Shantou, Guangdong Province, China

🇨🇳 Shantou, alternately Swatow and sometimes known as Santow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong, China. However, its built-up (or metro) area is much bigger including Rongcheng and Jiedong districts, Jiexi county and Puning city in Jieyang plus all of Chaozhou city largely conurbated. This is de facto the 5th built-up area in mainland China between Hangzhou-Shaoxing, Xian-Xianyang and Tianjin.

Shantou, a city significant in 19th century Chinese history as one of the treaty ports established for Western trade and contact, was one of the original special economic zones of China established in the 1980s, but did not blossom in the manner that cities such as Shenzhen, Xiamen and Zhuhai did. However, it remains eastern Guangdong's economic centre, and is home to Shantou University, which is under the provincial Project 211 program in Guangdong.

There are 3 railway stations which serve Shantou: Chaoshan Railway Station and Chaoyang railway station which lie on the Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway line, and Shantou Railway Station which lies on the Guangzhou–Meizhou–Shantou Railway and is under construction for the Guangzhou-Shanwei-Shantou 350 km/h high speed railway.

Economy Shantou's economy is medium by Guangdong standards. Manufacturing accounts for a large and increasing share of employment. Canning, garments, lithography, plastic, and toys are some of the principal products. Toy manufacturing is the city's leading export industry, with 400 million U.S. dollars worth of exports each year. Canaton Calculator Co. is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company.

Guiyu, a populous town in Chaoyang District, is the biggest electronic waste site on earth. Health-environmental issues incurred have concerned international organisations such as Greenpeace.

In 2000, the biggest tax fraud in the history of the People's Republic of China was uncovered, estimated worthy of 32.3 billion yuan.

In 2017, the analysed data of Shantou GDP is approximately 230 billion yuan(US$35.4 billion).

Development zone With an area of 2.34 km² (0.90 sq mi), Shantou Free Trade Zone lies at the south part of Shantou city. It was ratified by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and founded in January 1993, and it formally came into use on December of the same year after its supervision installations were checked and accepted by the General Administration of Customs. It has been comprehensively developing export processing, storage, international trade, finance and information industry. Its goal is to establish a modernised international zone that is open to overseas by drawing experience from international free trade zones.

Tourist Industry • Shantou Times Square light show (19:00-21:00 on Friday and weekend) • Shipaotai Park (石炮台公园; Shí pàotái gōngyuán) • Chen Cihong's Former Residence (陈慈黉故居; Chén Cíhóng gùjū) • Nan'ao Island, rated as Guangdong's most beautiful island by China's National Geographic magazine • Palace-Temple of Old Mother (老妈宫; Lǎo Mā gōng): dedicated to Mazu, Goddess of Sea • Temple of Emperor Guan (关帝庙; Guān Dì miào): dedicated to Lord Guan • Tropic of Cancer Symbol Tower (北回归线标志塔; Běihuíguīxiàn biāozhìtǎ): The Tropic of Cancer slips through Centipede Mountain, which is 20 km away from the city properly. • Shantou Museum (汕头博物馆; Shàntóu bówùguǎn): An art museum. • Shantou Founding Museum (汕头开埠博物馆; Shàntóu kāibù bówùguǎn): This history museum is devoted to the establishment of Swatow (Shantou) as a treaty port in the 19th century, not to be confused with Shantou Museum. • Old town of Swatow and Dr. Sun Yat-sen memorial pavilion (汕头老市区和中山纪念亭; Shàntóu lǎo shìqū hé Zhōngshān jìniàntíng) • East Coast Avenue (东海岸大道; Dōng hǎi'àn Dàdào)

The Shantou Cultural Revolution Museum (文革博物馆; Wéngé bówùguǎn) was the country's only museum dedicated to the Cultural Revolution. It closed in 2016.