Plan at a glance
Reservations and opening hours
Chaoshan Historical and Cultural Expo Center is on Nanbin Road South in Haojiang District, backed by Bijia Mountain and facing the Inner Bay; the south gate is near the Red-Headed Ship Hall and the north gate leads to the waterfront park. Entry is free but requires a mini-program or on-site QR reservation and ID; it is open Tuesday–Sunday, 09:00–17:00 with last entry at 16:30, and closes on Mondays except public holidays.
How much time to allow
Allow 1.5–2 hours for the Red-Headed Ship, intangible-heritage gallery and bay-window view, or 2.5–3 hours to see the exhibitions more fully, use the interactive displays and walk in the waterfront park. This is a comfortable indoor block for bringing together Chaoshan overseas-Chinese history, urban development and traditional crafts.
Ready to book?
Use the standard admission package for the core shuttle route; confirm the visit date and current opening hours before checkout.
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1.5–2 hours: three key levels
Start at the first-floor Red-Headed Ship Hall, go up to the fifth-floor intangible-heritage gallery, then look across the Inner Bay from the floor-to-ceiling windows before leaving through the north gate. With limited time, this gives one central stop each for architecture, overseas-Chinese history and traditional craft.
2.5–3 hours: a first full visit
Visit the Red-Headed Ship Hall, Overseas Chinese History Museum, Urban Planning Hall and intangible-heritage gallery in that order, then continue to the Yingge Dance Square or the waterfront park. You can also take the lift to the fifth floor first and work downward, reducing backtracking and prioritising the galleries you most want to see while you have energy.
A family route
See the Red-Headed Ship on the first floor, move to the fifth floor for woodcarving, Chaoshan embroidery and interactive displays, then choose an indoor Yingge dance session according to that day’s schedule. The listed performance times are 10:30 and 15:30, some sessions charge admission, and families should leave waiting time between the reservation and the show.
Build your day
Begin with the maritime and overseas-Chinese story
Use the first-floor, full-scale Red-Headed Ship reconstruction as the starting point, then visit overseas-Chinese history displays including qiaopi letters. Continue to the approximately 60-metre-long Scroll of Chaoshan Scenery on the second floor to connect the exhibitions’ geographic and urban themes.
Continue with heritage and bay views
Allow time on the fifth floor for woodcarving, Chaoshan embroidery, porcelain inlay and drawn-thread embroidery; do not let AR interactions squeeze the main exhibition time. In the afternoon, use the floor-to-ceiling windows and waterfront park outside the north gate to connect the indoor visit with Inner Bay sunset, and follow gallery signs by not using flash photography.
Get there
Bus and taxi
A taxi from Shantou Railway Station takes around 20 minutes; Routes 56, K5, 8, 49 and 37, among others, reach nearby stops followed by a walk. The centre has several floors, and taking the lift up before working down level by level reduces backtracking.
Driving and nearby connections
The underground car park has a listed charge of CNY 8, with other parking options in the nearby Chaobo Li complex. After the visit, walk directly from the north gate to Nanbin Park, or drive around 15 minutes to Cuoshi Scenic Area.
Know before you go
Reservations, closure and crowds
Although entry is free, reserve ahead on weekends and public holidays to avoid finding that on-site places have already filled; plan another attraction for Monday. Afternoon tour groups are more common, so choose a weekday or an earlier arrival if you want a quieter exhibition visit or photographs.
Indoor visit details
The air conditioning can feel cool, so bring a light layer and do not use flash in the exhibition areas. Natural light is better at the fifth-floor windows from 15:00–17:00, but do not miss the 16:30 final-entry time in order to reach them.