Stone Fort (Shipaotai) was built in 1879 and served as an effective coastal defence. The fort's walls are 5m (16ft) thick.

Shantou is a port city that was opened to foreign trade after the Second Anglo-Chinese War; also known as the Opium War (1856 - 1860 CE). The town became a British treaty port in 1858.

The first treaty ports in China were British and were established at the conclusion of the First Opium War by the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. As well as ceding the island of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom in perpetuity; the treaty also established five treaty ports at Shanghai; Canton; Ningpo; Fuchow; and Amoy. French and American concessions followed soon afterwards.

The second group of British treaty ports was set up following the end of the Arrow War in 1860 and eventually more than 80 treaty ports were established in China alone; involving many foreign powers.