Fujian Travel
Xiàmén is the star attraction to visitors, with its long seaside promenade and easy access to little Gǔlàng Yǔ, a hip island enclave just offshore. Many travellers also pass through the area en route to the Taiwanese island of Kinmen.
Away from the coast, the Unesco World Heritage-listed tǔlóu (roundhouses) rise out of the countryside and for generations have housed traditional Hakka and Fujianese communities. Further north, the hill station of Wǔyí Shān offers year-round hiking opportunities and a memorable river cruise on bamboo rafts.
Top experiences in Fujian
1. Gulang Yu
A short hop from the large island city of Xiàmén, car-free Gǔlàng Yǔ (鼓浪屿) was a turn-of-the-20th-century international enclave where consulates from Europe, America and Japan managed their affairs among banyan trees and vine-strewn villas. In 2017, the whole island was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in recognition of its fusion of architectural styles and long heritage as a cross-cultural exchange.
A day or two spent wandering Gǔlàng Yǔ's museums, tunnels, trails and beaches is a highlight of a visit to Southern China, but for now it’s still mostly locals who hang out in the increasingly slick cafe scene. Breathe deeply if the weekend crowds get too heavy; there is sanctuary to be found if you seek it.
2. Fujian Tulou
The Hakka and the Mǐnnán (Fujianese) people have lived in the fabled earthen structures known as tǔlóu (土楼) for centuries. Spread across a southwestern section of the province, many are still inhabited and welcome visitors for the day or night. The circular edifices are remarkable for their ingenuity, but the idyllic rural setting lends an ethereal quality hard to find in modern China. Sleeping here and sharing a meal with local families can be life-affirming.
Take note: since Unesco rubber-stamped the region in 2008, tour buses have rumbled in on freshly paved highways. But it’s hardly reason to stay away. With more than 30,000 tǔlóu still intact, you can find one to take your fancy.
3. Quanzhou
The role of Quánzhōu (泉州) as an integral part of the maritime Silk Road during Song and Yuan rule is still felt in the city’s architecture, cuisine and ethnic diversity. Today it’s a handsome, if grossly undervisited place – due partly to the lure of nearby Xiàmén – but what Marco Polo described in the 13th century as ‘one of the two ports in the world with the biggest flow of merchandise’ does not easily fade away.
Wandering Quánzhōu’s ancient stone streets and temples of many faiths creates a rare sense of timelessness in urban China. Hints of a rich Islamic and maritime past are readily visible, and the atmosphere at times feels like a city further west. There are also easy day trips from here to the fascinating historic villages of Chongwu and Xunpu which have long faced out towards the sea.
4. Wuyi Shan
Despite a long association with domestic travellers, Wǔyí Shān (武夷山) is a mountain retreat which retains a sense of untouched natural splendour. Set high up in the northwest of Fújiàn, its hiking trails through protected forests and the famed bamboo rafting trip are well worth the effort to come here. Try to visit midweek or in low season (November, March and April) and you might have the area to yourself. Avoid the area during heavy rain (especially during summer months) even if the hotels and tour organisers advise otherwise.
5. Xiamen
Xiàmén (厦门), the island city formerly known in Western circles as Amoy, is emerging as southern China’s most sophisticated city. Chinese travellers have long understood the lure of its long seaside promenade and European city architecture, but international ‘jetizens’ are now descending on the fun.
Many use Xiàmén as a stepping-off point for the much smaller island of Gǔlàng Yǔ, perhaps the highlight of the entire province. Strewn with crumbling embassies, lush gardens and beaches, and hip boutique cafes and hotels, this island feels like a kind of Chinese Mediterranean, in all its wonderful oddity.
6. Nine Twists River
One of the highlights for visitors to Wǔyí Shān is floating down the river on zhúpái (bamboo rafts) fitted with rattan chairs. Departing from Xīngcūn (星村), a short bus ride west of the resort area, the trip down the river takes over an hour and brings you through some magnificent gorge scenery, with sheer rock cliffs and lush green vegetation.
