Shantou has well-established cultural tradition and rich cultural heritage. It had such a reputation as the "Coastal Zou Lu" (Zou Lu refers to the Kingdom of Zou and the Kingdom of Lu, the hometowns of Mencius and Confucious respectively) as early as in the Song Dynasty.
Where there is seawater there are Chaoshanese, and where there are Chaoshanese there definitely is Chaoshan culture. Chaoshan culture has a long history. It was originated from Chaoshan predecessors, formed in the Qin and Han Dynasties, developed in the Tang and Song Dynasties, prosperous in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and innovated in the modern age. It is a branch of traditional Chinese cultures, compatible with both Chinese and foreign cultures. Chaoshan culture has its own features such as Chaoshan dialect, Chaozhou opera, Chaozhou music, Chaozhou cuisine, Gongfu tea, Chaoshan arts and crafts, and Chaoshan folk custom.
Chaoshan culture features rich content and unique style. It has profoundly nurtured the people on the land of Chaoshan in the past and present. The characteristics and influences of Chaoshan culture are demonstrated by Shantounese in their philosophies, verbal expressions and behaviors.
Source: Shantou Almanac 2008, Shantou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV, Press and Publication
民俗文化概述
汕头文化传统悠久，文化积淀深厚，宋时就有“海滨邹鲁”之称。
凡“有海水的地方就有潮人”，有潮人的地方无疑就有潮汕文化的存在。潮汕文化历史悠久，起源于潮汕先民、成型于秦汉、发展于唐宋、昌盛于明清、创新于现代，是中华民族优秀传统文化的一个分支，有中外文化兼容的特点，有自己的潮汕方言、潮剧、潮乐、潮菜、工夫茶、潮汕工艺、潮汕民俗等特色。
潮汕文化内容丰富，风格独特，古今中外生活在潮汕大地的子民，都深受它的陶冶。每个潮人的身上，不论是思想、语言还是行动，无时无处不表现着潮汕文化的特征及其影响。
信息来源：《汕头年鉴2008》、市文化广电新闻出版局