"This story also reflects the significance of Paifang Street today — it's not just a tourist street, but serves as a bridge connecting our modern world with the traditional culture of the past," he adds.

The erecting of so many paifang indicates the local emphasis on education and culture, which is believed to have started with Han Yu, a Tang Dynasty (618-907) politician and man of letters who was banished from the court to Chaozhou, and greatly contributed to the area during his eight months of service.

One of Han's most significant contributions was to promote local education and reestablish a government-sponsored educational institution that had fallen into disuse. He also placed local people in charge of the institution, and donated his own savings to improve its facilities.