The City of Shantou, China
Shantou lies in the eastern part of Guangdong province in Southern China. It sits opposite from Taiwan across the South China Sea. Shantou occupies an area of 6,613 square miles and currently has a population of 3.8 million (including the surrounding areas). It is a vibrant city, and was named one of the five special economic zones in southern China. Shantou is accessible by air from both Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
The southern part of Shantou is called the Hanjiang Plain. The northern part is quite beautiful and hilly, with green and gold mountains in the distance. The Han River flows through the area and leads all the way to the China Sea. Along the coast, there are a lot of islands and ports. The main business district in Shantou is called the Sheng Ping district. This is an older area of town, with many buildings that are over 100 years old. There is a new area called the Longhu District, with lots of new apartments and homes for people. This is in the eastern suburbs of Shantou (You can see pictures of this area on the following pages.) The Tropic of Cancer runs directly through the city, so Shantou has a subtropical monsoon climate. Their tropical storm season is July to September.
Shantou's major industry is textiles. It is the major production base of photosensitive chemicals and electronic ultrasound. Shantou's embroidery and handicrafts are considered some of the best in the country. Shantou also specializes in canned products and exports these products to over ten countries. In agriculture, they grow rice, sugarcane, and peanuts. They also grow pineapples, litchi, bananas, and oranges.
The major points of interest in Shantou are Queshi, Shantou University, and Seaside Park. Many people also visit Mayu Island and the Queen Temple from the Qing dynasty. Qingao Bay with its beautiful beaches has been called the "Hawai of the East". The cultural city of Chaozhou is less than an hour's drive. The traditional specialties of the area are embroidery, porcelain, shell carvings, Shumei velvet, oranges, bananas and pineapples.
