中文
Quanzhou East Pagoda above city trees

Nanyang & Beyond

Quanzhou was once the world's busiest port. Chaozhou kept tea ceremony and ancestral rituals intact for a thousand years. Xiamen faces the sea its emigrants crossed. Shenzhen built itself in forty years on the same shoreline.

RouteXiamen → Quanzhou → Chaoshan → Shenzhen
DepartureJul 20, 2026
PriceCAD $1,688 per person (excluding international flights)
Group Max 20 participants You don't have to follow the group for every activity — you can leave any time to explore the city on your own.
DeadlineMay 31, 2026
Apply for This Trip

Route Highlights

What you'll see

Quanzhou East Pagoda rising above city trees

A Song Dynasty pagoda that outlasted every empire that built around it

Xiamen Zhongshan Road clock tower at dusk

Zhongshan Road at dusk — colonial grid still running on foot traffic

Xiamen shacha noodles

A bowl of peanut broth that Xiamen calls its own

Southern Fujian temple with curved red-tile roof

The oldest temples in southern Fujian still draw worshippers every morning

Xiamen coastal skyline panorama from the hills

The city that kept facing the sea it sent its emigrants across

Mazu goddess statue above colourful temple rooftops

Mazu watches over the coast she has protected for a thousand years

Tencent headquarters towers lit up at night in Shenzhen

Shenzhen after midnight — a city that built itself in forty years on this shoreline

Rows of bamboo steamers filled with Cantonese dim sum

Cantonese dim sum — a table of steamers that keeps arriving until you say stop

Oysters, clams and abalone on a coastal seafood table

Oysters, clams, abalone — pulled from water you can still see from the table

Oysters, clams and abalone on a coastal seafood table

Oysters, clams, abalone — pulled from water you can still see from the table

Rows of bamboo steamers filled with Cantonese dim sum

Cantonese dim sum — a table of steamers that keeps arriving until you say stop

Tencent headquarters towers lit up at night in Shenzhen

Shenzhen after midnight — a city that built itself in forty years on this shoreline

Mazu goddess statue above colourful temple rooftops

Mazu watches over the coast she has protected for a thousand years

Xiamen coastal skyline panorama from the hills

The city that kept facing the sea it sent its emigrants across

Southern Fujian temple with curved red-tile roof

The oldest temples in southern Fujian still draw worshippers every morning

Xiamen shacha noodles

A bowl of peanut broth that Xiamen calls its own

Xiamen Zhongshan Road clock tower at dusk

Zhongshan Road at dusk — colonial grid still running on foot traffic

Quanzhou East Pagoda rising above city trees

A Song Dynasty pagoda that outlasted every empire that built around it

Four cities. Four different Chinas.

The South China Route moves through the coast that the world's Chinatowns came from. Xiamen's sea-worn lanes and diaspora nostalgia, Quanzhou — once the world's busiest port — where Mazu temples and stone mosques stand on the same street, Chaoshan's ancient Teochew civilization still running on tea and beef and thousand-year-old rituals, and Shenzhen: forty years old, seventeen million people, still figuring out what it is.

The sea arrives before the city does. You smell it first — salt and rain and something faintly sweet that turns out to be incense from the temple at the end of the lane. On Gulangyu the streets are too narrow for cars, which means you hear everything: piano scales from a second-floor window, the clatter of a bicycle, someone's grandmother arguing with a fruit seller. The pace is different here. You will notice it by the end of the first afternoon.

Marco Polo called this harbour the finest he had ever seen. That was the thirteenth century. The Tang dynasty mosque still stands. The Song dynasty temple still holds its incense smoke. In the side streets you find stone carvings in Arabic and Tamil alongside Chinese characters — because this was the port the whole world passed through, and it kept the marks. The diaspora that built Chinatowns from Vancouver to Singapore started leaving from docks like these.

Chaoshan moves at the speed of tea. A session here is not a tourist activity — it's how people talk. Your host will fill the tiny cup before it empties; refusing means you want to leave. Sit long enough and the conversation finds its own rhythm. The beef at dinner was in a paddock this morning. The noodles were made by hand two hours ago. Everything is closer to its source than you expect.

Shenzhen announces itself through scale. The buildings are enormous and new and completely unapologetic about it. There is no nostalgia here — the city is 45 years old and knows it. What you find instead is energy: the electronics market where engineers source components at 8am, the art district that appeared in a former factory compound, the young residents who came from everywhere else and are still figuring out what kind of place this is.

10 days  ·  Xiamen · Quanzhou · Chaoshan · Shenzhen

The experience

Ten days. Here's what's in them.

NOT JUST
historyfoodactivitiesa trip
BUT
the conversations and ways of thinking that shape itthe stories and origins behind every dishthe daily rhythms that make a place alivea chance to feel a world that is genuinely different

Eat

The food on this route is the destination.

  • Chaoshan beef hotpot — fresh-cut, clear broth
  • Yum cha (dim sum) — Cantonese morning tea cart service
  • Xiamen shacha noodles
  • Oyster omelette
  • Chaoshan yusheng — raw fish Teochew-style, like a coastal sashimi
  • More along the way

See

The places that live up to the photos.

