Chaoshan
Chaoshan (潮汕 Cháoshàn) is a region in Guangdong Province in China. The region takes its name from the two adjacent cities of Chaozhou (潮州) and Shantou (汕头).
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Other destinations
Understand
Talk
This region has its own language, called Teochew or Chiuchow. Teochew is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin or Cantonese, but is partially mutually intelligible with Minnan, spoken across the border in South Fujian. The accent varies slightly between the three main Teochew-speaking cities of Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang, but if you are fluent in Teochew, this should not pose too much of a challenge. The dialect spoken in Shanwei is called the Haifeng dialect which, while closely related to Teochew, is distinct from it, and often described as an intermediate between Minnan and Teochew. There is also a Hakka-speaking minority. However, it is part of Guangdong province and many people speak Cantonese, though more often as a second or third language than natively.
As anywhere in China standard Mandarin has been the language of education, government and most media for decades, so nearly all educated people are fluent in Mandarin.
English is not widely spoken, though staff at the higher end hotels will be able to speak English.
Get in
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Eat
Chaoshan is known for seafood.