Fuzhou
This ‘downtown’ series of ancient residential buildings is known as ‘Three Lanes and Seven Alleys'. Thousands of visitors wander the white-walled streets…
Must-see attractions in Fujian
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Fujian
This magnificently carved temple is immediately identifiable by its showy dragon-decorated roofs and a shroud of smoke emanating from furnaces burning…
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Fujian
In the village of Gaobei (高北), this 300-year-old tǔlóu has 400 rooms and once housed 1000 inhabitants. It’s built with elaborate concentric rings, with…
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Fujian
This most visited tǔlóu is a grandiose structure built in 1912, with two concentric circles and 222 rooms. The four storeys of the outer circle are…
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Xiamen
This Buddhist temple complex on the southern side of Xiamen is one of the most famous temples among the Fujianese, and is also considered a pilgrimage…
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Fujian
This quirky temple is dedicated to Manichaeism, a religion originating in Persia in the 3rd century, combining elements of Zoroastrian, Christian and…
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Fujian
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…
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Fujian
In the northwest of the city, one of the oldest temples in Quanzhou dates back to AD 686 and is the largest in Fujian. Surrounded by trees, Kaiyuan Temple…
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Fujian
Sunlight Rock (Rìguāng Yán), in Sunlight Rock Park, is the island’s highest point at 93m and its biggest draw are the views across the island. At the foot…
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Fujian
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…
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Fujian
On the northeastern side of town, this fabulous museum explains Quanzhou’s trading history, the development of Chinese shipbuilding and the kaleidoscope…
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Fujian
This village dates from the Northern Song dynasty and boasts some spectacular Qing dynasty architecture from its heyday as a wealthy tea-trading centre,…
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Fujian
The waterfront Shuzhuang 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, some…
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Xiamen
Xiamen 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…
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Fujian
The tallest roundhouse in Fujian, this vast five-floor structure has 270 rooms and an observation tower to check for marauding bandits. Interestingly this…
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Fujian
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…
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Fujian
Between the Héguì and Huáiyuǎn tǔlóu in the Yunshuiyao Tulou Cluster is this beautiful village (formerly known as ancient Chángjiào) where you can sip tea…
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Xiamen
In the old district of Xiamen, this tiny but lively market sells various (weird) sea creatures to a backdrop of qílóu (骑楼, shophouses) and a church…
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Fujian
This tallest rectangular tǔlóu in Fujian has five storeys and was built on a swamp. It boasts 120 rooms, a school, two wells, and a fortified courtyard in…
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Fujian
This residence built in 1931 has a magnificently dilapidated interior with a wealth of original features. Unfortunately it has remained closed to the…
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Fujian
This lesser-visited and commercialised four-storey tǔlóu rises up beautifully next to a river.
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Fujian
A magnificent snow-white Gothic-style church built in 1917. Today's its facade is the most popular place on the island for wedding photos and you're sure…
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Fujian
The highlight of Tǎxià village, the Zhang Ancestral Hall, built in 1601, is surrounded by 23 elaborately carved spear-like stones, which celebrate the…
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Fujian
This 600-year-old tǔlóu was built without using a single nail and is still pretty intact. It now houses an exhibition hall.
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Fujian
The fishing village of Xunpu (sometimes Xunbu), some 10km southeast of the city centre of Quanzhou, was on the old trade route of the maritime Silk Road…
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Fujian
Mountainous Anxi County (安溪, Ānxī) is home to the famous Tiě Guānyīn (铁观音, Iron Buddha) tea, an oolong variety known for its thick fragrance and floral…
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Fujian
This is the ancestral home of the Burmese-Chinese businessman Aw Boon Haw, inventor of the medicinal salve Tiger Balm and owner of (in)famously quirky Haw…
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Fuzhou
This rocky hill park in the centre of Fuzhou rises above a snow-white statue of Mao Zedong (毛主席像, Máo Zhǔxí Xiàng) playing ‘traffic cop'. Check out the…
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Xiamen
Across Daxue Lu, south of Xiamen University, is this gigantic German artillery post built in 1894. You can rent binoculars to peer over the water to the…
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Fujian
Adjacent to the old town, this sculpture park is filled with 500 stone carvings made by local craftspeople, a small beach, a lighthouse and some basic…
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Fujian
The main feature at this rocky outcrop is an imposing 15.7m statue of Koxinga (aka Zheng Chenggong) in full military dress, visible from a great distance…
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Xiamen
The Xiamen University was established with overseas Chinese funds and has beautiful republican-era buildings and an attractive lake. It’s a good place for…
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Fujian
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 …
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Fujian
Sitting midway between Yongding and Nanjing County, this four-storey building is a huge roundhouse with inner concentric passages, tiled interior passages…
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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, props…
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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 than…
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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,…
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Fujian
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. The…
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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 1, 15,…
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Fujian
Along the river, this five-storey square tǔlóu boasts some wonderfully carved wooden beams and pillars. Rooms are available here at the Changdi Inn.