  • Gulangyu Island — no cars, 13 former consulates
  • Ancient temple complex, Quanzhou
  • Chaozhou Ancient City & Guangji Bridge
  • Shenzhen skyline & Dafen Oil Painting Village
  • Subtropical botanical gardens
  • More depending on route

Try

Things you can only do here.

  • High-speed rail — 350 km/h
  • Quanzhou zanhua — flower crown headdress, a Minnan folk dress tradition
  • E-bike city commute
  • TCM tuina massage therapy
  • Subtropical mountain hiking
  • More to be announced

Go out

The parts you'll actually talk about after.

  • Xiamen Zhongshan Road at night
  • Shenzhen nightlife
  • Free city days
  • Closing night
  • More depending on what the group finds

About the price

CAD $1,688 — here's where it goes

You're flying to the other side of the world. Make it count.

Why does it cost this much?

This isn't a tour operator price — no margin, no commission. You won't find this cheaper anywhere.

Not just the views — games, parties, local food nights, craft workshops, time with people who actually live there. That costs something. But that's exactly the point.

This is the real cost. We're just taking you along — so you leave with memories, not regrets.
Accommodation

4–5★ hotel, shared double room

Food & dining

Local specialty restaurants daily

Activities & tickets

Entrance fees + special programming

Guide & local transport

Professional guide + daily in-city

City-to-city transfers

High-speed rail & coastal trains

Total (excl. flights) ~$1,688

✈ International flights not included

10-day route at a glance

Click any day to explore the places you'll visit.

  • Zhongshan Road

    Zhongshan Road is Xiamen's oldest commercial street, built in the 1920s in the Amoy Deco style — a hybrid of Southern Fujian shophouse architecture and European colonial facades. The covered colonnaded walkways (qilou) were designed to shelter pedestrians from tropical rain.

  • Gulangyu Island

    Gulangyu was designated a treaty port concession in 1903, and for four decades 13 nations operated consulates on this small island just 600 metres offshore from Xiamen. The resulting architecture — German consulate, British American Tobacco headquarters, Hokkien clan temples, and traditional courtyard houses all within walking distance — is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • South Putuo Temple

    South Putuo Temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) and rebuilt in its current form during the Qing Dynasty. The temple is dedicated to Guanyin, the Buddhist bodhisattva of mercy, and takes its name from the sacred Mount Putuo in Zhejiang Province — the earthly home of Guanyin.

  • Xiamen University

    Xiamen University was founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee, a rubber and pineapple magnate from Singapore whose family had emigrated from Fujian Province. It was one of the first modern universities in China to be established entirely by private, overseas-Chinese funding.

  • Chaozhou Ancient City

    Chaozhou has been continuously inhabited for over 2,600 years. Its historic centre — anchored by the East Gate Tower and the stone pailou archways of Pai Fang Street — preserves one of the densest concentrations of intact Ming and Qing dynasty architecture in southern China.

  • Gongfu Tea Ceremony

    Chaoshan Gongfu tea is considered the origin of Chinese tea ceremony culture. The ritual uses extremely small clay teapots (Yixing or local Chaozhou clay) and tiny cups, brewing high-grade oolong — typically Dan Cong from the Phoenix Mountain — in rapid infusions of 10 to 20 seconds.

  • Guangji Bridge

    Guangji Bridge spans the Han River in Chaozhou and was first completed in 1170 AD during the Southern Song Dynasty. It is one of China's four great ancient bridges.

  • Kaiyuan Temple

    Kaiyuan Temple was founded in 738 AD during the Tang Dynasty by imperial decree — Emperor Xuanzong ordered a Kaiyuan Temple built in every prefecture of the empire. The Chaozhou version survived where many others were destroyed, and its current structure preserves Tang and Song dynasty architectural elements within a Qing-period renovation.

  • Shantou Old Bund

    Shantou was forced open as a treaty port in 1860 under the Convention of Peking following the Second Opium War. At its peak in the early 20th century, it was one of the busiest ports in southern China, processing the emigration of millions of Teochew-speaking Fujianese to Southeast Asia.

  • OCT Loft Creative Zone

    OCT Loft was developed in the early 2000s by the state-owned Overseas Chinese Town corporation, converting a former industrial compound into an arts and creative district. Shenzhen, built from scratch after 1980, had no inherited cultural infrastructure — its museums, galleries, and creative districts all had to be deliberately constructed.

  • Dafen Oil Painting Village

    In 1989, a Hong Kong art dealer named Huang Jiang relocated his reproduction painting operation to the Dafen neighbourhood of Shenzhen, hiring local painters to produce oil painting copies at scale. The industry grew rapidly: at its peak, Dafen employed over 8,000 painters and produced an estimated 60% of the world's commercially reproduced oil paintings.

