Small Park is the heart of old Shantou, a circular plaza and web of arcade-lined streets built when the city was a treaty port. The name sounds modest, but the surrounding qilou shophouses, former banks, and old trading houses make it the city's most atmospheric walk.
Come in the late afternoon when the stone and stucco catch warm light. Cafes and snack shops now occupy many restored buildings, but enough rough edges remain to keep the district from feeling like a theme park.