Vacation in Fuzhou China with Asian Vacations, Inc.

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Earth Towers of the Hakkas in Fujian
The Earth Tower of Hakka has a long history. As early as one thousand years ago, some of the original Hakka migrated and settled at the sparse Yongding area. In order to protect themselves against bandits and wild beasts, they used local materials to build tall, multi-storey circular earthen buildings where a whole family or clan could live in. These are the earth towers that we see today. These buildings were constructed using fire-resistive material and therefore practically impregnable. They are spacious and they are made up of different shapes like square, rectangular, semi-circular and round. The ones that are round in shape are the most famous. They are divided into three classes of sizes namely, small, medium and big. The small ones are usually 2 to 3 stories tall with a single ring and have 21 to 28 rooms. The medium dwellings are usually 3 to 4 stories tall with a large inner open space, which come in single ring or double rings and could contain 30 to 40 rooms. The larger round buildings are usually 4 to 5 stories tall consisting of as many as three rings and could house about 42 to 58 rooms. Finally, the very small round buildings have about 12 to 18 rooms. Most of the round buildings are three stories high with a diameter of 70-80m. It is a "group-oriented" residence, usually with one main entrance. Its wall is usually around 1m thick. The main entrance door is padded with iron sheet and is locked by 2 horizontal wood bars. The wooden bars retract into the walls in order to open the door. Inside the entrance is a huge central courtyard where all the doors of the rooms and inner windows open facing it. Normally, the rooms at the ground level, except the hall and the staircases, are used as kitchens and dining rooms. The rooms on the second floor are used for storage and those on the third level are used as bedrooms. The rooms at each level are identical. In front of each room, there is an open round hallway and usually there are 4 staircases to move from one level to another. While the round building is fairly large, it has an inner ring, which is like a round building within a round building. The round buildings that were built earlier than the 15th Century also had another function, that of counter siege. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), Japanese pirates who intruded the coastal areas, always leave the Hakka's Earth Buildings area alone. The formation of the Earth buildings amplify the wisdom and creativeness of the ancestors of the Hakkas settlers in Yongding County. It closes the gaps between Chinese architecture history and the world architecture history and is regarded as a miraculous wonder by thousands of experts, scholars and tourists who have been enchanted by it beauty.

Forest Park
Forest Park, one of the nine forest parks in the country, lies in Red Bridge Village Xing Dian Town, a northern suburb of the city. It is 7km away from the urban district with a total area of 859 ha. Its surrounded on three sides by mountains while the other faces the river. The entire park is divided into five parts: Mid-Asian tropical evergreen broadleaf tree region, South-Asian tropical jungle region, Banyan tree region, region of wild fruit trees in hilly country and off-shore r wood region. It also includes a rare botanical garden and a rose and camellia garden. This park has been collecting and cultivating more than 2,500 kinds of plants from home and abroad, thus becoming a distinctive forest museum. The "Banyan King" of Fuzhou stands tall and upright on the bank of Bayi Reservoir in this park.

Gushan Mountain
Gushan Mountain, the most famous sight in Fuzhou, is a classic scenic spot. It has been famous for sightseeing for over 1,000 years. Yongquan Temple is its center with more than 100 sights scattered around it, among which main sights are Yongquan Temple, the Eighteen Sights of Damo and White Cloud Cave. Three routes can be taken to climb along the Gushan Mountain: the traditional one climbs along the ancient stone path from the foot of the mountain, approximately 3.5km long, or take a bus directly to the gate of the Buddhist Temple (8km long). Visitors may also take the cable car from the foot of the mountain to the Eighteen Sights of Damo.

