Zhanglin Ancient Port

Zhanglin, a small village in Dongli Town, Chenghai District, Shantou City, Guangdong, was prominentl[...]

Zhanglin, a small village in Dongli Town, Chenghai District, Shantou City, Guangdong, was prominently marked on the world map published by the United Kingdom in the early 20th century!

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Located in Dongli Town, Chenghai District, Shantou City, Guangdong Province, Zhanglin Ancient Port spans an area of 2 square kilometers. The site of the ancient port starts from Xinxing Street in the east, extends to Dundianjiao in the west, reaches Yecuoyuan in the south, and ends at the Tianhou Palace in the north, covering a total area of 4.6 square kilometers.

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China’s Maritime Silk Road has three significant origins and landmarks, which are the Quanzhou Port in Fujian during the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yuegang in Zhangzhou during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and Zhanglin Port in the mid-Qing Dynasty.

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After two centuries of changes, the prosperity of Xinxing Street in Zhanglin Ancient Port has faded, but the historical traces remain. Xinxing Street is a historical testament to the Chaozhou people’s overseas migration for livelihood, attracting tens of thousands of people to trace their roots and identify their ancestors.

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Guangdong ships were painted red, known as Red-Headed Ships, and Zhanglin Ancient Port is thus hailed as the Hometown of Red-Headed Ships.

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The once bustling Zhanglin Port, where Red-Headed Ships no longer sail overseas, has been developed into a large-scale Chaozhou cultural tourist attraction in Shantou, and the ancient port has regained its youthful vigor.

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The site of Zhanglin Ancient Port is the sacred starting place of the Red-Headed Ships. It was the ‘maritime gateway’ during the Qing Dynasty, connecting the north to places such as Fujian, Taiwan, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai, and reaching the south to Vietnam, Siam, Malaysia, Borneo, and Indonesia.

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The ancestors of the Chaozhou people emigrated and traded to Southeast Asian countries from here.

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The opening hours are all year round, open all day.