Fuzhou

Fuzhou is an old port city and has been an administrative center since the Qin Dynasty; the traditional date for its founding is 202 BC. Marco Polo visited it around 1290. In the era of tea clippers, Fuzhou exported more tea than any other Chinese port. Much of the best tea came from Wuyi Mountain area, up the river from Fuzhou.
Today, it is the provincial capital and administrative center, and also a major center for light industry. Nike has a factory there, and a Taiwanese firm that makes shoes for Adidas, Reebok and others has four. All are large factories, with several thousand employees each. Fuzhou is right across the straits from Taipei, and there is fairly heavy Taiwan investment.
The city is on the Min River, a few km inland from the sea, and the actual port is in the downstream suburb Mawei which has been a center for shipbuilding for several hundred years. In 1884, the French destroyed a dockyard at Mawei, sinking a good part of the Chinese navy and killing hundreds. There is a museum to commemorate this. For a more general view of Fujian's seafaring history, visit the Maritime Museum in Quanzhou.
There are many mountains and waterfalls in the hinterland around Fuzhou, while sandy beaches are abundant in the coastal areas, especially in the town of Changle and the island of Pingtan.
The Fuzhou region has its own language, called Fuzhou Hua (Fuzhou speech) or Mindong (Eastern Min, where "min" is another name for Fujian). The region also has its own culture and an architectural style distinct from other regions in China and Fujian, which can be found both in the city and in the towns and rural areas around it. The city has the oldest wood structure in South China (Hualin Temple) and has one of the largest historic downtown districts in China "Three Lanes and Seven Alleys" with over 200 residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Fuzhou, and more generally Fujian, has always been outward-looking and some people in more-or-less every overseas Chinese community in the world can trace their ancestry to the area. There is also an enclave of Fuzhou people in Shanghai.
In recent decades, most of the illegal Chinese immigrants smuggled to Western countries and to Japan and Taiwan have come from the Fuzhou region, with Changle, Fuqing and various more rural areas as the main sources. The trade is largely controlled by the region's "snakehead" gangs who are not at all nice people. In 2003, the Taiwan coast guard intercepted a boatload of young women presumably bound for Taipei's brothels; the crew threw them overboard to get rid of the evidence and several died.

Fuzhou and the surrounding area have a local language called Mindong (闽东话, literally Fujian East speech) or Fuzhou Hua (福州话, literally Fuzhou speech). This is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin (standard Chinese) or any other Chinese dialect, not even other Min (Fujian) dialects.
As everywhere in China, Mandarin or standard Chinese is widely spoken. It has been the only language used in government and education for decades and acts as the lingua franca for Chinese from different regions to communicate. Fuzhou, like any prosperous coastal city, has many migrants from poorer provinces who have come seeking work; nearly all of them speak Mandarin but not Fuzhou Hua.

By plane

Fuzhou Changle International AirportFuzhou has air links to most other major Chinese cities, plus some international flights from other Asian cities.The airport is an hour from town in the suburb of Changle, ¥20 by bus. You can get the bus at the Apollo Hotel. Shared taxis also go from there, at around ¥25 a person. A private taxi would be at least ¥120, likely more unless you haggle very well. There are complimentary shuttles from other hotels, such as the Min Jiang, to the Apollo. An airport express railway connecting the airport directly to the city and subway system is planned, but construction hasn't started (as of Jan 2019). If you have the Didi Dache App or Shenzou Hired Car App, rates range up to ¥250. The Didi Express car service does not include highway tolls, so you should consider splurging on Didi Luxe.

There is an official airport express (航空快线) that is misspelled "ARPORT EXPRESS" in English. There are regular departures from the airport to town and from town to airport between 05:30 and 21:30 (departure times vary by destination). The shuttles leave from different stations in town, and the ¥50 ticket can be purchased online and on Wechat (Chinese language only, the official account is 元翔空港快线). Although a Chinese name and ID card number is required during booking, these details are not checked. Travel time is about an hour.

By bus

Fuzhou long-distance bus station

Direct overnight buses from Shanghai (12 hr, ¥240), Hong Kong, Shenzhen (12 hr, ¥280) or Guangzhou (12 hr, ¥258), with sleeping bunks. ¥220-350, it is usually worth the extra for comfort. Buses from Xiamen (¥85, 3.5 hr).

By train

There are two railway stations in Fuzhou. The (old) Fuzhou Railway Station in the northeast of the city (the northern edge of the city center). The (new) Fuzhou South Railway Station, which was built in an empty field some on an island some 20 km south of the old station; there is now some development around it, of little interest to a visitor.

