In the evening, Xiamen’s Island Ring Road.
The sea breeze carries the scent of salt, and the sunset dyes the ocean golden. Some ride bicycles, some walk barefoot on the beach, some sit on rocks gazing at the sea. In the distance, the outline of Kinmen Island appears and disappears in the twilight.
This is Fujian’s most common daily scene.
Fujian is a place that makes you relax.
Province Profile#
- Location: Southeast China coast, facing the Taiwan Strait
- Best Travel Season: March-May, September-November (avoid typhoon season)
- Highlights: Hakka tulou, Minnan charm, island scenery, tea culture
Must-Visit Attractions#
Fujian Tulou: Eastern Ancient Castles#
In the mountainous areas of southern Fujian, thousands of magical tulou are scattered.
They are built from rammed earth, circular or square, four or five stories high, capable of housing hundreds of people. One tulou is one clan, with extended families living together, sharing one courtyard, one well, one ancestral hall.
Chengqi Lou is the largest round tulou, 73 meters in diameter, 400 rooms, once housing over 80 families. “Four stories high, four rings, four hundred rooms up and down”—it’s called the “King of Tulou.”
Hegui Lou was built on swampland and hasn’t collapsed in over 200 years—an architectural miracle. Zhencheng Lou is called the “Prince of Tulou,” with exquisite interior decoration blending Chinese and Western styles.
Best Experience: Stay overnight in a tulou, listen to a Hakka grandmother tell stories of the clan, and eat a Hakka meal.
Xiamen Gulangyu: Piano Island#
Gulangyu is a small island in Xiamen, less than 2 square kilometers, with not a single car.
Old villas are scattered across the island, mostly built by overseas Chinese a century ago, with mixed Chinese and Western styles, each with its own story. Wandering through winding small roads, around a corner you might encounter a lazy cat or an old house covered in vines.
Sunlight Rock is the highest point on the island, offering views of the entire island and Xiamen city across the water. Shuzhuang Garden faces the sea, with a piano museum collecting ancient pianos from around the world.
Best Experience: Take the first ferry to the island in the early morning, and enjoy this quiet island before tourists arrive.
Wuyi Mountain: Green Water and Red Mountains#
Wuyi Mountain is a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site.
Nine Bend Stream winds through peaks, and taking a bamboo raft downstream reveals fantastic peaks and rocks on both banks, with crystal clear water. The boatman poles along, explaining the legends of each peak, occasionally singing a mountain song.
Tianyou Peak is Wuyi Mountain’s main peak; climbing to the top offers a panoramic view of Nine Bend Stream. In the early morning when clouds and mist swirl, peaks appear and disappear like a fairyland.
Wuyi Mountain is also the origin of Da Hong Pao tea. Go to九龙窠 to see those mother trees, taste an authentic rock tea, and experience “rock bone and flower fragrance.”
Special Experiences#
Quanzhou Ancient City#
Quanzhou is the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, the “Oriental First Great Port” of the Song and Yuan dynasties.
Kaiyuan Temple’s twin pagodas are Quanzhou’s landmarks; Qingjing Mosque is China’s oldest existing Islamic mosque; Luoyang Bridge is a millennium-old bridge. Walking on West Street, seeing red brick ancient houses, listening to Nanyin melodies, feel the charm of this “World Museum of Religions.”
Minnan Cuisine#
Fujian cuisine is rich and diverse. Satay Noodles are a Xiamen specialty with rich broth and abundant toppings. Tusun Dong is a Quanzhou snack, made from sea creatures, Q-bouncy and smooth. Zongzi is a Minnan classic, glutinous rice wrapped with pork belly, salted egg yolk, and mushrooms, fragrant and sticky.
Mazu Beliefs#
Mazu is the guardian goddess of the sea, and Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian is Mazu’s birthplace.
Every year on the 23rd of the third lunar month, Mazu’s birthday, believers come from all over the world to offer incense. Mazu beliefs have been listed as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Travel Tips#
- Transportation: Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou all have airports and high-speed rail stations. Tulou are in Longyan Yongding and Zhangzhou Nanjing, about 3 hours by car from Xiamen.
- Accommodation: In Xiamen, stay near Zhongshan Road or Zeng Cuo An; for tulou, stay within the scenic area; in Wuyi Mountain, stay in Sangu Resort Area.
- Note: Many typhoons in summer—check weather forecasts before traveling. Tulou scenic areas are scattered—recommend chartering a car or joining a tour.
Fujian’s slowness is an attitude toward life.
Spacing out by the seaside in Xiamen, listening to grandmothers tell stories in tulou, hearing boatmen sing on bamboo rafts in Wuyi Mountain, listening to Nanyin melodies on ancient streets in Quanzhou…
Come to Fujian and put your heart at ease.
Tomorrow, we head to Jiangxi to see the sunset glow at Tengwang Pavilion and the rapeseed flowers in Wuyuan.