FUZHOU
Fuzhou, the Capital of Fujian Province, lies in the lower reaches of Minjiang River, in the eastern part of Fujian. Rong is another name for it, for many banyans have sprung up all over the area since 900 odd years before. Due to the fact that many high quality hot water springs are found scattered over the city, Fuzhou is also called "A City of Warm Springs". Covering an area of 11,968 sq. km, Fuzhou is the political, economic and cultural center of Fujian Province with a population of over 500 million. Fuzhou has jurisdiction over 5 districts and 8 counties: Gulou, Taijiang, Cangshan, Mawei and Jin'an districts;Minhou, Lianjiang, Changle, Luoyuan, Pingtan, Minqing and Yongtai counties. It has a subtropical monsoon climate. The annual temperature averages about 19 ?(insertion?). January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 10.5?(insertion?), with July being the hottest with an average temperature 28.6c. The annual rainfall averages 1342.5 mm. The best time for travel is from April to November.
Fuzhou has a long history. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, the offspring of Gou Jian who was the emperor of Yue Dynasty, had made Fuzhou the capital. In the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Tang Xuan Zong set up the government office of commander-in-chief here and named it Fuzhouwhich it was called from that time on. The emperors of late Song and late Ming Dynasties came to the throne in Fuzhou and made it a provisional capital. At the beginning of the first century, Fuzhou had instituted maritime traffic with Southeast Asia. In the Ming Dynasty, the tax revenue organ(?) was moved to Fuzhou and received foreign special envoys on behalf of the royal or imperial government. In the Qing Dynasty, Mawei Harbor became the largest shipbuilding and naval base in ancient China as well as the cradle of qualified scientists and technicians.
Fuzhou is one of the 14 coastal port cities opening to the outside world. Mawei Harbor has opened as an economic and technological development zone. Fuzhou and Naha have become sister cities.
Fuzhou is rich in tourism resources. In the districts, the well-known mountains include Gushan Mountain, Yushan Mountain, Wushan Mountain and Pingshan Mountain. Famous parks consist of West Lake, Zuohai Park, Forest Park. Yongquang Temple and Xichan Temple are also celebrated. Lin Zexu's (the hero in Opium War) Tomb and the Great Hall of Hualin Temple are major historical and cultural sites under state protection. Other scenic spots and historical site are scattered throughout its jurisdiction including Eighteen Bends Stream, a square and broad heavenly abode.
Tourist Attractions in Fuzhou
Forest Park
Forest Park, one of the nine forest parks in the country, lies in Red Bridge Village Xing Dian Town, a northern suburb of the city. It is 7 km away from the urban district with a total area of 859 ha. Its surrounded on three sides by mountains while the other faces the river. The entire park is divided into five parts: Mid-Asian tropical evergreen broadleaf tree region, South-Asian tropical jungle region, Banyan tree region, region of wild fruit trees in hilly country and off-shore r wood region. It also includes a rare botanical garden and a rose & camellia garden. This park has been collecting and cultivating more than 2,500 kinds of plants from home and abroad, thus becoming a distinctive forest museum. The "Banyan King" of Fuzhou stands tall and upright on the bank of Bayi Reservoir in this park.
Gushan Mountain
Gushan Mountain, the most famous sight in Fuzhou, is a classic scenic spot. It has been famous for sightseeing for over 1,000 years.. Yongquan Temple is its center with more than 100 sights scattered around it, among which main sights are Yongquan Temple, the Eighteen Sights of Damo and White Cloud Cave. Three routes can be taken to climb along the Gushan Mountain: the traditional one climbs along the ancient stone path from the foot of the mountain, approximately 3.5 km long, or take a bus directly to the gate of the Buddhist Temple(8 km long.; Visitors may also take the cable car from the foot of the mountain to the Eighteen Sights of Damo.
Yongquan Temple is located at the foot of the White Cloud Peak of Gushan Mountain, 455 m. above sea level. Built in the Five Dynasties (908), it comes first on the list of the five Buddhist temples in Fuzhou and still preserves large and middle-sized palaces and temple halls today. As an ancient Buddhist temple in a famous mountain, it is home to many places worth visiting. First, the conception of its construction is unique. By considering the entire mountain, it's built in the chin of the peak where experts call the "Swallow Nest". The temple seems to be hidden and visitors can not see it whether they are walking, taking a bus or a cable car. Even after entering the gate of the temple, they still can not see the large-scale Yongquan Temple. The saying goes that" Once you enter the mountain, you can not see the temple, while entering the temple, you can not see the mountain." Secondly, there are three invaluable state treasures being housed in the temple--. the pottery pagodas with a thousand Buddhas, the ocean-bed wooden altar table and the Buddhist scripture printed with an ancient printing plate. There are "three irons" (iron tree or sago cycas, iron pot and iron wire wood) which are in the temple as well.
