Tiered falls, misty cliffs—Jieyang’s natural cascade symphony.

Stone piers, floating boats—Guangdong’s river gem.

Skyline icon meets urban light—Guangzhou’s modern beacon.

Established over 1,600 years ago during the Jin Dynasty, Chaozhou Ancient City has long been a hub of Lingnan culture. Its layout, defined by the "nine gates and four towers" of its original wall (now mostly gone), once protected merchants trading tea, porcelain, and salt along the Han River. The city flourished in the Song Dynasty, when scholars like Han Yu—exiled here—left literary legacies, and reached its zenith in the Ming and Qing eras, with over 100 stone memorial archways (now 23 preserved) honoring loyal officials and virtuous women. Today, it remains one of Guangdong’s best-preserved ancient urban complexes, a window into pre-modern southern Chinese city life. Architecturally, the city marries practicality with artistry. Its "qilou" (arcaded shophouses) dominate Taiping Road: two-to-three-story buildings with colonnaded ground floors, their stucco facades adorned with floral motifs and blue-glazed tile borders. Narrow "hutongs" branch off, leading to "Siheyuan" (courtyard homes) where moss clings to gray brick walls, and "chuannong" (wooden beam frames) support tiled roofs that curve like crescent moons. The "Xiangqiao Street" area, in particular, showcases Chaozhou’s signature "jinci" (mosaic porcelain art)—shards of colored pottery glued to eaves and walls, forming vivid scenes of dragons, peonies, and mythical birds. Daily life here is a dance of old and new. Mornings begin with "gongfu cha" rituals: men gather at street-corner tables, brewing tea in tiny clay pots, their conversations drifting over the clatter of ceramic cups. Midday brings activity to "Zhongshan Market," where vendors shout over piles of fresh lychees, dried seaweed, and hand-pulled "tanghulu" (sugar-coated fruit skewers). Afternoons see workshops hum: a woodcarver chisels lotus patterns into rosewood; a "jinci" artist arranges blue-and-white porcelain shards into a peacock’s tail; a "chaozhou embroidery" master stitches phoenixes onto silk, her needle moving as smoothly as the Han River. By evening, the "Chaozhou Opera House" lights up, its red lanterns casting warm glows on passersby, while old men on bamboo stools recount tales of the city’s past—how the archways were built, which family once owned the biggest tea warehouse, and where the best "fenghuang duck" (a local dish) is still served. Chaozhou Ancient City is a living museum of cultural continuity. In a province known for its skyscrapers and factories, it stands as a testament to the resilience of tradition, a place where 17th-century architecture shelters 21st-century artisans, and where a 1,000-year-old tea ceremony remains a daily ritual. For locals, it’s home: grandmothers teach grandchildren to fold "songhua cakes" (pine-flower pastries); fathers take sons to watch "danao" (grand parade) during the Lantern Festival; and neighbors greet each other by name as they water potted orchids on their qilou balconies. For travelers, it offers a rare chance to step into a world where time slows—where the clatter of modern life fades into the hum of a potter’s wheel, and where every brick, archway, and teacup tells a story. In its cobblestones, tiled roofs, and smiling faces, Chaozhou Ancient City captures the essence of an ancient town: alive, rooted, and infinitely rich.

Skyline icon meets urban light—Guangzhou’s modern beacon.

Cloud-capped peaks, ancient shrines—Guangdong’s spiritual retreat.