One of the mysteries of Wǔyí Shān is the cavities, carved out of the rock faces at great heights, which once held boat-shaped coffins. Scientists have dated some of these artefacts back 3000 years. If you’re taking a raft down the river, it’s possible to see some remnants of these coffins on the west cliff face of the fourth meander, also known as Small Storing Place Peak (小藏山峰; Xiǎozàngshān Fēng).
Top sights in Fujian
1. Sānfāng Qīxian – Top choice architecture in Fuzhou
The ‘downtown’ area of the city is actually a series of ancient residential buildings known as ‘Three Lanes and Seven Paths'. Constructed in the late Jin dynasty around the 12th century, the residences prospered 400 years later during Ming and then Qing rule. Today thousands of visitors wander through the white-walled streets every day, from the traditional architecture to the hectic shopping strip on Nanhou Jie, and take a break at a cafe on the canal.
2. Chéngqǐ Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
In the village of Gāoběi (高北), this 300-year-old tǔlóu has 400 rooms and once housed 1000 inhabitants. It’s built with elaborate concentric rings, with circular passageways between them and a central shrine. It’s one of the most iconic and photographed tǔlóu and it’s no surprise that it has been dubbed the king tǔlóu.
3. Guāndì Temple – Taoist temple in Quazhou
This smoky and magnificently carved temple is southeast of Qīngjìng Mosque. A furnace burns prayer books stuffed in by devotees. It’s dedicated to Guan Yu, a Three Kingdoms general who was deified as the God of War. Inside the temple are statues of the god and wall panels that detail his life. Busy merchants gather outside.
4. Zhènchéng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
This most visited tǔlóu is a grandiose structure built in 1912, with two concentric circles and 222 rooms. The ancestral hall in the centre of the tǔlóu is complete with Western-style pillars. The locals dub this tǔlóu wángzǐ (土楼王子), the prince tǔlóu.
5. Cǎo’ān Manichaean Temple – Temple in Quanzhou
This quirky temple is dedicated to Manichaeism, a religion originating in Persia in the 3rd century, combining elements of Zoroastrian, Christian and Gnostic thought, which reached China in the 7th century.
The well restored stone complex you see today is a rebuild dating to the Yuan dynasty (14th century). The most remarkable relic in the temple is the ‘Buddha of Light', a sitting stone statue in the main hall, which is actually the prophet Mani, founder of Manichaeism, in a Buddhist disguise.
Manichaeism was considered an illegal religion during the Song period and the religion had to operate in the guise of an esoteric Buddhist group. Take a closer look at the statue, and you’ll find its hairstyle (straight instead of curly), hand gestures and colour combinations are distinctly different from most representations of the Buddha.
The temple is 19km south of Quánzhōu. From the long-distance bus station in Quánzhōu, board a bus to Ānhǎi (安海) and tell the driver to drop you off at Cǎo’ān Lùkǒu (草庵路口). Then look for the English signage saying Grass Temple and it’s a 2km walk uphill. The road is not well marked so taking a taxi is a recommended alternativ.
6. Nánpǔtuó Temple – Buddhist site in Xiamen
This Buddhist temple complex on the southern side of Xiàmén is one of the most famous temples among the Fujianese, and is also considered a pilgrimage site by dedicated followers from Southeast Asia. The temple has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. Its latest incarnation dates to the early 20th century, and today it’s an active and busy temple with chanting monks and worshippers lighting incense.
The temple is fronted by a huge lotus lake. In front of the courtyard is the twin-eaved Big Treasure Hall (Dàxióng Bǎodiàn), presided over by a trinity of buddhas representing his past, present and future forms. Behind rises the eight-sided Hall of Great Compassion (Dàbēi Diàn), in which stands a golden 1000-armed statue of Guanyin, facing the four directions.
The temple has an excellent vegetarian restaurant in a shaded courtyard where you can dine in the company of resident, mobile-phone-toting monks. Round it all off with a hike up the steps behind the temple among the rocks and the shade of trees.
Take bus 1 from the train station or bus 21, 45, 48 or 503 from Zhongshan Lu to reach the temple.
