Shantou is a prefecture-level city located on the eastern coast of Guangdong province, bordered to the south by the Hanjiang River Delta, Chaozhou to the north, Jieyang to the west, and the South China Sea to the east.

Shantou covers an administrative area of 2,064 square kilometers, with direct jurisdiction over six districts and one county. The total population of Shantou reached 5.52 million according to an official census in 2014.

As one of the treaty ports established for Western trade and contact, as well as one of the original Special Economic Zones of China established in the 1980s, Shantou is one of Guangdong's core economic cities, with a GDP of 171.6 billion yuan ($25 billion), and a per capita GDP of 31,192 yuan in 2014.

Shantou has a humid subtropical climate with an annual average temperature of 21.5 C, receiving 1,300 to 1,800 mm of annual rainfall.

The city has been honored as "the hometown of delicious foods" owing to its rich cultural cuisine. Shantou has also won numerous national titles including a national top city for tourism and one of the top 100 Chinese cities for investment.

Home to Shantou Waisha Airport and three high-speed railway stations linking routes in and out of the city, Shantou provides convenient transport services for local residents as well as visitors.

A view of Shantou city. [Photo/Shantou.gov.cn]

Queshi Scenic Spot in Shantou city. [Photo/shantou.gov.cn]

Zhongshan Park in Shantou. [Photo/Shantou.gov.cn]