The "pottery pagodas" refer to the pair of pottery pagodas standing before the temple on both sides. The pagodas were made in 1082 (the Song Dynasty) and are 7 meters high. They're octagonal in style with nine stories. A total of 1038 statues of Buddha were molded in them, 72 of them are found on the eaves with 72 pottery bells hanging. This kind of creation is seldom seen in China and therefore, considered very valuable. They are the pride of the temple and protected as state treasures. The attic, for storing canons, preserves nearly 10,000 Buddhist classic printing plates from the Ming Dynasty onward. This is the second treasure found in the temple. The third being 657 copies of classics written by brilliant monks through the ages. The monks pricked their own fingers and wrote the classics with their blood. As for the "three irons", the first one is the sacrificial table made of iron wire wood in the Great Hall of the Buddha Temple. It is said that the table can not be burned by fire nor rotted by water and will become moist when it's overcast. The second one is the three iron trees before the temple . They are more than a thousand years old and still bloom every year. The third refers to the big iron pot,0.8m deep and 1.67m in diameter in the kitchen of the temple. It can serve nearly one thousand people.
The Eighteen Sights of Damo is situated west of Yongquan Temple. It's main landscape is the natural scenery. In the period of Emperor Dao Guang of the Qing Dynasty, Wei Jie, a poet, carved the eighteen sights in the crag outside the Damo Cave. These sights are based on the natural scenery and folk legend, such as Damo facing the wall, picture of Fuzhou (blessing and longevity) Quan, lion playing with ball, Nanji (an immortal) going up to Heaven and Fish light illuminating.
White Cloud Cave lies in the western part of Fengchishan Mountain, northwest of Gushan Mountain over 700m above sea level. The white clouds frequently float into the cave and people can not distinguish each other within a short distance. That's why they call it "White Cloud Cave." After the scholar Yu Dafu visited the cave, the rocks were odd and the path was dangerous. This isolated place had a well-deserved reputation. "Once you have been there, the experience will never be forgotten. It is wonderful because it dangerously steep". The best route to visit it by is to set out from Yong Dexing Mountain villa in the Buocing Village Gushan Town, by way of Jicui Hut, Wotan Bridge, Fang Sheng Temple, Longji Road and Foutou Cliff to White Cloud Cave. On this route, visitors may pass Kong Gu Chuang Yin, visit Turtle Stone then come down the mountain to Yongquan Temple.
Hot Spring Park
Hot Spring Park is found in the southeast section of Wu Si Road, the hot spring zone, covering an area of 150 mu. Here you will find carpets of green grass, fresh flowers, fountains, zigzagging paths and verandas. Hot Spring Park is a european-style park and a nice place for recreation.
The park can be divided into 10 parts with a glass pyramid standing in the center: Several parts include the Gate Area, Camellia Garden and the Sweet-scented Osmanthus Garden. Every sight is reasonably large and has its own special flavor. Both the West Gate and North Gate have ancient Rome style columns and squares. This scenic spot as a very exotic atmosphere.
Kaiyuan Temple
Located in the yard of Drum Tower District, Kaiyuan Temple was built in the third year of Emperor Tai Qing of the Nan Dynasty. It is the largest Buddhist Temple in Fuzhou; now about one-tenth of its former size. The Linzhi (magic fungus) Hill, lotus pond, sutra hall, abstinence altar and pagoda compose this broad and peaceful Buddhist Hall, called Amitabha., It is 5.3 meters high and 4 meters wide. His two ears hang down to his shoulders, hands and feet crossed with a solemn image.
Mawei & Luoxing Park
This has been an important military town since ancient times. In the tenth year during the period of Emperor Guang Xu of the Qing Dynasty, the Majing ruler Sea Warfare between China and France broke here. Mawei is only about 15 km away from Fuzhou city and traffic is very convenient. Visitors can travel there by bus. Climbing the Luoxing Tower, visitors may look far into where Minjiang River pours into the sea or visit the Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall. Time permitting, they may also pay a visit to Luoxing Park. Luoxing Park is situated in the
Luoxing Mountain of Mawei district with an area of 2,033 ha. At the foot of the mountain, a revetment with railings has been built along the Mingjiang River. Many rockeries are piled up and lots of grass and trees have been planted. On the top of the mountain, the Luoxing Tower stands tall and upright. It was built in the Song Dynasty, damaged during the period of Emperor Wan Li of the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt during the period of Emperor Tian Qi of the Ming Dynasty (1621-1627). The seven-layer tower is octagonal and made of stone. It stands 31.5 m high at the Majiang River port. . It's necessary to mention that its name and location had been marked on the chart of Zheng He's navigation back to the Ming Dynasty. Since the five ports had trade relations in the late Qing Dynasty, Luoxing Tower has been regarded as the famous mark of the port in the world navigation chart, called "China Tower".
West Lake Park
There are many West Lakes in China. Among them, Fuzhou West Lake is one of the most famous lagging behind Hanzhou West Lake on scale and fame yet is regarded typical in China.
Fuzhou West Lake is located in the northwestern part of the city covering an area of 45 ha. In the third year of Emperor Tai Kang in Jin Dynasty (282AD), Governor Yan Gao channelled water here from the northwestern mountain areas to irrigate the fields. In the late Tang Dynasty, it was changed into a tourist area, thus the scenic spot of West Lake came into being and has remained a park ever since.
