Holiday in Fuzhou

About Fuzhou

Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian Province on the southeast coast of China and has over 2,200 years of city history. The city is traversed by hot springs and is nicknamed the "City of Hot Springs" (Wenquan Cheng) — natural thermal water bubbles up in many places throughout the city, and public thermal baths are an integral part of the local culture. The historic street Sanfang Qixiang ("Three Alleys, Seven Lanes") is the best-preserved historic district of Fuzhou and is considered a "museum of ancient architecture in China." Spanning an area of 40 hectares, it features over 200 classical buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties — residences, temples, courtyard complexes, and trading houses with the typical white walls and gray tiled roofs of Fujian. Gu-Shan (Drum Mountain) on the northeastern outskirts rises 969 meters high and houses the Yongquan Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in southern China (908 AD). The cable car ride offers views over the city and the Min River. Rare tea plants grow at the summit, and local monks serve traditional Fujian tea. Fuzhou is the gateway to Fujian cuisine (Min cuisine), one of the eight great culinary traditions of China, known for its soups, seafood, and subtle use of umami. The city is also home to Fujian lacquer, a centuries-old craft that embellishes wooden objects with dozens of layers of natural lacquer.