7. Wǔyí Shān Scenic Area – Park in Wuyi Shan
The entrance to the Wǔyí Shān Scenic Area is at Wǔyí Gōng, about 200m south of the Wǔyí Mountain Villa. Trails within the scenic area connect all the major sites. Good walks include the 530m Great King Peak (大王峰; Dàwáng Fēng), accessed through the main entrance, and the 410m Heavenly Tour Peak (天游峰; Tiānyóu Fēng), where an entrance is reached by road up the Nine Twists River.
It’s a moderate two-hour walk to Great King Peak among bamboo groves and steep-cut rock walls. The trail can be slippery and wet, so bring suitable shoes.
The walk to Heavenly Tour Peak is more scenic, with better views of the river and mountain peaks. But the path is also the most popular with tour groups. At the northern end of the scenic area, the Water Curtain Cave (水帘洞; Shuǐlián Dòng) is a cleft in the rock about one-third of the way up a 100m cliff face. In winter and autumn, water plunges over the top of the cliff, creating a curtain of spray.
8. Kāiyuán Temple – Buddhist site in Quanzhou
In the northwest of the city, one of the oldest temples in Quánzhōu dates back to AD 686. Surrounded by trees, Kāiyuán Temple is famed for its pair of rust-coloured five-storey stone pagodas, stained with age and carved with figures, which date from the 13th century. Behind the eastern pagoda is a museum containing the enormous hull of a Song dynasty seagoing junk, which was excavated near Quánzhōu in 1974.
The temple’s Great Treasure Hall (Dàxióng Bǎodiàn) and the hall behind are decorated with marvellous beams and brackets. The main courtyard is flanked by a row of wizened banyan trees; one is 800 years old! Take bus 2 from Wenling Nanlu.
9. Tǎxià – Villiage in Fujian Tulou
This delightful river settlement boasts several tǔlóu-converted guesthouses and it is a great base from which to explore the tǔlóu areas. The highlight of the village is the Zhang Ancestral Hall. It is surrounded by 23 elaborately carved spear-like stones, which celebrate the achievements of prominent villagers.
The bus station in Nánjìng runs six buses (1½ hours) to the village between 8am and 5.30pm.
10. Maritime Museum – Museum in Quanzhou
On the northeast side of town, this fabulous museum explains Quánzhōu’s trading history, the development of Chinese shipbuilding and the kaleidoscope of religions in the port’s heyday. The Religious Stone Hall and Islamic Culture Hall are highlights, boasting a beautiful collection of gravestones and reliefs of different religions dating from the Yuan dynasty. Take bus 7 or 203 and alight at Qiáoxiāng Tǐyùguǎn (侨乡体育馆).
11. Yùchāng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
The tallest roundhouse in Fújiàn, this vast five-floor structure has 270 rooms and an observation tower to check for marauding bandits. Interestingly, this 300-year-old property’s pillars bend at an angle on the 3rd floor and at the opposite angle on the 5th floor. Each room and kitchen on the ground floor has its own well.
12. Língshān Islamic Cemetery – Cemetery in Quanzhou
Set at the foot of the mountain of Língshān, this leafy cemetery is one of the most intact historic cemeteries in China. Two of Mohammed’s disciples are said to be buried here, and you’ll also find some granite steles dating from the Míng dynasty. Take bus 7 or 203 and hop off at Shèngmùzhàn (圣墓站).
13. Yúnshuǐyáo Village – Village in Fujian Tulou
Between the Héguì and Huáiyuǎn tǔlóu in the Yúnshuǐyáo Tǔlóu Cluster is this beautiful village (formerly known as ancient Chángjiào) where you can sip tea under the big banyan trees and watch water buffalo in the river. The village has a few guesthouses that offer rooms.
14. Xiàméi – Village in Wuyi Shan
This village dates to the Northern Song dynasty and boasts some spectacular Qing dynasty architecture from its heyday as a wealthy tea-trading centre. Motorbikes in Wǔyí Shān city can take you to Xiàméi (¥50 round trip) for this 12km journey.