Upon entering the gate of the park. you will see a dyke lined by willow trees over the water leading directly to the Kaihua islet and along the shore of the lake, two pavilions on the water with winding corridors. Kaihua Temple, at the center of Kaihua islet, is now mainly used for the exhibition of flowers and plants in gardens. To the west of Kaihua Islet is the Flying Rainbow Bridge leading to the Xie Ping children' Entertainment Park. To the south is the Stepping on Cloud Bridge, leading to the zoo, which was quite famous in the past. Passing the Stepping on Clouds Bridge, you may also go to the Lotus Pavilion with a square lotus pond at the foot. Beside the Lotus Pavilion stands the Laurel Building which includes the site of Li Gang Memorial Temple, the reading site of Lin Zexu and the Banning on Opium Pavilion,. North of Kaihua Temple, passing the Jade Belt Bridge, you'll reach Jiaojiao Islet where the Fujian Museum, Art Gallery and West Lake Theater are located.
You must visit the Panda Hall on your trip to Fuzhou West Lake, for it seems much more renowned than the latter. It's located at the Dameng (Big Dream) foothills, southwest of West Lake and covers an area of 1.5 ha. The hall is well known for its successful rearing and breeding of pandas ranking first among the nation. The panda performances are so interesting that it's worth having a look. Under the trainer's guidance, the charmingly naive pandas eat watermelon, feed dolls, ride bicycles and seesaws, play basketball and stand on a running ball,. all especially attractive to tourists with children.
Wushan Hill (Pitch Dark Hill)
Wushan Hill is one of three hills in Fuzhou city. It lies next to Yu Hill, 84 meters above sea level. As one of the famous tour resorts, it boasts many places of historical interest. The most famous is the 35 meter high 7 story Black Pagoda at the hillside built in 942. Withstanding many repairs throughout different dynasties, its architectural style remains mainly that of the Five Dynasties. There are many odd rocks and tall trees in the hill. On top of the hill, we have a bird's eye view of Fuzhou city. There are 200 odd inscriptions now. Many have left their handwriting on the cliffs; such as Li Yangbing in the Tang Dynasty, Cai Xiang,Li Gang and Zhu Xi in the Song Dynasty and Sha Dula in the Yuan Dynasty. It's a nice place to practice calligraphy. In the hill, pavilions, platforms, inscriptions on the cliffs and tall trees are harmonious with each other making it a great resort for recreation.
Yu Hill
Opposite Wushan Hill, Yu Hill stands in the center of the city at an elevation of 58.6 m. Covering an area of 11.9 ha, it resembles a huge legendary turtle. According to the legend, a nomadic tribe name "Yu Yue" inhabited here in the Warring States; hence, people named it "Yu Hill". The hill has been a tour resort since ancient time and numerous historic sites can be found here including Ding Guang Tower Temple (White Pagoda Temple), White Pagoda, Wan Xiang Pacilion, Qi Gong Memorial Hall, Ping Yuan Platform, Strunk Rock, Nine Immortals Cave, Nine Suns Platform, Zhuang Yuan Peak, and Kuo Ran Platform.
Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall
Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall and the Tomb of Martyers in Majiang River Sea Warfare between China and France stand in the southeastern foot of Maxianshan Moutain in Mawei district. On August 23th,, 1884, French warships raided Fujian Navy Division which fomented the Majiang River Sea Warfare. Instead of resisting, the Qing government bowed like slaves to the French and compromised. As a result, the Fujian Navy Division fought without full preparation and 796 officers and men died. Among them, 400 odd martyrs were retrieved from the sea and separately buried in 9 tombs at the foot of Maxianshan Mountain. Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall was built east of the tombs two years later. The tombs were rebuilt in 1920 and the 9 tombs were united as one grave. In 1983, the ancestral hall was rebuilt and the Majiang Sea City Memorial was founded.
Zuohai Park
The peasants of Hongshan county collected money and built Zuohai Park which lies northwest of West Lake Park . Zuohai Park covers a- land area of 51 ha and it's a water region of 18 ha. Its design theme is "Sceneries of the Five Continents" with five sets of sculptures, each symbolizes one of the five continents. They lie in the center of North Gate. In the Manila Lawn, which is 23 ha, are growing Nanyang firs and sweet-scented osmanthus trees. Entering the North Gate and walk southward, visitors will reach the European scenic spot, which consists of British Red House and waterside town of Venice. Walking westward, they can see the following entertainment facilities: adventure palace, comprehensive amusement building, recreational center for children, pirate ship and haunted house, to name a few. In the south of the park, stands the amusement city of aquatic animals.
Visitors may take the aerial cable car, visit the aquarium or play games. There are also a recreational center for the eldersl and a holiday village. As for Asian scenic spots, there are the Great Wall, Japanese Garden, pleasure-boat wharf and the artistic palace of the Journey to the West.
