Chao Zhou

Guangji Bridge, also called Xiangzi Bridge, is Chaozhou's signature landmark and one of China's more unusual pieces of ancient engineering. First built in 1171 during the Southern Song dynasty, it combines stone arches at both ends with a central floating section made of 18 linked wooden boats — a design that let the middle of the bridge open for river traffic, functioning as both a fixed crossing and a drawbridge more than 800 years before that combination would seem at all unusual. It remains one of the few bridges of its kind still standing anywhere in China.

Kaiyuan Temple's history stretches back even further, to 738 AD, when it was established after Emperor Xuanzong ordered every major prefecture in the empire to build an officially sanctioned temple bearing the name "Kaiyuan." Nearby, Paifang Street runs through the heart of an old town whose street layout dates back more than 1,600 years, marked by 22 restored stone memorial archways — paifang — that give the street its name and its identity as Chaozhou's most walkable historic corridor.

All of this sits alongside what most visitors actually come for: Teochew cuisine, widely regarded within China as its most delicate and precise culinary tradition, built around the freshness of a handful of ingredients rather than bold spicing. Braised goose, oyster omelettes, and handmade dim sum here have travelled with the Teochew diaspora across Southeast Asia, making Chaozhou's food recognisable to visitors who've never set foot in Guangdong. October through April brings the most comfortable weather for exploring the old town on foot.