What is the "most misunderstood" area in Guangdong Province?

Where is the Chaoshan area? Many foreign tourists know that they are in Guangdong, but they can't say which cities they include, or take it for granted that they are a city. Some time ago, some tourists and friends they knew wrote it down directly in the online diary. Chaoshan City, Guangdong Province? Such a place name does not exist in reality. As far as I know, there are not a few foreigners who have this idea, and some tourists who don't understand the situation come to the conclusion that Chaoshan includes Chaoshan according to the word Chaoshan, which is wrong.

Chaoshan in a narrow sense includes Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang, while Chaoshan in a broad sense includes Shanwei and Meizhou, which speak Chaoshan dialect. There is another thing that puzzles foreign tourists in Chaoshan area-why Jieyang Airport is not directly called Jieyang Airport, nor is it named after its location, but called Jieyang Chaoshan Airport. In fact, although the airport is located in Jieyang, it radiates three cities at the same time and belongs to a common airport. Culturally speaking, Jieyang and Chaoshan are both a system, and historically they were divided first and then merged.

Among the three Chaoshan cities, Chaozhou, an ancient city with a thousand-year cultural heritage, is the deepest, and Shantou, a century-old commercial port, has the strongest marine atmosphere.

Because of the different history and orientation of the cities, the tourism resources of the two cities are very different. Relatively speaking, Chaozhou has more historic sites, a stronger cultural atmosphere of the city and a stronger commercial atmosphere of Shantou. Tourism to Chaozhou focuses on history and culture, while tourism to Shantou focuses on modern arcades and natural scenery. The food in both cities is very distinctive, which is also an important factor to attract tourists.

Chaozhou is full of cultural relics and historical sites. Kaiyuan Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty, Xufuma House and Hanwengong Temple were built in the Northern Song Dynasty, and Guangji Bridge was built in the Southern Song Dynasty. Phoenix Shiyu, Beige Buddha Lantern and West Lake Park also have a long history.

Chaozhou's scenic spots and historical sites are concentrated in the old city near the Hanjiang River, which pays attention to both grandeur and elegance. The inlaid porcelain of Kaiyuan Temple, the golden lacquer wood carving of Huanggong Temple and the scenery of 18 shuttles and 24 States of Guangji Bridge are all unique. Zong Yirao's ancestral home in Sinology University is a combination of Chaozhou traditional houses, Suzhou gardens and western gardens, passing through a courtyard with winding paths, flowers and green leaves.

Shantou has a history of only 100 years. Many tourists come here mainly for food. If they visit the city, most tourists will go to the small park area, which is a commercial area developed with the opening of Shantou. The streets are distributed radially around the small park pavilion, and many arcade buildings have been built in the block.

Small parks were once very prosperous in the twentieth century. With the advancement of urban modernization, they are increasingly depressed here, and many old buildings have become dangerous buildings because they are old and uninhabited for a long time.

Now the small park area has been re-maintained and developed into a scenic spot, and various old brands have been re-introduced. If you have time, it is good to take a walk here. The atmosphere of the whole small park is nostalgic and suitable for taking pictures. Photographers often come here to create works, and overseas Chaoshan people will come back to remember them.

In addition to the small park, the Malao Palace in Shantou is also worth a visit. There are not only the famous Ma Lao Palace Zongqiu in Chaoshan, but also the gold lacquer wood carvings, stone carvings and porcelain inlays in the temple buildings are all fine folk arts.