oldest of these is the Guangji Bridge, dating back to 1170 AD, which was originally supported by 18 boats and 24 piers. Another attraction is the visibly prominent Phoenix Pagoda, built in 1585 AD. A climb to the top offers a spectacular view of the city from across the Hanjiang River. Further attractions in the city include Kaiyuan Temple, Han Yu Memorial, and the Xu Mansion, all of which reveal interesting layers of the city’s unique history. The old part of the city, near the Ming Dynasty Wall, is well worth exploring on foot, with traditional architecture, numerous alleys and lanes to get lost in, and plenty of street food to sample.

Chaozhou Ceramics

Over the years, Chaozhou has earned the title of South China’s ceramic capital due to its rich clay resource and a ceramics industry that is over 2,300 years old. Fengxi, the center of ceramic production at Chaozhou, is home to more than 3,000 factories, employing a total of 50,000 workers.

In 2001, the first Fengxi Ceramic Fair kicked off. The bi-annual event is held every April and October, usually a week before the spring and autumn editions of the Canton Fair. To date, buyers from the United States, Europe, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan have attended the fair.

Chaozhou Opera

Chaozhou opera is one of the ten major operas in China. It originated from a branch of Southern Drama in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and formed in the Ming Dynasty. Historical data compiled after the liberation show that there are more than 1,000 traditional plays. Chaozhou opera is a local opera in Chaoshan area, which is one of the three major local operas in Guangdong.Chaozhou opera is an amazing art form in China, enjoying high reputation and popularity both at home and abroad. It features graceful and lyrical tunes, demonstrates Chaoshan local characteristics, and appeals to both refined and popular tastes. The charms of Chaozhou opera are its crystal clear arias and exquisite tunes, which appeal to people in East Guangdong, South Fujian and countries in Southeast Asia. The arias of Chaozhou opera include Tune, Dual Tune and Minor Tune. There are a lot of excellent plays staged by famous performers in unique performing arts. Chaozhou opera is well received by the mass. A number of Chaozhou operas were made into movies and issued at home and abroad. Chaozhou opera troupes have been invited to perform across China and the world for many times.

Kungfu Tea

Kungfu tea (Kungfu cha), the“espresso” of Chinese teas with a formidable kick, which was fi rst sipped back in the Song Dynasty (440-479 AD), is still flourishing and remains an important part of social etiquette in Chaozhou. If you visit a family, you can be sure of at least one round of Kungfu tea.

Kungfu tea, to which manual skills, high quality tea leaves and water as well as appropriate temperature control are critical, brings out the best that tea, especially the fermented Wulong tea, can offer.It is a true art form to prepare the tea. Making basic Kungfu tea: first, clean the teapot with boiling water to make better tea with a warm teapot. Then fill in the teapot with a big handful of tea leaves, making sure the leaves, after being soaked with hot water, will stick out the mouth of the teapot. Next, pour boiling water into teapot. The water should over fl ow so as to get rid of impure materials and foam, and to make mellow tea. A few seconds later, the tea should be poured into cups, which are usually arranged in a circle. The last step is to pour tea with a few rounds of circular motions into each cup so as to make sure the tea in all the cups is the same in terms of color and fragrance. To avoid creating foam, the teapot should be held close to the teacups.

Though it tastes bitter when it first reaches your mouth, it is the lingering aftertaste that makes Kungfu tea probably the most charming tea culture in China. Drinking Kungfu tea is in fact a process of aesthetics rather than a solution to thirst. For ordinary people, after a long day of hard work, a round of Kungfu tea offers refreshment and physical relief. This is one of the important reasons why the tradition lives on. Some even use Kungfu tea to stimulate their minds and seek inspiration, a much healthier method than relying on caffeine or cigarettes.

Chaozhou Cooking

Chaozhou is the name of a coastal region around the Shantou district of eastern Guangdong province. Naturally, as a fishing area, seafood features prominently in the hearty cuisine, which is often enhanced by piquant sauces, such as tangerine jam for steamed lobsters and broad-bean paste for fish. Famous dishes include salt-baked goose with vinegar juice, mixed meats with beancurd and meatballs in casserole. Such richly flavored dishes reflect the culinary influence of the Chaozhou people’s northeastern neighbors, the Fukienese. Yet Chaozhou cuisine has also been greatly influenced by its southwestern neighbors, the Cantonese.

Many Chaozhou classic dishes are light and tasty, with an abundant use of vegetables. The crisp delicacy of deep-fried leaf vegetables adds a gleaming green, very edible garnish to many dishes. Chaozhou chefs pride themselves on their skill in vegetable carving. Magnificent designs -- flowers, birds, dragons and phoenixes -- made from carrots and ginger adorn Chaozhou banquet table and cold dishes. The region’s chefs are also acknowledged masters in the preparation and cooking of two de luxe delicacies, shark’s fi n and bird’s nest.