Did you know that a letter and a remittance receipt can connect a family story to a port city? Shantou offers a route from the streets around Small Park to postal history, overseas connections and the bay. Start with one document or building and ask what kind of evidence it holds.
These 100 selected expressions explore Shantou’s historic port district, arcade streets, qiaopi documents and distinct coastal destinations. They help you recognise features and write an attributed account. A city museum, an archival collection and an island route have different purposes and visitor arrangements.
eduKateSG → Vocabulary → China Learning Hub → Shantou. For everyday directions, payment and other basic exchanges, open shared Mandarin essentials.
Choose your reading route
Jump to 100 city expressions, pronunciation, five practical questions, places and history or English writing practice.
The list uses simplified Chinese and standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin. Names and short descriptive phrases sit beside single words because each has a useful travel purpose. These expressions are learning aids, not a promise that every sign uses the same wording. Save the full Chinese destination name and verify its address on a current official map.
1–10: Named places in the city and wider coast
Save the full name for each museum, district and coastal destination. Do not treat Small Park, Queshi, Mayu and Nan’ao as interchangeable stops.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shantou commercial port route | 汕头商埠路线 | shàn tóu shāng bù lù xiàn |
| 2 | Small Park historic district | 小公园历史街区 | xiǎo gōng yuán lì shǐ jiē qū |
| 3 | Shantou port opening museum | 汕头开埠文化陈列馆 | shàn tóu kāi bù wén huà chén liè guǎn |
| 4 | Shantou General Post Office building | 汕头邮政总局大楼 | shàn tóu yóu zhèng zǒng jú dà lóu |
| 5 | Shantou Customs clock tower | 汕头海关钟楼 | shàn tóu hǎi guān zhōng lóu |
| 6 | Nansheng department store building | 南生百货大楼 | nán shēng bǎi huò dà lóu |
| 7 | Shantou bay city setting | 汕头湾城市环境 | shàn tóu wān chéng shì huán jìng |
| 8 | Queshi scenic destination | 礐石景区目的地 | què shí jǐng qū mù dì dì |
| 9 | Mayu island destination | 妈屿岛目的地 | mā yǔ dǎo mù dì dì |
| 10 | Nan'ao separate island route | 南澳独立海岛路线 | nán ào dú lì hǎi dǎo lù xiàn |
11–20: Port history and trade records
Locate a port-opening date in an official account. Distinguish the event’s date from the year of a particular photograph, receipt or building.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | commercial port opening history | 商埠开埠历史 | shāng bù kāi bù lì shǐ |
| 12 | historic overseas trade route | 历史海外贸易路线 | lì shǐ hǎi wài mào yì lù xiàn |
| 13 | port city archival photograph | 港口城市档案照片 | gǎng kǒu chéng shì dàng àn zhào piàn |
| 14 | merchant ship historical account | 商船历史记述 | shāng chuán lì shǐ jì shù |
| 15 | customs administration record | 海关管理记录 | hǎi guān guǎn lǐ jì lù |
| 16 | historic port cargo description | 历史港口货物描述 | lì shǐ gǎng kǒu huò wù miáo shù |
| 17 | quay and warehouse relationship | 码头与仓库关系 | mǎ tóu yǔ cāng kù guān xì |
| 18 | port trade document source | 港口贸易文献来源 | gǎng kǒu mào yì wén xiàn lái yuán |
| 19 | commercial street historical map | 商业街历史地图 | shāng yè jiē lì shǐ dì tú |
| 20 | port development chronology | 港口发展年表 | gǎng kǒu fā zhǎn nián biǎo |
21–30: Arcades and the historic street layout
Trace one documented street frontage. Identify the sheltered walkway and the shop above or beside it, then ask how the source explains the district’s layout.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | arcaded shopfront walkway | 骑楼店铺走廊 | qí lóu diàn pù zǒu láng |