Yongquan Temple

Ypngquan Temple The Yongquan Temple is considered to be the first temple in Fujian province and one of important temples in China. It is located at the foot of the White Cloud Peak of Gushan Mountain, 455m. above sea level. The Temple lies halfway up the hill. Xianglu Peak is in front of it and the White Cloud Peak behind so that you feel you cannot see the temple while entering the hill and catch sight of the hill while going into the temple. It was said that the old temple was called the Huayan temple. In 1699, Emperor Kangxi changed its name to the Yongquan Temple and the inscribed board with its name has been hung upon the gate of the Heaven Hall. Built in the Five Dynasties (908), it comes first on the list of the five Buddhist temples in Fuzhou and still preserves large and middle-sized palaces and temple halls today. As an ancient Buddhist temple in a famous mountain, it is home to many places worth visiting. First, the conception of its construction is unique. By considering the entire mountain, it's built in the chin of the peak where experts call the "Swallow Nest". The temple seems to be hidden and visitors can not see it whether they are walking, taking a bus or a cable car. Even after entering the gate of the temple, they still cannot see the large scale Yongquan Temple. The saying goes that "Once you enter the mountain, you cannot see the temple, while entering the temple, you cannot see the mountain." Secondly, there are three invaluable state treasures being housed in the temple: The pottery pagodas with a thousand Buddhas; The ocean-bed wooden altar table and The Buddhist scripture printed with an ancient printing plate. There are "three irons" (iron tree or sago cycas, iron pot and iron wire wood) which are in the temple as well. The "pottery pagodas" refer to the pair of pottery pagodas standing before the temple on both sides. The pagodas were made in 1082 (Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and are 7m high. They are octagonal in style with nine stories. A total of 1,038 statues of Buddha were molded in them, 72 of them are found on the eaves with 72 pottery bells hanging. This kind of creation is seldom seen in China and therefore, considered very valuable. They are the pride of the temple and protected as state treasures. The attic, for storing canons, preserves nearly 10,000 Buddhist classic printing plates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) onward. This is the second treasure found in the temple. The third being 657 copies of classics written by brilliant monks through the ages. The monks pricked their own fingers and wrote the classics with their blood. As for the "three irons", the first one is the sacrificial table made of iron wire wood in the Great Hall of the Buddha Temple. It is said that the table can not be burned by fire nor rotted by water and will become moist when it's overcast. The second one is the three iron trees before the temple . They are more than a thousand years old and still bloom every year. The third refers to the big iron pot (0.8m deep and 1.67m in diameter) in the kitchen of the temple. It can serve nearly one thousand people. Overall, The Yongquan Temple is about 1.7 hectares and the style of it is Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). There are about 25 halls around the Prime Hall in which the gods is not in Indian clothing but in Chinese one. In the back of the hall, there is Tri-god statue, which is about 1.15 tons. In its prime, there were over 1,500 monks in the Yongquan Temple. There are three ways for tourists to get to the temple: by car to the gate, by cable car or by foot using the 2,145 steps, about 3,500m long.

The Eighteen Sights of Damo

The Eighteen Sights of Damo is situated west of Yongquan Temple. It's main landscape is the natural scenery. In the period of Emperor Dao Guang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), Wei Jie, a poet, carved the eighteen sights in the crag outside the Damo Cave. These sights are based on the natural scenery and folk legend, such as Damo facing the wall, picture of Fuzhou (blessing and longevity) Quan, lion playing with ball, Nanji (an immortal) going up to Heaven and Fish light illuminating.

White Cloud Cave

White Cloud Cave lies in the western part of Fengchishan Mountain, northwest of Gushan Mountain over 700m above sea level. The white clouds frequently float into the cave and people cannot distinguish each other within a short distance. That's why they call it "White Cloud Cave." After the scholar Yu Dafu visited the cave, the rocks were odd and the path was dangerous. This isolated place had a well-deserved reputation. "Once you have been there, the experience will never be forgotten. It is wonderful because it dangerously steep". The best route to visit it by is to set out from Yong Dexing Mountain villa in the Buocing Village Gushan Town, by way of Jicui Hut, Wotan Bridge, Fang Sheng Temple, Longji Road and Foutou Cliff to White Cloud Cave. On this route, visitors may pass Kong Gu Chuang Yin, visit Turtle Stone then come down the mountain to Yongquan Temple.

Hot Spring Park
Hot Spring Park is found in the southeast section of Wu Si Road, the hot spring zone, covering an area of 150mu. Here you will find carpets of green grass, fresh flowers, fountains, zigzagging paths and verandas. Hot Spring Park is a european-style park and a nice place for recreation. The park can be divided into 10 parts with a glass pyramid standing in the center: Several parts include the Gate Area, Camellia Garden and the Sweet-scented Osmanthus Garden. Every sight is reasonably large and has its own special flavor. Both the West Gate and North Gate have ancient Rome style columns and squares. This scenic spot as a very exotic atmosphere.

Hualin Temple
Lying at the southern foot of Pingshan Mountain, Hualin Temple was built in the second year during the period of Emperor Qian De of the North Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Now, only the great hall of the Buddhist temple is kept. The gate of a Buddhist temple, halls on both sides of the temple and the formal imperial court were rebuilt later. The main hall is supported by 18 massive columns, on top of which are all supported by sets of brackets without any iron pins. It is the oldest wooden building in southern China.

