|
Located on the lower reaches of the Minjiang River in eastern Fujian, the city
of Fuzhou is the capital and the political, economic, and cultural center
of Fujian Province. It is also called "Banyan City" because banyan trees
began to be planted in the city 900 years ago.
The city has an area of 11,900 square kilometers, including an urban
area of 1,043 square kilometers, and a population of 4.8 million, including
more than 1.3 million urban residents. The months from April to November
are the best season for tourists. Fuzhou features an enchanting landscape
and talented people.
There are many places famous for their scenery or historical relics.
It is one of the three hotspring regions in China and a hotspring city
in the world. Fuzhou is also a major handicraft producer, putting out
Shoushan stone carvings, bodiless lacquerware, and cork patchwork. "Tianhuang,"
a stone quarried in Shoushan, is treasured as a high-quality stone.
The Fujian cuisine, with that of Fuzhou as its representative, is one
of China's eight major cooking styles and has a unique local flavor.
Main Hall
of the Hualin Temple
It is outside the compound of the Fujian provincial government, at
the southern foot of Pingshan Hill in northern Fuzhou Originally, there
were stones bearing inscriptions in the imperial handwriting, the Mahavira
Hall Huanfeng Pavilion, Juexue Hut, and Shenghui Pavilion. Only the
main hall is extant. Regions south of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River
are rainy and humid, hard for old wooden buildings to survive. The Main
Hall at the temple is one of the ancient wooden structures existing
south of the Changjiang River.
Forest Park
Formerly called Tree Park, it is one of the nine principal parks in
China serving both scientific research and tourism. The park in Chiqiao
Village on the northern outskirts of Fuzhou consists of a forest zone,
a tree nursery, a greenhouse, a special tree specimen park, and a rest
area.
The Shibachong Stream
The stream, a tributary on the lower reaches of the Dazhang River,
rises from the eastern foot of Guya Hill in Nantong Township of Minhou
County, 20 kilometers from Fuzhou and flows a drainage area of 62 square
kilometers. It gathers on its way 24 tributaries, each with a horizontal
length of 500-odd meters.
Gushan Mountain
It towers in the eastern suburbs, eight kilometers from Fuzhou proper.
The mountain is so named because a huge rock on the summit resembles
a drum and gives oft the sound similar to that of a beaten drum when
wind blows or rain falls. South of the summit stands the Yongquan Temple
on a piece of flatland about 450 meters above sea level. The 1,000-year-old
temple represents the cream of China's ancient architecture. There are
also many inscriptions on precipices.
Tomb
of Lin Zexu
Facing Wufeng Mountain, the tomb is at the foot of Jinshi Mountain
in Ma'an Village on the outskirts of Fuzhou. Built in 1826 by Lin Zexu
for his parents, the graveyard now has six tombs, including tombs of
Lin.Zexu, his wife, his brother, and sister-inlaw. The Fujian provincial
government carried out renovations to the graveyard in 1962 and in 1982,
adding a protection slope in front and planting pines and bamboo at
the back.
Pingtan
Island
Also known as East Mist because of the island is often enveloped in
mist from the east, Pingtan Island is the largest in Fujian and the
fifth largest of its category in China. The zigzag coastline around
it features more than 100 kilometers of quality beaches where fine sand
is washed back and forth in the azure sea water.
|