| 22 | street corner arcade facade | 街角骑楼立面 | jiē jiǎo qí lóu lì miàn |
| 23 | upper floor over pavement | 人行道上方楼层 | rén xíng dào shàng fāng lóu céng |
| 24 | arcade column rhythm | 骑楼柱列节奏 | qí lóu zhù liè jié zòu |
| 25 | shopfront opening width | 店铺门面宽度 | diàn pù mén miàn kuān dù |
| 26 | historic department store exterior | 历史百货楼外观 | lì shǐ bǎi huò lóu wài guān |
| 27 | postal building architectural detail | 邮政建筑细节 | yóu zhèng jiàn zhù xì jié |
| 28 | clock tower street reference | 钟楼街道参照点 | zhōng lóu jiē dào cān zhào diǎn |
| 29 | commercial district street junction | 商业街区路口 | shāng yè jiē qū lù kǒu |
| 30 | arcade building reuse | 骑楼建筑再利用 | qí lóu jiàn zhù zài lì yòng |
31–40: Qiaopi letters and remittance documents
Use an attributed image of a qiaopi document. Separate its letter, remittance information and receipt fields where these are present; not every example has identical contents.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | qiaopi family correspondence | 侨批家书 | qiáo pī jiā shū |
| 32 | overseas remittance receipt | 海外汇款回执 | hǎi wài huì kuǎn huí zhí |
| 33 | remittance accompanied by a letter | 附信汇款 | fù xìn huì kuǎn |
| 34 | family letter sender | 家书寄件人 | jiā shū jì jiàn rén |
| 35 | family letter recipient | 家书收件人 | jiā shū shōu jiàn rén |
| 36 | historic remittance amount | 历史汇款金额 | lì shǐ huì kuǎn jīn é |
| 37 | remittance currency notation | 汇款币种标记 | huì kuǎn bì zhǒng biāo jì |
| 38 | correspondence delivery route | 通信递送路线 | tōng xìn dì sòng lù xiàn |
| 39 | qiaopi document collection | 侨批文献藏品 | qiáo pī wén xiàn cáng pǐn |
| 40 | archival correspondence context | 档案通信背景 | dàng àn tōng xìn bèi jǐng |
41–50: Migration, families and whose voice is recorded
Ask whose words survive in the source. A sender’s letter, a clerk’s record and a later family account represent different perspectives on an overseas connection.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | overseas family livelihood | 海外家庭生计 | hǎi wài jiā tíng shēng jì |
| 42 | migrant work account | 移民工作记述 | yí mín gōng zuò jì shù |
| 43 | family support remittance | 家庭赡养汇款 | jiā tíng shàn yǎng huì kuǎn |
| 44 | cross border family connection | 跨境家庭联系 | kuà jìng jiā tíng lián xì |
| 45 | emigrant destination record | 移民目的地记录 | yí mín mù dì dì jì lù |
| 46 | family news in a letter | 家书中的家事消息 | jiā shū zhōng de jiā shì xiāo xī |
| 47 | historical migration evidence | 历史移民证据 | lì shǐ yí mín zhèng jù |
| 48 | letter and account book comparison | 家书与账簿比较 | jiā shū yǔ zhàng bù bǐ jiào |
| 49 | personal voice in an archive | 档案中的个人声音 | dàng àn zhōng de gè rén shēng yīn |
| 50 | correspondence interpretation source | 通信解读来源 | tōng xìn jiě dú lái yuán |
51–60: Reading a document’s fields
Copy only legible fields and retain the original currency or date notation. A modern interpretation should identify its source rather than silently changing historical units.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | handwritten address line | 手写地址行 | shǒu xiě dì zhǐ háng |
| 52 | letter date identification | 书信日期辨认 | shū xìn rì qī biàn rèn |
| 53 | postal mark comparison | 邮戳比较 | yóu chuō bǐ jiào |
| 54 | remittance receipt number | 汇款回执编号 | huì kuǎn huí zhí biān hào |
| 55 | document paper condition | 文献纸张状况 | wén xiàn zhǐ zhāng zhuàng kuàng |
| 56 | archival handwriting transcription | 档案手迹释文 | dàng àn shǒu jì shì wén |
| 57 | missing letter text | 家书缺失文字 | jiā shū quē shī wén zì |
| 58 | folded document trace | 文献折叠痕迹 | wén xiàn zhé dié hén jì |
