Guiyu, west of central Shantou, is not a pretty excursion, but it is one of the region's more sobering places. For years it was synonymous with informal e-waste recycling, where imported electronics were stripped by hand under grim environmental conditions.
Travellers should treat it with sensitivity rather than curiosity tourism. Its story is useful because it shows the less comfortable side of the export economy that made this part of Guangdong rich.