Dahao old city
A pocket-sized walled town built in 1717, covering one hundredth of a square kilometre. The walls are still there, and so are the east and west gates.
In one line A town you cross in a few steps; what you look at is the thickness of the wall and the measure of the gates.
Look for The east gate, Dashan, and the west gate, Xihao · the thickness of a rammed-earth wall faced in stone · the scale of the lanes inside
What to see in it
A pocket town built in the fifty-sixth year of the Kangxi reign, 0.014 square kilometres, walked across in a few steps. The wall and the two gates survive, and what they show is the thickness of the wall and the measure of the gates. A town this small did not defend itself with its wall; the defence was the harbour mouth and the police office.
What it is
Dahao old city stands in Haojiang District and was built in 1717, the fifty-sixth year of Kangxi. The plan is square and the area only 0.014 square kilometres — a patch half the size of a football pitch, walled as a town. The wall is 5.3 metres high and 1.35 metres thick, with two gates: Dashan in the east and Xihao in the west.
Small as it is, the offices are all there: the garrison headquarters of the naval left battalion in the west, the Zhaoning police office in the east, the Zhaoshou salt yard in the north — military, civil and salt administration inside one wall. It was once the political, military and economic centre of Dahao.
What to look at
- Gates and wall: stone arches, rammed-earth wall faced in stone; the thickness can be seen from the outside.
- The lanes inside: a few steps take you through, which is the most direct sense of the scale.
- Everyday life: almost no commercial development; the town still looks like the old Haojiang street.
Visiting
Locally it is called “the best-preserved pocket city in China”, which is a promotional line. The town is very small — fifteen minutes covers it. See it on the way through Haojiang; it is not worth a journey of its own.
Tickets and hours Free | Open all day; gates and wall are outdoors | No booking needed.
Details in pictures
On the same trip
- Queshi — also in Haojiang, half a day on the hill paths.
- Nan’ao Island — the same direction, but a whole day.
- Shantou itineraries — back to the city page.
In the routes: two itineraries place it in the plan, the four-day and the five-day.
Note on sources
- Year of construction, area, wall dimensions, the two gate names and the three offices come from Haojiang District material quoted in a local Shantou guide.
- “The best-preserved pocket city in China” is a promotional line.
- The photographs are originals by Douyin users; the account and date are given under each. Copyright remains with the photographers; they are used here for description only, and reuse, printing or commercial use needs their separate consent.
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Last revised: 4 November 2026