| 59 | digital archive reproduction | 数字档案复制件 | shù zì dàng àn fù zhì jiàn |
| 60 | private document attribution | 私人文献来源标注 | sī rén wén xiàn lái yuán biāo zhù |
61–70: Historical photographs and building records
Compare a dated historical image with a present building record. Note the camera viewpoint and any documented alteration before claiming that an entire street is unchanged.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | old photograph viewpoint | 老照片拍摄视角 | lǎo zhào piàn pāi shè shì jiǎo |
| 62 | historic street sign reading | 历史街道招牌阅读 | lì shǐ jiē dào zhāo pái yuè dú |
| 63 | building then and now comparison | 建筑今昔比较 | jiàn zhù jīn xī bǐ jiào |
| 64 | documented facade alteration | 有记录的立面改动 | yǒu jì lù de lì miàn gǎi dòng |
| 65 | shop history source | 店铺历史资料 | diàn pù lì shǐ zī liào |
| 66 | port scene image caption | 港口图景图片说明 | gǎng kǒu tú jǐng tú piàn shuō míng |
| 67 | historical picture date range | 历史图像年代范围 | lì shǐ tú xiàng nián dài fàn wéi |
| 68 | archive and streetscape connection | 档案与街景联系 | dàng àn yǔ jiē jǐng lián xì |
| 69 | commercial activity depiction | 商业活动描绘 | shāng yè huó dòng miáo huì |
| 70 | street heritage preservation question | 街道遗产保护问题 | jiē dào yí chǎn bǎo hù wèn tí |
71–80: Bay, island and coastal geography
Check each destination on a current map. An island, a hillside scenic area and an urban waterfront need different location and transport questions.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | bay shoreline city view | 海湾岸线城市视野 | hǎi wān àn xiàn chéng shì shì yě |
| 72 | port and leisure shoreline | 港区与休闲岸线 | gǎng qū yǔ xiū xián àn xiàn |
| 73 | urban bay bridge landmark | 城市海湾桥梁地标 | chéng shì hǎi wān qiáo liáng dì biāo |
| 74 | waterfront city orientation | 滨水城市方位辨认 | bīn shuǐ chéng shì fāng wèi biàn rèn |
| 75 | island and mainland distinction | 海岛与陆地区别 | hǎi dǎo yǔ lù dì qū bié |
| 76 | harbour entrance map | 港湾入口地图 | gǎng wān rù kǒu dì tú |
| 77 | shoreline observation sketch | 岸线观察速写 | àn xiàn guān chá sù xiě |
| 78 | bay route distance enquiry | 海湾路线距离询问 | hǎi wān lù xiàn jù lí xún wèn |
| 79 | island transport confirmation | 海岛交通确认 | hǎi dǎo jiāo tōng què rèn |
| 80 | waterfront weather notice | 滨水天气告示 | bīn shuǐ tiān qì gào shì |
81–90: Planning a visit or document enquiry
Confirm whether you are contacting a museum or an archive. A collection’s existence does not establish public access to every document or permission to reproduce it.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | archive exhibition destination | 档案展览目的地 | dàng àn zhǎn lǎn mù dì dì |
| 82 | current port museum notice | 当前开埠馆公告 | dāng qián kāi bù guǎn gōng gào |
| 83 | document display explanation | 文献展陈说明 | wén xiàn zhǎn chén shuō míng |
| 84 | historic district walking route | 历史街区步行路线 | lì shǐ jiē qū bù xíng lù xiàn |
| 85 | museum and archive distinction | 博物馆与档案馆区别 | bó wù guǎn yǔ dàng àn guǎn qū bié |
| 86 | collection location confirmation | 藏品所在地点确认 | cáng pǐn suǒ zài dì diǎn què rèn |
| 87 | historical building entry permission | 历史建筑进入许可 | lì shǐ jiàn zhù jìn rù xǔ kě |
| 88 | official street history source | 官方街道史资料 | guān fāng jiē dào shǐ zī liào |
| 89 | Teochew and Mandarin distinction | 潮州话与普通话区别 | cháo zhōu huà yǔ pǔ tōng huà qū bié |
| 90 | commercial heritage learning task | 商埠遗产学习任务 | shāng bù yí chǎn xué xí rèn wù |
91–100: Actions for a street-and-document account
Build an account with one street feature and one attributed document detail. These actions help you connect a city’s appearance to evidence without inventing a family’s experience.
