Chaozhou Arch Street
Chaozhou Arch Street
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4.0
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Leonhkny
Hong Kong, China21,851 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
This is the main tourist draw in historic Chaozhou. Paifeng Jie, or the Arch Street is a lively and touristy place with food stalls and souvenir stores all around. The traditional Chinese archs are nicely preserved with illustration in English. Worth a stroll when in the city.
Written 30 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SOH KIEN PENG
Singapore, Singapore9,517 contributions
Oct 2018 • Solo
This trip I visited Shantou, Xiamen, Gulangyu and Chaozhou.
Shantou and Chaozhou are cities within Chaoshan region and served by the Chaoshan Airport and the Chaoshan high speed rail station. They share the same Teochew culture and dialect but they are quite far apart and not within walking distance from each other. The bus fare from the airport to Chaozhou cost about 10 RMB while that to Shantou cost about 25 RMB.
It was during the `golden week' that I visited Chaozhou and the bus was heavily packed with passengers. While on board the bus, I met a university student who resided at Chaozhou and knowing that I was new to Chaozhou for a tour, she advised me to alight at the Arch Street at Taiping Road. She said that the rest of the attractions are within walking distance from the Arch Street.
I heed her advice and found out later that she said was correct. The West Lake is just a walking distance from this Arch Street and the Kaiyuan Temple is just around the corner. At the far end of one of the Arch Street is the fortress wall and along the riverside promenade you can find the infamous Guangji Bridge.
Chaozhou is a small historic town just like Melaka or Penang. The Arch Street may resembles Jonker Street with many eateries on both sides of the road. There are a total of 22 arches and on both sides of the arches you find stalls selling the many traditional Teochew specialties: beef noodles, the delicious fish balls, the fried been curd, the sweet spring rolls, delicious desserts and the many appetizing preserved fruits.
I felt like in a time tunnel returning to the ancient old days of this historic town and enjoying the walk and appreciating the many specialties. This street reminds me of the Smoke Pipe Street in Beijing but the specialty food sold here related more to the food of the southern overseas Chinese migrants who eventually settled in South East Asia.
Vehicles are prohibited from plying along this street and there is much freedom to wander around without worrying about the danger from fleeting vehicles. It was interesting looking at the many types of the specialty food that were displayed and their making process.
I noticed the `chwee kwei' (rice cake with preserved carrot pieces) were much smaller than their equivalent in Singapore. The hawkers gave more meat or beef balls for the noodles you ordered than what I get in Singapore. Some of the dessert and fried bean curd stalls really attracted long queue of customers.
Shantou and Chaozhou are cities within Chaoshan region and served by the Chaoshan Airport and the Chaoshan high speed rail station. They share the same Teochew culture and dialect but they are quite far apart and not within walking distance from each other. The bus fare from the airport to Chaozhou cost about 10 RMB while that to Shantou cost about 25 RMB.
It was during the `golden week' that I visited Chaozhou and the bus was heavily packed with passengers. While on board the bus, I met a university student who resided at Chaozhou and knowing that I was new to Chaozhou for a tour, she advised me to alight at the Arch Street at Taiping Road. She said that the rest of the attractions are within walking distance from the Arch Street.
I heed her advice and found out later that she said was correct. The West Lake is just a walking distance from this Arch Street and the Kaiyuan Temple is just around the corner. At the far end of one of the Arch Street is the fortress wall and along the riverside promenade you can find the infamous Guangji Bridge.
Chaozhou is a small historic town just like Melaka or Penang. The Arch Street may resembles Jonker Street with many eateries on both sides of the road. There are a total of 22 arches and on both sides of the arches you find stalls selling the many traditional Teochew specialties: beef noodles, the delicious fish balls, the fried been curd, the sweet spring rolls, delicious desserts and the many appetizing preserved fruits.
I felt like in a time tunnel returning to the ancient old days of this historic town and enjoying the walk and appreciating the many specialties. This street reminds me of the Smoke Pipe Street in Beijing but the specialty food sold here related more to the food of the southern overseas Chinese migrants who eventually settled in South East Asia.
Vehicles are prohibited from plying along this street and there is much freedom to wander around without worrying about the danger from fleeting vehicles. It was interesting looking at the many types of the specialty food that were displayed and their making process.
I noticed the `chwee kwei' (rice cake with preserved carrot pieces) were much smaller than their equivalent in Singapore. The hawkers gave more meat or beef balls for the noodles you ordered than what I get in Singapore. Some of the dessert and fried bean curd stalls really attracted long queue of customers.
Written 23 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
judif313
Hong Kong, China55 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
This is a tourist place and please expect a lot of tours and tourists during weekends. It took me approximate 1 to 2 hours walking from one end of the street to the other, grabbing all kind of Chaozhao street food, tasting their famous tea and shopping for souvenir. Be sure to take a side walk in all the little lanes from the main street! Lots of pretty little hostels in a historical buildings and tea houses for tea tasting in a quiet environment under an historical house. (I have written 88 words here and Tripadvisor wouldn't let me post this comment, keep telling me that I need at least 50 words.)
Written 23 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
S K
Singapore, Singapore430 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
Most stalls here are selling food snacks and we were impressed with their quality (very fresh). The arches are unique. Worth a stroll through.
Written 5 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Iness18
Yichang, China114 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
We absolutely loved the main street of Chaozhou's Old Town and all the alleyways leading off it!It was amazing to see so many ancient buildings, houses, memorial halls, we honestly did not expect the old town to be so vast! Wandering around, reading the information plaques, enjoying the paintings and engravings on old buildings amde us curious about the rest of the city and we were not disappointed. The arch street is very long and lined with mainly drink shops but there are also some small restaurants selling local snacks, which we enjoyed. Chaozhou is known for exquisite wood carvings and it was fascinating to see artists studios specializing in carvings as well as other forms of art. All so beautiful and intricate!Those shops/studios can be found at the quieter end of the arch street.
