ThefirstthingthatstruckmeaboutFujianmirroredmyfeelingsuponarrivalinGuangdongandGuizhouprovinces:SouthernChineseculturestarklycontraststhatoftheNorth.Asweshuttledthroughdifferentcities,wecaughtsightofbeautifultypicalsouthernChinesearchitectureandtemplesfromthehighwayaswellascountlesscropfieldswithamazingvegetationthankstothetropicalclimateofsouthernChina.
UponarrivalinFuzhou,thecapitalofFujianProvince,whichisknownastheCityofBanyansforitsbeautifultrees,ourfirstdestinationwasthecharming“ThreeLanesandSevenAlleys”,or“SanfangQixiang”inChinese.ThetraditionalarchitecturalcomplexiscomposedofsmalltraditionalalleyssimilartothehutongsofBeijing.Oftenreferredtoasa“museumofancientarchitectureoftheMingandQingdynasties,”constructionstartedintheJinDynasty(265-420),tookshapeinthelateTangDynasty(618-907)andculminatedintheMingandQingdynasties(1368-1911).Theareahasalsobeeninhabitedbyveryinfluen-tialfiguresinChinesehistoryandremainsiconicofFuzhou’slonghistoryandstrongculture.Theancientbuildingshavebeenwellpreservedandrestored,andmanysmallrestaurantsandshopswheretouristsandlocalsenjoytheflavorsofFuzhounowflankthem.Justdiscoveringtheplacewasajoyfulexperienceinandofitself.Althoughthemainlanesarecrowdedandquitecommer-cial,smallperipheralalleysinvitevisitorstostrollthesenarrowpeacefulstreetsandtheirmanyresidentialbuildings.Somearenowmuseumswelcomingvisitors.
AnattractiveFuzhoucharacteristicthathasnothingtodowithcultureisitshotsprings.AtthesametimeastheMaritimeSilkRoadtourismfestivalwasheldin2016,the7thFuzhouHotSpringInternationalTourismFestivalwasalsoheld.WhileattendingthisfestivalwefoundtheopportunitytotakeadipinthewarmwatersofXishanHotSpringResort,whichprovedawonderfulexperience.Theresortfeaturesover50differentoutdoorpoolsatvarioustemperatures.ThewaterisheatedbyvolcanicactivityunderFujianProvince.Somepoolsoverlookariverbelow,makingtheexperiencereallymagical.
TwomentalkonthedoorstepofarestaurantwithtraditionalwoodenarchitectureintheThreeLanesandSevenAlleysarea.
TwoelderlywomenoftheHui’ancommunityinQuanzhoucleanandprepareshells.
Anoil-paperumbrellashopintheThreeLanesandSevenAlleysarea.Paperumbrellasareanage-oldtraditionthatoriginatedinFuzhouandlaterexpandedacrossChinaandeventosomeotherAsiancountries.
LocalvillagersperformatraditionaloperaintheancienttownofSongkou.ThenextdaywetookthebustoSongkouAncientTowninYongtaiCountyofFuzhouforthe1stFolkCustomTourismCulturalFestival.Theancienttownhasahistoryofover1,000years,andjustliketheThreeLanesandSevenAlleys,itisnotableforawealthofwell-preservedoldbuildingsfromtheMingandQingdynasties.Al-thoughseveralculturalactivitiesorganizedaspartofthefestivalledmygroupdeeperintothetraditionalfolkcultureofSongkouandFuzhou,thecityisn’tyetayear-roundmajortouristdestination,whichkeepsittranquil.Itwasespeciallypleasanttowitnessthelivesofthelocalpeople,someofwhomwereprobablywitnessingforeignfacesforthefirsttime.
TheancienttownofSongkouisalongthewaytoQuanzhou,ournextdestinationandaformerimportantportcityontheMaritimeSilkRoad.ThebiggesttouristdrawofQuanzhouistheKaiyuanTemple,anancientstructurebuiltin686duringtheTangDynastyandthelargestBuddhisttempleofFujianProvince.Interestingly,ithousesfragmentsofaHindutemplebuiltinQuanzhouinthe13thcenturybytheTamilcommunity.ButperhapsthemostimpressivestructureinthetownisthebeautifulReshouPagodainthegardenofthetemplecomplex.Itincludesseveralcourtyards.
MyfavoritestoponthetripwastheHui’anwomen’scommunityinChongwuancientfishingvillage.Thevillageisparticularlynotablebecausetheyusedseashellstoconstructmanyofitswalls,butitsotherpeculiarityisacommunityofHui’anwomenwhomaintainatraditionalshellfishfarm.Hui’anwomenareacommunityofHanwomenwithrootsinHui’anCounty,Quanzhou,knownfortheirhardworkanduniquecustoms.Theywearcolorfultraditionalcostumesandwelcomeduswithtraditionaldances.However,moderntimeshavebeenoverpoweringtradition,andthecommunity’saverageageisquitehigh.Manyofthewomenwemetwereover80yearsold.Ifelttremendouslyhonoredforthechancetovisittheamazingwomenofthecommunityandtheirbeautifulvillage.
ToosoonIhadtoleavesunnyFujianandreturntocoldBeijing.IreallywishedIcouldhaveextendedmytripwiththefinaltouchoftheprovince’sbeautifulbeaches.
BamboocabinssheltersomeofthenumerouspoolsofXishanHotSpringResort.