  • Shenzhen Bay Park

    Shenzhen Bay Park is a 15-kilometre coastal greenway built on reclaimed land along the bay that separates Shenzhen from Hong Kong's New Territories. On a clear day, the hills of Hong Kong's Lantau Island are visible across the water.

  • Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront

    The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Kowloon faces the full sweep of Hong Kong Island's financial district across Victoria Harbour. The promenade runs from the old Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower (1915) — the only remaining structure of the colonial-era rail terminus — along the Avenue of Stars.

  • Temple Street Night Market

    Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, has operated as a working-class night market since the 1920s. Named for the Tin Hau Temple at its centre, the market runs from late afternoon until well past midnight.

  • Victoria Peak

    Victoria Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island at 552 metres. During the British colonial period, residence on the Peak was legally restricted to Europeans — a racial zoning policy that persisted until 1947 and shaped the social geography of the city in ways still visible today.

  • Star Ferry

    The Star Ferry has crossed Victoria Harbour since 1888, connecting Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. The fare for the lower deck costs less than USD $0.

Included

  • ✓4–5 star hotel accommodation in a shared twin-room setup
  • ✓In-China transportation for the full route (trains, ferries, border crossing logistics)
  • ✓Core attraction tickets and selected group experiences
  • ✓Hong Kong–Shenzhen border crossing coordination and briefing
  • ✓Organizer coordination and on-the-ground support throughout
  • ✓Language support during logistics-heavy and key cultural moments
  • ✓Pre-departure setup guide for payments, SIM, and arrival readiness
  • ✓Group WhatsApp and pre-trip orientation call

Not included

  • ×International flights to Xiamen and from Hong Kong
  • ×Hong Kong hotel (nights in HK are not included — participants arrange independently or we can assist)
  • ×Travel insurance and personal medical expenses
  • ×Visa-related costs if policy changes before departure
  • ×Optional room upgrades, personal shopping, and nightlife spending

Video references before you decide

Inside China's Most Underrated City — Xiamen

Inside China's Most Underrated City — Xiamen

Kels & Drea

A relaxed, honest travel vlog covering Gulangyu, South Putuo, and Xiamen University — the kind of pacing that matches how this route feels.
Shenzhen: The Silicon Valley of Hardware

Shenzhen: The Silicon Valley of Hardware

WIRED UK

The clearest explanation of how Shenzhen went from fishing village to megacity in 40 years — essential context before you arrive.
How 156 years of British rule shaped Hong Kong

How 156 years of British rule shaped Hong Kong

Vox / Johnny Harris

A deep-dive into Hong Kong's identity — what makes it genuinely different from both mainland China and the West, and why that matters.

Planning a South China trip from Toronto or elsewhere in Canada? Start with the handbook, then check the team background and privacy policy.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

As of 2024, Canadians can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 15 days. The route spends approximately 6 days in mainland China (Xiamen, Chaoshan, Shenzhen) and 2 days in Hong Kong, which has its own visa-free access for Canadians (90 days). We will send a full visa briefing document after you register.
The most convenient crossing is the high-speed rail from Shenzhen North to West Kowloon (19 minutes, CNY 85–95). We handle group coordination for the crossing, including briefing on what to carry and customs expectations. You will need your passport — not just your travel document.
The price covers hotels for the mainland China portion of the route (Xiamen, Chaoshan, Shenzhen), all in-China transportation, core attraction tickets, and organizer support throughout. Hong Kong accommodation is arranged independently — we provide vetted recommendations.
Chaozhou and Shantou are off the usual tourist trail, which means English is less common than in Xiamen or Hong Kong. This is part of what makes the visit genuine. We provide language support for all key logistics — ordering, transport, check-in — and the experience is entirely doable.
Moderate. Expect 10,000–15,000 steps on active days, including some uneven heritage-site surfaces in Chaozhou. Gulangyu Island involves walking on hilly lanes. There are natural rest days and free time built into the schedule. No hiking gear required.
Yes. Fujian, Guangdong, and Hong Kong food cultures are all highly varied and accommodate most needs. Vegetarian options are readily available in Buddhist temple areas (South Putuo, Kaiyuan Temple). Halal options exist in larger cities. Let us know your requirements after registering and we will prepare accordingly.
Maximum 20 participants. Our groups typically include students from Canadian universities and recent graduates, mostly in their 20s, based across Canada. Many participants are heritage Chinese Canadians visiting ancestral regions for the first time — the Chaoshan leg resonates especially.
Applications close May 31, 2026. We review for fit and follow up within 5 business days. Given the limited group size, we recommend applying early. A deposit holds your spot; the balance is due closer to departure.
A 30% deposit is required to hold your spot, with the balance due 1 month before departure. If you cancel before 30 days before departure: Full refund minus deposit. After that point: 30% of total trip cost is returned. If you find a replacement participant, a full refund is available at any time.

Apply

Ready to go?

Tell us about yourself and which trip you're interested in — we'll follow up within 5 business days.

The route ends in Shenzhen — but on Day 10, participants can also depart from Hong Kong International Airport (45 min away). Let us know your preference when you apply.

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