It is impossible to miss the stunning and fairly imposing temple located just off the main street. As usual, I was amazed by the detail of the decoration. Note-we went in December/January and so it was busy but not crowded and if you ventured a bit further away from the main street, it was very peaceful.
On our second day, we hired a riksha to drive us around-money well spent! We would have never found some of the places by ourselves, even with a tourist map. The driver can take you wherever you want to go and will wait for you but time is limited to 2 hours. We managed to see a lot and the ride itself was very thrilling for our toddler.
During our stay we also visited the memorial hall across the river, up on a hill (sorry I don't remember the name) and that was lovely, worth going for sure. We also visited one of the many tea houses in the old town and that was a wonderful experience, absolutely worth the money as the place, service and tea itself were fantastic. As we were with a toddler, we couldn't miss the large park in the city, and even though parts were a bit run down, we still thought it was a nice place for a stroll and very close to the old town. Our son enjoyed running along the hilly paths for sure!
Of course, Chaozhou city wall and the famous bridge were both amazing, truly! Especially in the evening, they looked spectacular! Note that when we went there it wasn't possible to walk along the city walls, at least not the parts we saw, but perhaps the paths have been fixed now. Overall, Chaozhou exceeded our expectations and we will most definitely return!
It is impossible to miss the stunning and fairly imposing temple located just off the main street. As usual, I was amazed by the detail of the decoration. Note-we went in December/January and so it was busy but not crowded and if you ventured a bit further away from the main street, it was very peaceful.
On our second day, we hired a riksha to drive us around-money well spent! We would have never found some of the places by ourselves, even with a tourist map. The driver can take you wherever you want to go and will wait for you but time is limited to 2 hours. We managed to see a lot and the ride itself was very thrilling for our toddler.
During our stay we also visited the memorial hall across the river, up on a hill (sorry I don't remember the name) and that was lovely, worth going for sure. We also visited one of the many tea houses in the old town and that was a wonderful experience, absolutely worth the money as the place, service and tea itself were fantastic. As we were with a toddler, we couldn't miss the large park in the city, and even though parts were a bit run down, we still thought it was a nice place for a stroll and very close to the old town. Our son enjoyed running along the hilly paths for sure!
Of course, Chaozhou city wall and the famous bridge were both amazing, truly! Especially in the evening, they looked spectacular! Note that when we went there it wasn't possible to walk along the city walls, at least not the parts we saw, but perhaps the paths have been fixed now. Overall, Chaozhou exceeded our expectations and we will most definitely return!
Written 15 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessietlh
Singapore, Singapore33 contributions
Jan 2020
This place is worth a visit. You can enjoy Chaozhou traditional foods, experience tea art, visit heritage & photo points, and shop for souvenirs ranging from traditional biscuits (some are freshly made), Chaozhou tea, preserved/aged fruit products, functional handicrafts, usable nostalgic household items, wood carvings, etc
Nice to start your tour here by hopping onto a trishaw for a sight-seeing around the streets. Cautious, though, about the ambiguous trishaw charges - they mostly quote you a round-about ride for RMB30, but this could be purely for a non-stop ride & not additional service. My hubby was quoted RMB30, but at the end of the ride, we were charged RMB200!! We’re still not completely clear why, but guessed it’s because we gullibly accepted the trishaw rider’s recommendations & made 6-7 heritage/photo stops). Overall experience at this “heritage town” would have been very nice if not for the “cheated” trishaw experience.
Nice to start your tour here by hopping onto a trishaw for a sight-seeing around the streets. Cautious, though, about the ambiguous trishaw charges - they mostly quote you a round-about ride for RMB30, but this could be purely for a non-stop ride & not additional service. My hubby was quoted RMB30, but at the end of the ride, we were charged RMB200!! We’re still not completely clear why, but guessed it’s because we gullibly accepted the trishaw rider’s recommendations & made 6-7 heritage/photo stops). Overall experience at this “heritage town” would have been very nice if not for the “cheated” trishaw experience.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DeborahClarkson
Hamilton, New Zealand212 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
This is a very well maintained area of Chaozhou that is mainly for tourists. The main attractions in this area are well-signposted and easy to find. You can walk for a few miles along this street that's lined with shops selling all sorts of food and other products. There are shop selling all sorts of traditional Chaozhou snacks. The arcade-style buildings are well preserved. I'm not sure though how old the arches are. It's also a good idea to wander through the other streets in this area where the locals shop and have their businesses.
Written 15 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Teng Leng Lim
Singapore, Singapore294 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
This is a must go place when you visit Chaozhou. You can find a lot of delicious food along the street. It opens till late in the night especially on weekends. You can also find nice thematic quiet cafeteria along the street
Written 18 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angie T
Singapore172 contributions
Oct 2018 • Friends
An ancient wall at the entrance.. u never knew till u go in...lots to see n buy.. definity a tourist haven...
Must eat the hu ju piah.. super traditional n freshly made by an old couple...
I had lunch at one of the restaurant..good n reasonably priced.
My pic tells a thousand words about this place..
Must eat the hu ju piah.. super traditional n freshly made by an old couple...
I had lunch at one of the restaurant..good n reasonably priced.
My pic tells a thousand words about this place..
Written 11 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zheng JF James
Malaysia278 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
I would recommend all tourists to Chaozhou to visit this monumental arches. There are two rows of shops for one to patronize when sauntering around the arches. Other attractions such as guangji bridge and gate tower, ancient city wall, kaiyuan temple are all in proximity.
Written 16 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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