Kaiyuan Temple
Located in the yard of Drum Tower District, Kaiyuan Temple was built in the third year of Emperor Tai Qing of the Nan Dynasty. It is the largest Buddhist Temple in Fuzhou; now about one-tenth of its former size. The Linzhi (magic fungus) Hill, lotus pond, sutra hall, abstinence altar and pagoda compose this broad and peaceful Buddhist Hall, called Amitabha., It is 5.3m high and 4m wide. His two ears hang down to his shoulders, hands and feet crossed with a solemn image.

Xi Chan Temple
Dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), it's located in the Yishan Fengwei village, west of Fuzhou and is well-known to Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. This old towering and magnificent temple, along with Yongquan Temple in Gushan Mountain, Chongsheng Temple in Snow Peak, Chongfu Temple in Elephant Peak and Linyang Temple in Rui Peak comprise the five great temples in Fuzhou. The Xichan Temple has a large extent(?) and a symmetric layout covering approximately 100mu including 36 large and small constructions. Among them, the Hall of Deities, the Great Hall of the Buddha and the Hall of Arhats are the main ones which were all built in the eighth year of Emperor Xiang Tong in the Tang Dynasty. Abounding in lichees is one of the temple's distinguishing features. Even today, some famous lichee trees planted in the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) are still flowering and bearing fruit in the temple.

Mawei & Luoxing Park
This has been an important military town since ancient times. In the tenth year during the period of Emperor Guang Xu of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), the Majing ruler Sea Warfare between China and France broke here. Mawei is only about 15km away from Fuzhou city and traffic is very convenient. Visitors can travel there by bus. Climbing the Luoxing Tower, visitors may look far into where Minjiang River pours into the sea or visit the Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall. Time permitting, they may also pay a visit to Luoxing Park. Luoxing Park is situated in the Luoxing Mountain of Mawei district with an area of 2,033 ha. At the foot of the mountain, a revetment with railings has been built along the Mingjiang River. Many rockeries are piled up and lots of grass and trees have been planted. On the top of the mountain, the Luoxing Tower stands tall and upright. It was built in the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD), damaged during the period of Emperor Wan Li of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and rebuilt during the period of Emperor Tian Qi of the Ming Dynasty (1621-1627). The seven-layer tower is octagonal and made of stone. It stands 31.5m high at the Majiang River port. . It's necessary to mention that its name and location had been marked on the chart of Zheng He's navigation back to the Ming Dynasty. Since the five ports had trade relations in the late Qing Dynasty, Luoxing Tower has been regarded as the famous mark of the port in the world navigation chart, called "China Tower".

West Lake Park

West Park Lake

There are many West Lakes in China. Among them, Fuzhou West Lake is one of the most famous lagging behind Hanzhou West Lake on scale and fame yet is regarded typical in China. Fuzhou West Lake is located in the northwestern part of the city covering an area of 45 ha. In the third year of Emperor Tai Kang in Jin Dynasty (282 AD), Governor Yan Gao channeled water here from the northwestern mountain areas to irrigate the fields. In the late Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), it was changed into a tourist area, thus the scenic spot of West Lake came into being and has remained a park ever since. Upon entering the gate of the park. you will see a dyke lined by willow trees over the water leading directly to the Kaihua Islet and along the shore of the lake, two pavilions on the water with winding corridors. Kaihua Temple, at the center of Kaihua Islet, is now mainly used for the exhibition of flowers and plants in gardens. To the west of Kaihua Islet is the Flying Rainbow Bridge leading to the Xie Ping children' Entertainment Park. To the south is the Stepping on Cloud Bridge, leading to the zoo, which was quite famous in the past. Passing the Stepping on Clouds Bridge, you may also go to the Lotus Pavilion with a square lotus pond at the foot. Beside the Lotus Pavilion stands the Laurel Building which includes the site of Li Gang Memorial Temple, the reading site of Lin Zexu and the Banning on Opium Pavilion. North of Kaihua Temple, passing the Jade Belt Bridge, you'll reach Jiaojiao Islet where the Fujian Museum, Art Gallery and West Lake Theater are located. Most travelers go boating or stroll in the park nowadays. The park does have a variety of interesting sights that are possibly worth a visit. There is the Zoo (Dongwuyuan) and the nearby Panda World. Far more interesting are the Fuzhou Provincial Museum (Fujiansheng bowuguan) and the Anti-Opium Pavilion. Situated at the northern end of West Lake Park, the Provincial Museum is one of Fujian's largest and best museums, holding an interesting collection of exhibits and artifacts. The most famous of these, a 3,500 year old coffin boat discovered in Wuyishan Cave, is of particular interest. For those interested in contemporary Chinese history, the Anti-Opium Pavilion is one to visit. Commemorating the famous Lin Zexu, a patriotic imperial envoy who initiated a nation-wide anti-opium conquest during the First Opium War about 150 years ago (most notably destroying 20,000 chests of the drug in Canton in 1839), the sight is an interesting, if small, introduction to Chinese anti-imperialist history. The adjoining Zuohai Park (Zuohai gongyuan) is basically a funfair, good for the kids, if you trust the Chinese architectural design. How to get there: Buses number one and two leave from the southern end of Bayiqi Lu to the West Lake Park. Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 - 17:00. Cost: �2.