| No. | English word / expression | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | trace a family letter route | 追踪家书路线 | zhuī zōng jiā shū lù xiàn |
| 92 | describe an arcade facade | 描述骑楼立面 | miáo shù qí lóu lì miàn |
| 93 | ask about a remittance currency | 询问汇款币种 | xún wèn huì kuǎn bì zhǒng |
| 94 | attribute a migrant account | 注明移民记述来源 | zhù míng yí mín jì shù lái yuán |
| 95 | compare a receipt with a letter | 比较回执与家书 | bǐ jiào huí zhí yǔ jiā shū |
| 96 | separate family voice from inference | 区分家书声音与推断 | qū fēn jiā shū shēng yīn yǔ tuī duàn |
| 97 | locate a historic postal building | 定位历史邮政建筑 | dìng wèi lì shǐ yóu zhèng jiàn zhù |
| 98 | record a bay landmark | 记录海湾地标 | jì lù hǎi wān dì biāo |
| 99 | write a port city account | 写一篇港口城市记述 | xiě yī piān gǎng kǒu chéng shì jì shù |
| 100 | revise an archival comparison | 修改档案比较段落 | xiū gǎi dàng àn bǐ jiào duàn luò |
Pronunciation: listen to the whole expression
汕头 is shàn tóu; 汕 takes a falling tone. 小公园 is xiǎo gōng yuán. 侨批 is qiáo pī in Mandarin. 礐石 is què shí in this place name, 妈屿 is mā yǔ, and 南澳 is nán ào. Keep the two syllables of 南澳 distinct. The table supplies Mandarin readings; local Teochew names and expressions require separate pronunciation learning.
Tone marks show pitch: mā is high and level, má rises, mǎ is low and may dip then rise in isolation, and mà falls. An unmarked neutral syllable is lighter. Names generally retain dictionary tones; short ready-to-say phrases may mark common connected-speech changes, including 不 → bú before a fourth tone and changes to 一. The first of two third tones usually rises in speech. Practise a whole short expression, not just isolated sounds.
Five friendly questions to practise
| English question | Chinese writing | Hanyu Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Which date does this port-history label refer to? | 这块港口历史说明牌上的日期指什么？ | zhè kuài gǎng kǒu lì shǐ shuō míng pái shàng de rì qī zhǐ shén me ？ |
| Does this qiaopi contain both a letter and remittance information? | 这份侨批同时包含书信和汇款信息吗？ | zhè fèn qiáo pī tóng shí bāo hán shū xìn hé huì kuǎn xìn xī ma ？ |
| Who wrote the address on this historical envelope? | 这个旧信封上的地址是谁写的？ | zhè ge jiù xìn fēng shàng de dì zhǐ shì shuí xiě de ？ |
| Is this collection held by a museum or an archive? | 这批藏品由博物馆保存，还是由档案馆保存？ | zhè pī cáng pǐn yóu bó wù guǎn bǎo cún ， hái shì yóu dàng àn guǎn bǎo cún ？ |
| Should I check a separate route for Mayu Island? | 去妈屿岛需要另查路线吗？ | qù mā yǔ dǎo xū yào lìng chá lù xiàn ma ？ |
Choose the question that fits your situation, listen to the answer and ask for clarification when needed. A vocabulary list supports communication; it cannot confirm an ingredient, opening arrangement, transport route or permission on somebody else’s behalf.
A port-opening date gives a starting point
Shantou’s official Small Park account dates the port opening to 1860 and describes the historic district’s later development. One date provides context without dating every surviving building to the same year.
Make a small chronology with separate entries for the port event and any dated building or photograph you study. Attribute each date. A present street scene may contain features from several stages of development, so avoid giving the whole district a single construction date.
Shantou municipal government: Small Park historic district
Arcades organise a street-level view
The city’s account describes arcade buildings and streets extending from the central Zhongshan pavilion. These features provide a practical way to compare sheltered frontages with the district’s wider layout.
Use an official image or map to trace one frontage and one street direction. Describe what the document shows rather than inferring a building’s original owner. A modern shop’s business is a separate question from a building’s documented historical function.
Shantou municipal government: arcades and the Small Park street pattern
Postal landmarks lead to document questions
Shantou’s account names the General Post Office, Customs Bell Tower, Nansheng Department Store and port-history museum among the district’s landmarks. Their names suggest different institutions and roles.