Fuzhou Railway StationThe (old) Fuzhou Station is used both by a great deal of "conventional" overnight trains and by a few high-speed trains (mostly, those originating or terminating in Fuzhou), such as the direct Xiamen-Fuzhou link.

Fuzhou South Railway StationFuzhou South is exclusively a high-speed train station; it is on the main coastal high-speed line (Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo-Wenzhou-Fuzhou-Xiamen-Shenzhen), and is also the terminal of the high-speed lines from the interior of China (Beijing-Hefei-Fuzhou, and Wuhan-Nanchang-Fuzhou).

Both railway stations are served by Line No. 1 of Fuzhou Subway; the ride between the two takes just over 40 min. The (old) Fuzhou Railway Station can be reached via #5 or #22 city buses, or it is cheap and quick by taxi from anywhere in central Fuzhou. If going to Fuzhou South, a taxi to it will be ¥50 or so from downtown and take about half an hour, about half the time it takes from the subway.

There are five official districts.

• Cangshan District (仓山区; Cāngshānqū)

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• Taijiang District (台江区; Táijiāngqū)

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• Mawei District (马尾区; Mǎwěiqū), the port area, 20 km downstream, covered in a separate article
• Gulou District (鼓楼区; Gǔlóuqū)

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• Jin'an District (晋安区; Jìnānqū)

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By taxi

Taxis are cheap, from ¥10 for short trips and under ¥30 for almost any trip in town. Taxi rates are ¥10 for the first 3 km, and then ¥1.4 per km and one more after 23:00. Taxis are more available in the downtown area and always available at train stations/Fuzhou airport.
Taxi stands exist across Fuzhou. Beware that almost all taxis will refuse to stop if there are traffic cameras nearby, especially at parks with entrances along busy roads. It is always more advisable to identify a nearby taxi stand and wait there.
If leaving Fuzhou proper (going to a more rural district), taxis will often round up to a multiple of ¥10 to compensate for the lack of return visitors. If you're having trouble finding a taxi driver that is willing to go to a rural district, going to a train station is generally a good idea. Taxis line up for hours at a time at train stations.
Didi Dache operates in Fuzhou. It is possible for foreigners to sign up with a Chinese phone number, and to use a foreign credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or Amex). However, your bank must support a second factor fraud screening, such as Securecode for Mastercard or SecureKey for American Express. Many of its drivers will also wait at train stations, shopping malls and outside higher end restaurants, haggling prices with potential clients, however, these trips are not covered by rideshare app insurance and have no protections since they're completed out of the app. It's inadvisable to take an unlicensed driver unless you're fluent in Mandarin or are genuinely stuck. They are generally very aggressive and may follow you, just reply No need, thank you ("Bu Yao, Xie Xie") until they get the message.

By bus

Buses are often crowded, but run often and more-or-less everywhere for ¥1. Most are air conditioned. If the bus you require is packed just wait until the next one, or the one after, it should only take 5–10 minutes, being stuck on a dangerously overloaded bus with several dozen/hundred people sweating all over you is an experience best avoided, especially in the summer months. However, you should be aware that bus service stops at 22:00, so the last buses are often very crowded and sometimes you cannot get one. Taxis and enterprising drivers will offer group rides from crowded bus stops to other parts of town, usually for ¥15.
As of January 2019, there are construction sites for the new metro lines all over the city, blocking multiple lanes of many main roads and causing huge traffic jams. Make sure to leave early if you need to be somewhere on time, as even short distances might take 30-60 minutes due to the traffic.

By subway

Fuzhou has opened the Metro Line and Line , another three lines are under construction, while an additional line are planned. Extension to Line 1 will open in late 2020, Line 5 and Line 6 will open in 2021.
When you take subway, you should buy single journey ticket from ticket vending machine. TVM only accept ¥1 coins and ¥5, ¥10, and ¥20 banknotes, if you do not have change, you can exchange the change in Customer Service Center. Reloadable cards are available from customer service desks at each station, and can be used on both lines. As each line of the subway is operated by different companies, cards can only be reloaded on the line that you've purchased the card on. Foreigners are unable to use the e-Fuzhou phone app to use the subway as it requires a social credit score.
If you are carrying handbags or luggage, these bags must pass through the X-ray checks at the stations. Take out any liquids and hand them to the security officer for inspection, where you will be asked to take a sip or have the liquid weighted. Although they may not offer it, you have the option to ask for either. It is inadvisable to bring cans and un-resealable beverage containers through security.

