Dr. Mark Nan Tu 涂南博士

Overview:
Chaozhou (Chinese: 潮州) is a city in eastern Guangdong province of the People’s Republic of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, and the South China Sea to the southeast.

Chaozhou is a famous historical and cultural city in China. The following is the guide for it’s “old city tour”. You can hire a human powered tricycle, rent a bike or simply walk the route to enjoy many historical relics and unique culture of Chaozhou. The “old city” is well preserved. Many local people still live in those century old houses along the narrow alleyways.

The tour is about 1-2 hours. It starts in the Kaiyuan Temple (開元寺) and ends in the same spot. You may wish to visit the Kaiyuan temple last.

This “Chaozhou old city tour” is a must do for anyone visiting Chaozhou. You will enjoy the culture and the architecture that are unique to Chaozhou. If you have not been to Chaozhou, you have not been to Guangdong. If you have not toured the “Chaozhou old city”, you have not been to Chaozhou. Enjoy!

Stop 1: The first stop is the Ming city wall (明城墻) which was first built in Ming dynasty and was rebuilt in the 1990s. There is a section of the old Ming wall remain. You can compare it to the newly build wall. You shall walk up the wall in Guangji Men (广济门城楼). From the top of the wall, you will get a good view of the Guangji Bridge (廣濟橋) and the Mazhu temple (妈祖庙). You can also see the Han River which was named after the great Chinese poet lived in the Tang dynasty. The Guangji Bridge connects the Ming city wall with the Hangong Shire. Here are a few interesting points you shall not miss:
1. The Ming city wall (明城墻), 2.6 kilometers long and was rebuilt in the 1990s.
2. The Mazhu temple (妈祖庙)， built inside the Ming wall to worship goddess Mazhu who is believed to live in Chaoshan region. She was believed to performed many good deeds for the locals. She is worshipped as a goddess after her death in southeast China and for Chinese resides in the Southeast Asian countries.
3. Guangzi Bridge (廣濟橋), built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1170 A.D.) was reconstructed in the 1990s.
4. Hangong Ci(韩公祠) is located along Hangjiang river and west of Bijia mountain. It is on the other side of the Han river. This shrine had been constructed since Song Dynasty and become the oldest existing and the most completed reservation memorial of Han Yu, who is the great poet in Tang Dynasty.
In the year of A.D.819, for some political reason, Han Yu was exiled to Chaozhou, a backland at that time. But he was not depressed by this, he helped local people to develop education, agriculture, irrigation and release slaves. To memorize what he had contributed to the development of Chaozhou, people constructed this shrine and name him “Hanwengong” respectfully. 　　
　
Stop 2: After an easy stroll on the Ming city wall, you can follow the trail through the old alleyways of the “old Chaozhou city”. The next stop is: Haiyang County Confusion Temple (海阳县儒学宫) or Chaozhou Museum and Changli Old Arch (昌黎旧治坊). You shall not cross the Han river via Guangzi Bridge as the entrance fee is for oneway trip only (you can argue with the ticket conducters, but the results depend). Since the Hangong Ci is on the other side of the Han river, you can only see it from the distance or visit it in the other time.

1. Haiyang County Confusion Temple (海阳县儒学宫) was built in the Song Dynasty (1278AD) and was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty (1369AD). Its architecture is heavily influenced by the east Guangdong style with intricate and colorful carvings decorating the ceiling joints. The Chaozhou Museum is located inside the temple.
2. Changli Old Arch(昌黎旧治坊) is located just opposite the gate of the Haiyang County Confusion Temple. This arch was built in Ming Dynasty. There are carvings both in the front and at the back. Changli is the other name for Hangyu. This arch is built in memory of the Tang dynasty poet Hangyu.

You may choose to rest and chipping the Gongfu tea in many stores in front of the Haiyang County Confusion Temple. There is no obligation to buy. If you wish to purchase, please be sure to bargain.

Stop 3: The next stop is Huang Jilue Temple (己略黃公祠)
Huang Jilue Temple (己略黃公祠) is famous for its intricate wood and stone carvings. It was built in Qing dynasty as a resident for a local rich. It is a great example of the architecture style of the east Guangdong.

Stop 4 (last stop): Back to the beginning is the Kaiyuan Temple (開元寺).
Kaiyuan Temple (開元寺) is a Buddhist center embodied with the quintessence of the architectural art of various dynasties such as Tang, Song, Yuan and Qing. This temple is over 200 years old. The temple is also home to the most influential Buddhism Study Institute in Southeast China. Inside, handsome calligraphy and inscribed steles remind visitors that this temple once functioned as the record keeper of the city.

Still want to see more? There is another place along the way that is worth visiting: Xu, Imperial Son-in-law, Mansion (許駙馬府). I will leave that to you to find out the exact location. Hope this will give you a bit more adventure in this trip.
Xu, Imperial Son-in-law, Mansion (許駙馬府), which retains the basic pattern of the architecture of the Song Dynasty.

Important Tips:
1: Please note: you shall not cross the Han river via Guangzi Bridge as the entrance fee is for one way trip only (you can argue with the ticket conductors, but the results depend). Since the Hangong Ci is on the other side of the Han river, you can see it from the distance or visit it in another time.
2: You may choose to rest and chip the Gongfu tea (which is famous in Chaozhou) in many stores in front of the Haiyang County Confusion Temple. There is no obligation to buy. If you wish to purchase, please be sure to bargain.

How to get there:
By Air: Chaozhou has no airport. The closest airport is located in Shantou which is only 30km to Chaozhou city. Every 10 minutes, Shantou bus station has an express bus to Chaozhou.
By train: Guangzhou has 3 trains every day that connect to Chaozhou
By bus: This is actually the preferred way to go to Chaozhou. It is very easy to find buses that connect Chaozhou from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen and many other cities.
By boat: Chaozhou is connected to Hongkong and Xiamen by boat.

Travel in the city:
Taxi: Chaozhou old town is very small. The Chaozhou railway station is not far from the Kaiyuan temple. The taxis are metered.
Bus: The public bus system is well developed. However, the signs are in Chinese which is rather difficult to navigate for English speakers.
By tricycle: this human powered tricycle is another way to enjoy the city. The drivers will usually tell to you the “secret stories” of the Chaozhou. The “old city tricycle tour” costs 30RMB for 1.5 hour round trip that starts and ends in Kaiyuan temple.
By bike: Bikes can be rent in many small shops.

for the interactive guide, please visit my Chaozhou English guide