Choose one building and read a reliable account of its function. Keep a postal landmark distinct from the institution that holds a particular letter today. If you want to view a document, identify its collection and the current access procedure instead of assuming it is displayed in the nearest historic building.
Shantou municipal government: named historic district landmarks
Qiaopi connects words with money records
UNESCO’s Memory of the World account describes Qiaopi and Yinxin as correspondence and remittance documents linking overseas Chinese with families in China in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This is documentary heritage registration, distinct from World Heritage site inscription.
For one sourced example, identify which part contains a message and which records a transaction. Keep the sender, recipient and clerk distinct where the source permits. Do not invent a family’s feelings from an amount or assume that one document represents all migration experiences.
UNESCO Memory of the World: Qiaopi and Yinxin documents
A coast contains several different routes
Shantou’s municipal destination page identifies Small Park, Queshi, Mayu and Nan’ao as distinct places for exploration. The city district and coastal settings call for different route questions.
Locate the destination you want to study and confirm its current transport and access arrangements directly. Compare a city frontage with a coastal viewpoint through observable features. An image of a bay does not establish the route, weather or service operating on your intended day.
Shantou municipal government: city and coastal destinations
Turn one city moment into clearer English
Try an imagined sentence ladder: “The letter was old.” → “The documented letter included remittance information.” → “The collection’s explanation of the letter and remittance fields helped me ask how this family maintained an overseas connection.” Each addition names evidence instead of supplying an invented emotion.
Use eduKate’s Fencing Method to test each addition: what has it clarified, and does the evidence support it?
Compare “This receipt tells us how every migrant felt” with “This particular receipt records a transaction; the accompanying letter may offer a different kind of evidence.” The second sentence respects both the document’s scale and its contents. A good paragraph can connect a street and an archive while giving each its own source.
A real journal should distinguish what you observed from what a label or source explained. Mark an imagined account as imagined. The Trip to China writing guide helps you connect one incident into an account; the English 200-word bank supplies meanings and original examples for the English writing itself.
Before, during and after: a small learning plan
Before: choose ten expressions about streets or qiaopi documents. During a visit or official-source study: record one visible feature and one attributed document detail. After: write an 80–120-word account with a date, a source and an open question; remove an imagined personal experience unless you label the account as fiction.
For parents, ask what the child noticed before supplying a new word. For teachers, ask learners to label an observation, a sourced explanation and an open question. At home, use an adult-selected photograph or official museum page. No purchase or overseas journey is required, and the task is not an exam or fluency guarantee.
Questions travellers often ask
Do I need to learn all 100 entries?
No. Choose ten that fit one scene. Use the shared essentials for basic exchanges and return to this list when your question becomes more specific.
Is this the local dialect?
No. Standard Mandarin and Hanyu Pinyin appear in this table. Teochew is a different local language with its own pronunciations and patterns. In particular, qiáo pī is the Mandarin reading of 侨批; it does not supply a Teochew pronunciation lesson.
Are all the entries single words?
No. The list includes single words, proper names and short contextual expressions. The English column identifies what each means; the Chinese and pinyin help you recognise or say it.
Can I use this guide from home?
Yes. Study a reliable photograph or official collection page, attribute the source and write a short account. Do not invent a personal journey when your evidence comes from a picture.
Does UNESCO’s qiaopi registration make all of Shantou a World Heritage site?
No. The cited registration concerns documentary heritage under Memory of the World. World Heritage inscription is a different programme. Identify the exact registered material or site rather than transferring a designation to an entire city.
Sources and further reading
Shantou municipal government: Small Park historic district
Shantou municipal government: arcades and the Small Park street pattern
Shantou municipal government: named historic district landmarks
UNESCO Memory of the World: Qiaopi and Yinxin documents
Shantou municipal government: city and coastal destinations
Historical explanations use the sources above. Check the attraction or operator directly for current visits, access and reservations. This learning guide does not fix ticket prices, opening hours, transport schedules or temporary exhibition dates.
Continue learning with eduKateSG
Return to the China city directory and choose a contrasting scene. Follow the Vocabulary Learning Hub for retrieval and transfer, or the English Learning Hub for the wider reading-to-writing route. Bring back one question and one paragraph that sound like you.
Keep exploring: Open the China collection in the World City Vocabulary Directory to find another guide. Choose five words from each place and use them in a short comparison.