Architecture and buildings

• Three Lanes and Seven AlleysThis historic district in the heart of the city is one of the largest historic downtown areas in China, boasting about 268 ancient residences dating from Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Most of these residences feature the typical Foochow architectural style, which can only be found in the Eastern and Northeastern part of Fujian. The area was extensively restored (rebuilt) around 2007, and as of 2012 additional work in neighbouring areas is still going on. Ten of the finest residences require admission fees of ￥15 or ￥20 per person. A combo admission ticket including all ten is available for ￥120 (valid for 2 days). Many of the residences in the area are private homes, so tourists need permission from the residents to enter them.

• Zhongzhou Island

  address: 台江区中州岛1号(解放大桥旁)
  In 2003, the city government together with foreign investors constructed a "fairytale island" with European architecture on Zhongzhou Island. The project was a failure since no shops and restaurants moved in, and has been turned into a wholesale market since 2006. The entire island is brightly illuminated at night and a very beautiful sight of traditional architecture, with the contrast of modern skyscapers in the background. This island is also featured on the banner of this page. Not worth visiting, just a good photo spot.

Religious sites

• Hualin Temple

  address: 华林路78号 (78 Hualin Road)
  Hualin Temple is a Buddhist temple in downtown Fuzhou, which functions as a small museum and no longer provides Buddhist services. Built in 964 AD and survived over 10 centuries, this is the oldest wood architecture extant in South China (south of Yangtze River). The temple has a typical Tang dynasty style with simplicity and elegance. Despite its great historic and architectural importance, the site is rarely visited, but it is truly a hidden treasure for serious lovers of ancient Chinese architecture.

Parks and nature

Fuzhou is a city of parks. It has embraced a very strong emphasis on creating densely compacted communities, and compensating with green spaces.

• Baiyun MountainLess heavily trafficked than Gu Mountain. After the grueling top section, you will be rewarded by some genuinely beautiful hospitality and refreshing tea in a cave! Magic. Plus some great views over the city.

• Fu Forest TrailFudao is an elevated urban forest trail on metal bridges within Fuzhou city. With a total length of 19 km and an east-west extension of 6km, it crosses Jinniu Mountain. There are several entrances to the trail: No. 1 entrance (福道-1号入口) is the eastern end near West Lake, go to Shanhaiguan (山海观) bus stop. No. 3 entrance (福道-3号入口) is in the north, get off at Meifenglu bus stop (梅峰路站). No. 10 entrance (福道-10号入口) in the west near Min river and Hongshanqiaoxiaoqu (洪山桥小区) bus stop.

• Gu Mountain

  phone: +86 591 83921184
  A Taoist temple houses nationally important archives written in monks' blood as well as superb veggie restaurant. It is a 1,900-meter climb, or a 20-minute cable car journey to the top. Take bus 303 from the city to the start of the tourist cable car (鼓山旅游索道).

• Qi Mountain

  phone: +86 591 24580388
  address: Nanyu Town, Minhou County (闽侯县南屿镇)
  A forest park with big, waterfalls and stunning views over receding mountain ranges from a vertigo-inducing suspension bridge. All this and monkeys to feed.

• West Lake ParkAttractive urban lake in the center of Fuzhou. Rent paddle or electric boats and explore the lake. Walk over the arching footbridge to the Fuzhou Science Museum, a small but nice museum featuring dinosaurs. Or walk around the lake; it is surrounded by sidewalks and a boardwalk. They also have some pandas in an enclosure where you can see them. There is also an area with some fine bonsai.

• Wu Mountain

  phone: +86 591 83371493
  address: Wu Shan Road, Gulou District (鼓楼区乌山路)
  This is near Yu Shan, and is the location of the black pagoda. There are many gazebos and stone-carved calligraphy by various notable people, one of which was written by Emperor Kangxi when he visited. The hill can be reached on the road to the left of the internationally well known brands of luxury shops.

• Wuyi SquareA central square with a huge statue of Mao. Visit at dawn or dusk to watch the ceremonial raising or lowering of the flag by highly trained and immaculate soldiers. Or visit at 06:00-08:00 or later on weekends to watch at least half a dozen styles of martial arts, both armed and unarmed, being practiced. The founder of Uechi-ryu karate, Uechi Kanbun, spent 13 years in Fuzhou, from 1897 to 1910. There are a group on the East side of the park who say their style is what he studied.