Wushan Hill (Pitch Dark Hill)
Wushan Hill is one of three hills in Fuzhou city. Located to the west of Yushan, this was originally a Taoist retreat. It lies next to Yu Hill, 84m above sea level. As one of the famous tour resorts, it boasts many places of historical interest. The most famous is the 35m high 7 story Black Pagoda at the hillside built in 942. This temple, is situated just to the west of Dashi Hall, a little way off Bayiqi Beilu. It was built in 799 AD, and bears some remarkably fine carvings. Withstanding many repairs throughout different dynasties, its architectural style remains mainly that of the Five Dynasties. There are many odd rocks and tall trees in the hill. On top of the hill, we have a bird's eye view of Fuzhou city. There are 200 odd inscriptions now. Many have left their handwriting on the cliffs; such as Li Yangbing in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), Cai Xiang, Li Gang and Zhu Xi in the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and Sha Dula in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD). It's a nice place to practice calligraphy. In the hill, pavilions, platforms, inscriptions on the cliffs and tall trees are harmonious with each other making it a great resort for recreation.

Yu Hill
Yu Hill, opposite Wu Shan, is located in the center of the city of Fuzhou, just behind the large statue of Mao Zedong on Wuyi Square (Wuyi guangchang), and to the west of the Yushan Hall. Looked at from below, it resembles a huge turtle. Covering an area of 11.9 ha, it resembles a huge legendary turtle. According to the legend, a nomadic tribe name "Yu Yue" inhabited here in the Warring States; hence, people named it "Yu Hill". The hill has been a tour resort since ancient time and numerous historic sites can be found here including Ding Guang Tower Temple (White Pagoda Temple), White Pagoda, Wan Xiang Pacilion, Qi Gong Memorial Hall, Ping Yuan Platform, Strunk Rock, Nine Immortals Cave, Nine Suns Platform, Zhuang Yuan Peak, and Kuo Ran Platform. This is a fairly popular tourist area, considered the cultural heart of Fuzhou, and so is often packed with visitors. The White Pagoda is worth a look, as are the nearby exhibition of a Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD). How to get there: Conveniently located in the city center, it is easily accessible by taking a minibus for �3. Opening hours and Cost: Daily, 08:00 - 18:00. Cost: �4.

White Pagoda
Located on the western slope of Yu Hill (Yu shan), the White Pagoda (Bai ta), together with the temple surrounding it and a nearby exhibition of a Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) tomb, is one of the most famous Buddhist venues in Fuzhou. Legend has it that when the pagoda was first built, a huge night-luminescent pearl was discovered during excavation of its' foundations. Originally a 41m tall wood-brick construction, it was razed to the ground by a fire ignited by lightening some 500 years ago. It took the people of Fuzhou fourteen years to rebuild the pagoda from scratch. Now people can climb to the top floor of the pagoda and get a bird's eye view of the city proper. How to get there: Located within the Yushan Scenic Area, on the first path to the left after the entrance. This seven-storey edifice is the most noteworthy of Fuzhou's temples, and was built in 904 AD, however the brick exterior dates from 1548. Nearby is the Dashi Hall, once a shrine where city officials prayed but now a museum whose main exhibit is a Sung Dynasty tomb complete with male and female occupants.

Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall
Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall and the Tomb of Martyers in Majiang River Sea Warfare between China and France stand in the southeastern foot of Maxianshan Moutain in Mawei district. On August 23th, 1884, French warships raided Fujian Navy Division which fomented the Majiang River Sea Warfare. Instead of resisting, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) government bowed like slaves to the French and compromised. As a result, the Fujian Navy Division fought without full preparation and 796 officers and men died. Among them, 400 odd martyrs were retrieved from the sea and separately buried in 9 tombs at the foot of Maxianshan Mountain. Zhao Zhong Ancestral Hall was built east of the tombs two years later. The tombs were rebuilt in 1920 and the 9 tombs were united as one grave. In 1983, the ancestral hall was rebuilt and the Majiang Sea City Memorial was founded.

Zuohai Park
The peasants of Hongshan county collected money and built Zuohai Park which lies northwest of West Lake Park . Zuohai Park covers a- land area of 51 ha and it's a water region of 18 ha. Its design theme is "Sceneries of the Five Continents" with five sets of sculptures, each symbolizes one of the five continents. They lie in the center of North Gate. In the Manila Lawn, which is 23 ha, are growing Nanyang firs and sweet-scented osmanthus trees. Entering the North Gate and walk southward, visitors will reach the European scenic spot, which consists of British Red House and waterside town of Venice. Walking westward, they can see the following entertainment facilities: adventure palace, comprehensive amusement building, recreational center for children, pirate ship and haunted house, to name a few. In the south of the park, stands the amusement city of aquatic animals. Visitors may take the aerial cable car, visit the aquarium or play games. There are also a recreational center for the elders and a holiday village. As for Asian scenic spots, there are the Great Wall, Japanese Garden, pleasure-boat wharf and the artistic palace of the Journey to the West.

Drum Hill

Immediately east of the town, some 10km away, stands Drum Hill (Gu shan), stretching for 15km from south to north and 8km from east to west on the northern bank of Minjiang River. Approximately 3,350 feet high, the mountain gets its name from a drum shaped rock at the top of the hill that reverberates loudly whenever windy or rainy. During the 45-minute climb up the hill, there is the occasional snatched view of the city proper through the woods and sights. The sight that has the strongest attraction is Yongquan Temple (Yongquan si), which got its name from the spring in front of its gate. For over one thousand years, it has been the foremost temple in Fuzhou, probably because of the collection of 20,000 Buddhist scriptures, of which 700 are allegedly written in blood. How to get there: Take Bus #39 from Wuyi Zhong Lu or from Gutian Lu for �3. As an alternative, you may take a minibus from Wuyi Square for �7 more.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mt. Wuyi
Wuyi Mountain is a national park in the north of Fujian province and covers an area of 60 sqkm. The dominant natural features are the Jiuqu River and 36 hills and peaks. Throughout the national park there are waterfalls, pools, caves, peaks and small villages. Jiuqu River translates as Nine Twists River and the best way to experience this river is by taking a trip on a bamboo raft down the whole 9 twists and 18 bends. From the river you will have fantastic views of the relatively unspoilt scenery of the area. For the best view of the 36 peaks, climb to the summit of Dawang Peak, (Peak of the Great King). Wuyi Palace lies at the foot of Dawang Peak. It was built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) for fedual rulers' sacrificial services in honor of the Lord of Wuyi.

Bodiless Lacquerware Factory
Situated on May 4th Street in Fuzhou, the Bodiless Lacquerware Factory has an international reputation for making fine lacquerware. Graceful shapes, colors, luster and patterns are key features of this award winning lacquerware. Bodiless lacquerware has been produced for over 200 years and is noted for its lightness and durability. The factory produces over 3,000 different items such as standing screens, hanging panels, human figurines vases, plates, and boxes. Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, Beijing cloisonn� and the porcelain made in Jingdezhen are known as the 3 treasures of Chinese arts and crafts.

Fuzhou Stone Carving Factory
Fuzhou Stone Carving Factory is located on June 1st Road in Fuzhou. It produces more than 1,000 different items known by the brand name Shoushan Stone Carving. The stone used is only quarried in the nearby village of Shoushan and is noted for its fine texture and transparent color. The most valuable type of stone used is called Tianhuang Stone or King Stone, which is said to be more expensive than gold. Shoushan Stone Carving has been produced for more than 1,500 years.

The Fujian Provincial Museum

The museum is in Xihu Park, which is the site of an artificial lake dug in 282 AD for irrigation purposes. Exhibits include ceramic figures from a 10th Century AD tomb, a full-sized 3,500-year-old coffin, a collection of Nestorian Crosses and locally-produced Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) black ceramics.

Bubbling Spring Temple

On Gushan, this major religious center which is home to several hundred monks is approached by walking up a stone stairway lined with shrubs.