Chaozhou has secured the third-highest GDP growth rate in Guangdong for the first three quarters of 2025. Key indicators, including fixed-asset investment, infrastructure investment, real estate development investment, and total agricultural output value, surged, all ranking first in the province for growth speed.
This information was released at a press conference held in Guangzhou on January 19, as part of a series reviewing Guangdong's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
Nestled in eastern Guangdong, Chaozhou is renowned as China's "Ceramic Capital" and the home of Dancong tea, a type of oolong tea. It boasts abundant cultural and tourism resources and has been honored as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, known for its famous delicacies such as beef hotpot and braised goose.
Chaozhou braised goose
Fish maw, fish scale and other agricultural products
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Chaozhou has emerged as the nation's leading production base for smart sanitary ware, topping the country in both the output of smart sanitary ware and the export volume of sanitary ceramics.
The annual production of smart toilets reached 56 million units, accounting for over 30% of the national total, meaning that one out of every three smart toilets in China was produced in Chaozhou. Products are exported to more than 130 countries and regions across Europe, the Americas, Australia, and beyond.
Smart toilets equipped with audio system.
The city aims to capture over 50% of the domestic market share for smart toilets during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), striving to build a globally influential advanced manufacturing base for smart sanitary ware.
This period will focus on integrating and making breakthroughs in key technologies such as sensors, controls, and wireless communication to create fully integrated smart bathroom spaces. Efforts will also intensify to explore emerging markets in Belt and Road countries, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Latin America.
Additionally, the city's tea output value is projected to exceed 9.5 billion yuan in 2025. The Chaozhou Gongfu Tea, a local traditional tea-drinking practice, has been successfully elevated to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as part of the "traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China."
Chaozhou Dancong Tea is a semi-fermented oolong tea that falls between fully-fermented black tea and non-fermented green tea. It is characterized by its sweet taste and rich aroma.
Reporter & Photo | Chen Jinxia
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