15. Kāihé Lù Fish Market – Market in Xiamen
In the old district of Xiàmén, this tiny but lively market sells various (weird) sea creatures to a backdrop of qílóu (骑楼; shophouses) and a church. Access is from Xiahe Lu, where you can also find lots of Taiwanese food.
16. Héguì Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
This tallest rectangular tǔlóu in Fújiàn has five storeys and was built on a swamp. It boasts 120 rooms, a school, two wells, and a fortified courtyard in front of the entrance. The mammoth structure was built in 1732.
17. Báilùzhōu Park – Park in Xiamen
Xiàmén positions itself as China’s most liveable city and this huge green expanse on an islet north of town is a quiet exclamation mark on that claim. Perfect for families or broken souls who need to touch grass for a while.
18. Zhang Ancestral Hall – Historic building in Fujian Tulou
The highlight of Tǎxià village, the Zhang Ancestral Hall is surrounded by 23 elaborately carved spear-like stones, which celebrate the achievements of prominent villagers.
19. Organ Museum – Museum in Gulang Yu
Housed in the highly distinctive Bāguà Lóu (八卦楼) building is the Organ Museum, with a fantastic collection including a Norman & Beard organ from 1909.
20. Jíqìng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
This 600-year-old tǔlóu was built without using a single nail and is still pretty intact. It now houses an exhibition hall.
21. Yíjīng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
The largest rectangular tǔlóu in Fújiàn. The crumbling structure, built in 1851, has 281 rooms, two schools and 51 halls.
22. Yǎnxiāng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
This four-storey tǔlóu rises up beautifully next to a river, and is in the same direction as Huánjí Lóu tǔlóu.
24. Guāncǎi Lóu – Historic building in Gulang Yu
This residence built in 1931 has a magnificently dilapidated interior with a wealth of original features.
25. Ecclesia Catholica – Church in Gulang Yu
A magnificent snow-white Gothic-style church built in 1917.
26. Xúnpǔ Village – Village in Quanzhou
The fishing village of Xúnpǔ, some 10km southeast of the city centre of Quánzhōu, was on the old trade route of the maritime Silk Road and was perhaps the Arabs’ first port of call when they set foot in Quánzhōu during the Song dynasty. The village, now under encroaching urbanisation, is still fascinating and you’ll find some old houses built with oyster shells behind the main road in the village and older women still wearing flamboyant traditional head ornaments.
The Māzǔ Temple (妈祖庙; Māzǔ Miào) on the knoll in the village is the local centre of worship. It’s dedicated to the goddess of seafarers and turns very lively on the 29th day of the first lunar calendar month, the birthday of the protector. All the women in the village turn out in traditional costumes to join in the annual Māzǔ procession.
27. Zhōngchuān Village – Village in Fujian Tulou
This village, 17km northwest of the Chūxī Tǔlóu Cluster, is the ancestral home of the Burmese-Chinese businessman Aw Boon Haw, the inventor of the medicinal salve Tiger Balm and owner of the (in)famously quirky Haw Par Villa theme park in Singapore. Here you’ll find another villa, but its scale and decor can’t compete with its Singaporean (big) sister. More interesting is his family’s ancestral hall (胡氏家庙; Húshì Jiāmiào), 100m behind the villa. The shrine, the spear-like pillars that celebrate the achievements of their family members, and the setting itself are spectacular.
28. Ānxī Cháyè Dàguānyuán – Plantation in Quanzhou
Mountainous Ānxī County is home to the famous Tiě Guānyīn (铁观音; Iron Buddha) tea, an oolong variety known for its thick fragrance and floral sweetness. Fifty-odd tea varieties from China, Taiwan and Japan are cultivated in this visitor-friendly, 11-acre tea farm. Free tours take in a small museum and processing plant, but it’s equally pleasant wandering the temples and gardens.
Quánzhōu’s long-distance bus station has frequent buses to Ānxī (one hour), 66km northwest. Ānxī Cháyè Dàguānyuán is 3km north of the Ānxī bus station.