• Yu Mountain

  phone: +86 591-83306464
  address: Gulou District (鼓楼区)
  Overlooking the main square, a short walk to the hilltop which houses a pretty average temple. However, on the way up there is plenty of entertainment in the form of musicians and singers who congregate here to practice. The White Pagoda is also accessed by the same road behind Mao Tse Dong's statue and worth a look. There are several very good arts and crafts shops at the base of the hill. Haggle for all you are worth to obtain good prices. There is also an excellent Xinjiang restaurant near the top of the road up the hill.

• Rongcheng PlazaAn abandoned shopping plaza by day, Rongcheng Plaza turns into an invariable lively hub of Western Fuzhou at night. Elderly residents of West Fuzhou use the plaza as a space for square dancing, partner dancing and conversing. Kids run around playing. Many of the stores there market clothing for kids, and the restaurants tend to be mid-range. It is worth visiting if you are interested in seeing authentic Fuzhou nightlife among older generations.

• Jiangxin Park

  address: 福建省福州市台江区三县洲大桥
  Jiangxin Gongyuan is a beautiful small park on a small island. The view is not particularly notable but the community that exists on the island is worth a visit. There is a small children's book store that requires a child and WeChat to enter. The entire park is accessible only by footbridge from the mainland. Getting here and leaving is a problem due to the lack of parking spaces, and you must leave by walking to a taxi stand. Calling a ride share from the footbridge will result in the pickup point being the parking lot that is a 12 minute walk from the footbridge.

Museums and monuments

• Fujian Museum

  phone: +86 591-83757670
  address: 96 Hutou Street, Gulou District (鼓楼区湖头街96号)
  A comprehensive museum about the history and culture of Fujian Province. All major signs and some minor ones are translated to English. The history exhibition gives you a good understanding of five millennia of history in Fujian, including wars, migration, arts and trade. Downstairs, there are further exhibitions on Fujian art (sculptures and porcelain) as well as local opera. There might be temporary exhibitions as well, which are usually only in Chinese.

• Fujian Museum - Nature Museum

  address: Gulou District - Fangqin Road (鼓楼区-芳沁路)
  The nature branch of Fujian Museum. There are dinosaur skeletons and maps of excavation sites, a very small exhibition about wetlands and a room introducing aquatic life. About half of all signs have English translations. A good place to take kids, adults may not find it very interesting.

• Fuzhou Museum

  phone: +86 591 83640094, +86 591 836120305
  address: 8 Wenbo Road, Jin'an District (晋安区文博路8号)

• Statue of Commissioner LinLin Zexu (林则徐, 1785—1850) was a Fuzhou native who did brilliantly on the Imperial Examinations and became an official. Lin was appointed as an Imperial Commissioner to clean up the opium trade in Canton, where he seized and burned a large supply of opium. This provoked the First Opium War, which China immediately lost. Lin was blamed for some of this, despite his orders, and exiled to Xinjiang. Later, his reputation was restored and he is now considered a national hero. There are still officials surnamed Lin in Fuzhou, some of whom say they are his descendants.

• Lin Zexu Memorial Museum

  phone: +86 591-87568854
  address: 16 Aomen Road, Gulou District (鼓楼区澳门路16号)
  A museum about Commissioner Lin. The museum incorporates Lin's former residence and the Lin Wenzhong Ancestral Hall (Lin Wenzhong is the honorary name given to Lin Zexu after his death).

• Riley's Club

  address: Yangqiao Road
  If pool is your game, you would be hard pushed to find better tables anywhere in China than here. Cheap drinks and open very late too.

• Fuzhou Fighting Ferrets Football ClubA motley assortment of nationalities who play at Jinshan Wentizhongxin every Sunday at 09:15. Like football, only funnier!

• PaintballGreat fun for those masochists among us who enjoy being hit by high velocity projectiles in delicate parts of the body. Not to be attempted in summertime!

• Walk in traditional architecture street

  address: Nan Hou Jie
  Freshly renovated pedestrian street, back into time atmosphere, lots of small alleys to stroll by, great for shopping but avoid overpriced restaurants and bars.

• Sauna/spaFuzhou is famous for its hotsprings; many hotels have a sauna and spa. They often have three different pools, one hot, one boiling (by western standards), and a normal one. Sauna and Turkish bath used to be available, staff gives you all you need. Most of the saunas have massage center with different services.

• Wu Qingyuan Game of Go Club

  address: 78 Wu Shan Road, Gulou District (鼓楼区乌山路78号)
  The board game called Weiqi in Chinese or Go in Japanese and English is quite popular throughout East Asia; there are professional players and the better ones are major celebrities. Wu Qingyuan (吳清源, 1914—2014) is considered by many to be the best player of the 20th century and one of the greatest of all time. He was born in Fuzhou but lived in Japan most of his life and is generally known in the West by the Japanese name Go Seigen. A film biography is The Go Master and the wiki on the game has an online biography. The site has a small museum, some shops and a hall for playing the game.