29. Yú Shān Scenic Area – Park in Fuzhou
This rocky hill park in the centre of Fúzhōu rises above a snow-white statue of Mao Zedong (毛主席像; Máo Zhǔxí Xiàng). Check out the seven-storey White Pagoda (白塔; Bái Tǎ), built in AD 904. At the foot of Yú Shān are the wretched remains of Fúzhōu’s Ming dynasty city wall (明代古城墙遗迹; Míngdài Gǔchéngqiáng Yíjì); originally boasting seven gates, the wall was pulled down for road widening.
30. Sunlight Rock Park – Park in Gulang Yu
Sunlight Rock (Rìguāng Yán), in Sunlight Rock Park, is the island’s highest point at 93m. At the foot of Sunlight Rock is a large colonial-era building known as the Koxinga Memorial Hall. Also in the park is Yīngxióng Hill (Yīngxióng Shān), near the memorial hall and connected via a cable-car ride. It has an open-air aviary (admission free) with chattering egrets and parrots.
31. Xiàmén University – Historic building in Xiamen
Next to Nánpǔtuó Temple, the Xiàmén University, which was established with overseas Chinese funds, has beautiful republican-era buildings and an attractive lake. It’s a good place for a pleasant stroll. The on-campus anthropology museum (人类学博物馆; Rénlèixué Bówùguǎn) boasts two large ‘boat coffins’ unearthed from a cliff in Wǔyí Shān. The campus entrance is next to the stop for bus 1.
32. Húlǐ Shān Fortress – Notable building in Xiamen
Across Daxue Lu, south of Xiàmén University, is this gigantic German gun artillery built in 1894. You can rent binoculars to peer over the water to the Taiwanese-occupied island of Kinmen (金门; Jīnmén), formerly known as Quemoy and claimed by both mainland China and Taiwan. To get here, walk for 2km south along the coastal path.
33. Chóngwǔ Stone Arts Expo Park – Park in Chongwu
Adjacent to the old town is Chóngwǔ Stone Arts Expo Park. It is filled with 500 stone sculptures made by local craftspeople, a small beach, a lighthouse and some basic seafood restaurants. The open spaces and clean ocean air make it worth the effort, especially if you have kids.
34. Báichéng Beach – Beach in Xiamen
You can rarely swim here due to council restrictions, but there are few more convenient places in the city to enjoy a beautiful natural environment, especially at sunset. Except on weekends, when every man and his mobile turn up.
35. Linzexu Memorial Hall – Museum in Fuzhou
The former residence of the anti-opium trade reformer is a surprisingly well presented museum. It offers an overview of Fuzhou’s seafaring history, attractive gardens and courtyards to escape the busy weekend foot traffic.
36. Railroad Culture Park – Park in Xiamen
The charming 3km walking trail on an abandoned railway track in this park makes a welcome change from the crowds of the city. It is reached by bus number 1, 15, 20, 122, 135. Get off at Dashengli (大生里站).
37. International Calligraphic Art Gallery – Gallery in Gulang Yu
Next to the Shūzhuāng Garden, this excellent small museum has calligraphic works from across North Asia. It’s in the southwest of the island.
38. Fúyù Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
Along the river, this five-storey square tǔlóu boasts some wonderfully carved wooden beams and pillars.
39. Huáiyuǎn Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
This relatively young tǔlóu (built in 1909) has 136 equally sized rooms and a concentric ring that houses an ancestral hall and a school.
40. Octagonal Villa – Architecture in Gulang Yu
This is the former family residence of Mr Lin, a prominent Taiwanese tycoon who lived here in the late 19th century. It’s near Ecclesia Catholica.
41. Consulate Inn – Historic building in Gulang Yu
A three-storey Victorian-style building, formerly the British Consulate and currently running as a hotel.
42. Confucius Temple – Confucian Temple in Quanzhou
A living relic of the Song dynasty built in 976 and the largest Confucian Temple in southern China.
43. Wénchāng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
The Tiánluókēng cluster’s oval-shaped building.
44. Wǔfū – Village in Wuyi Shan
Sixty kilometres southeast of the Wǔyí Shān Scenic Area, this 1700-year-old village got its fame as the hometown of Zhu Xi, a Confucian scholar in the Song dynasty. It’s best visited when the lotus in the giant ponds, which are backdropped by some quaint Ming-era architecture, are in full bloom. Minibuses to Wǔfū (two hours) leave from the small bus station next to the long-distance bus station in Wǔyí Shān city.
45. Shūzhuāng Garden – Garden in Gulang Yu
The waterfront Shūzhuāng Garden on the southern end of the island is a lovely place to linger for a few hours. It has a small pénzāi (bonsai) garden and some delicate-looking pavilions. The piano theme is in full effect at the piano museum housed within the grounds. One piano has its original bill of sale from Melbourne at the turn of the 20th century.
46. Qīngjìng Mosque – Mosque in Quanzhou
Built by the Arabs in 1009 and restored in 1309, this stone edifice is one of China’s only surviving mosques from the Song dynasty. Only a few sections (mainly walls) of the original building survive, largely in ruins. The adjacent mosque is a donation from the government of Saudi Arabia.
47. Huánjí Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
Sitting midway between Yǒngdìng and Nánjìng, this four-storey building is a huge roundhouse with inner concentric passages, tiled interior passages and a courtyard. It also sports a huíyīnbì (回音壁) – a wall that echoes and resonates to sharp sounds.
48. Overseas Chinese Museum – Museum in Xiamen
Aside from acting as a refuge from the city, this is an ambitious celebration of China’s communities abroad, with dioramas, street scenes, photos and props. The ground floor stands out if you’re stuck for time.
49. Bùyún Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
At the heart of the Tiánluókēng Tǔlóu cluster is this square building. First built in the 17th century, it burnt down in 1936 and was rebuilt in the 1950s.
50. Lìběn Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
To the rear of Yǎnxiāng Lóu is this derelict tǔlóu with crumbling walls. It was burnt down during the civil war and stands without its roof.
51. Jǐnxiùzhuāng Puppet Museum – Museum in Quanzhou
A very simple museum behind Tumen Jie displaying puppet heads, intricate 30-string marionettes and comical hand puppets. Shows run intermittently.
52. Haw Par Villa – Museum in Fujian Tulou
The Tiger Balm magnate built three museums, in Singapore, Hong Kong and here, his birthplace. It will not soothe aching muscles.
53. Tiānhòu Temple – Taoist site in Quanzhou
Originally built in 1196, this small temple which has undergone numerous renovations is dedicated to the goddess of seafarers.
54. Qìngyáng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
Not far from Yǎnxiāng Lóu tǔlóu, this huge, rectangular, semidecrepit structure was built between 1796 and 1820.
55. Koxinga Memorial Hall – Museum in Gulang Yu
Commemorates the life of the charismatic military man who defeated the Dutch East Indies Company in the 17th century.
56. Rúshēng Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
The smallest of the roundhouses, this late-19th-century, pea-sized tǔlóu has only one ring and 16 rooms.
57. Former Spanish Consulate – Historic building in Gulang Yu
An historic 19th century building, standing next to Ecclesia Catholica.
58. Former Japanese Consulate – Historic building in Gulang Yu
A handsome red-brick building located to the southwest of Gǔlàng Yǔ. It now houses local university teachers.
59. Hàoyuè Garden – Gardens in Gulang Yu
Hàoyuè Garden is a rocky outcrop containing an imposing statue of Koxinga in full military dress.
60. Wǔyún Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
Deserted and rickety, this square building took on a slant after an earthquake in 1918.
61. Kuíjù Lóu – Notable building in Fujian Tulou
Near Zhènchéng Lóu, this much older, square tǔlóu dates back to 1834.
62. Yìzú Shānzhuāng – Historic building in Gulang Yu
This 1920s villa has a European-style gatehouse and Baroque sculptures.
63. Bo’ai Hospital – Historic building in Gulang Yu
This cream-coloured former Japanese hospital was built in 1936.
64. Law Court – Historic building in Gulang Yu
This former court of law is now inhabited by local residents.
65. Sānyī Church – Church in Gulang Yu
A protestant church built in 1934.