The most famous handicrafts of the area are:

• Shoushan stoneA unique variety of alabaster found only in Shou Shan(寿山) (about 40km from Fuzhou) used to make name chops and all types of beautiful carving.

• Lacquer workEspecially the Fujian bodiless lacquerware (脱胎漆器), considered one of the three treasures of Chinese arts and crafts. It is lightweight, durable, and often lovely. There is a factory on Wuyi Road (五一路).

There are also carvings in wood and jade, paper umbrellas and combs made of ox horn. As a general rule, these are generic crafts procured from Alibaba, T-Mall or Taobao, and resold to tourists. Unless you see an active workshop producing these goods in the store, assume that it is being resold and that there is a considerable markup over the original price.
You may be offered ivory. Most nations have banned ivory to protect endangered species; do not buy it unless you are certain it is fake. In China, this is quite likely, but it is hard to be certain and it might be harder yet to convince customs officials if you try to bring it home.
It is generally a very poor idea to purchase Western branded goods in Fuzhou, as these product almost always carry a substantial markup.

• Electronic Market

  address: Wuyi South Road
  Hundreds of little shops plenty of mobile, Mp3, Mp5, Fake ipod, Fake iphone... Bargaining is recommended, but the first price is not as far off the real price as in Shanghai. There are also some big stores with real stuff.

• PowerlongIt used to be the highlight mall of Fuzhou, with more than 300 shops and a cinema, but has become considerably less attractive than it was with the construction of several new malls in the region. It has attempted to revitalize itself with a significant new extension building with a department store. Premium brands are in first floor of the main building and have direct access to the street, or in the extension building. Smaller shops are receiving virtually no business after the advent of online shopping, and will likely be quite aggressive in drawing you in. Most of the smaller shops resell fake items and Chinese low-cost brands from Taobao or T-Mall, generally at prices higher than what you would find on those websites online. There are many restaurants like McDonald's, KFC and a Jazzy pizza. There are a few small traditional Chinese restaurants, with staff speaking only in Chinese, so it may be difficult to communicate with them. Cinema (last floor) and Carrefour (second floor) are available in the main building. It is located along Ninghua Station on the No. 1 line of the Subway system.

• Wanda PlazaConsidered to be the most popular mall in Western Fuzhou, Wanda Plaza offers a Chinese national-only hotel, premium brands, a Walmart and numerous restaurants (ranging from high-end to fast-food such as KFC and Starbucks to budget hole-in-the-walls). The mall is separated into an street portion and covered building portion. The hotel and Walmart are at the south end of the mall. The street portion offers no protection from the rain and features numerous restaurants, bubble tea shops (at least 20), coffee shops, fast-food, bulk grocery stores and small tech plazas. The covered building portion houses all the premium and Western brands, Walmart, as well as a not-particularly-noteworthy department store. The Walmart is notoriously staffed with rude and impolite employees, and you should always watch your possessions as people do steal there (don't use the self checkout without a mobile wallet). Getting here is usually fairly easy as your taxi driver will select a location to drop you off, but leaving can be problematic as much of the South road is a highway with only 1 taxi stand near the end by the Starbucks (hidden behind a bush on the highway). Therefore, you should hail a cab or Didi from the North road that borders a residential neighborhood, ideally crossing into the neighbourhood if you are able.

Local specialties include:

• Yu WanFish balls, a Fuzhou delicacy, minced beef and pork inside a fishy flour ball of dough in a thin broth, excellent. Also just called 肉丸 (rou wan) but check they are fish nonetheless.

• Boiled sharkA Geng (thick soup) using shark's meat, it won't have a strong smell

• RouyanA boiled pork dumpling using a local special skin called Yanpi

• Guo Bien HuLarge steaming hot soft rice noodles inside soup of rice powder and water, hint of shrimp or oyster, under 2 yuan a bowl. Only eaten for breakfast.

• Oyster PancakeA traditional food in Fuzhou Kind like a pancake but with fly oyster and leek in it. Native people usually eat it in breakfast and prepare in various styles so if you do not find the exact name do not be surprised.

• Buddha Jumps Over the WallA soup dish that contains abalone, sharksfin, Jinhua ham, dried scallops, sea cucumber and numerous other ingredients. Due to the amount of premium ingredients and time that goes into making it, it is very expensive and must usually be ordered several days in advance.

Budget

• Wai Bo TaiGood menu, cheap, great fresh seafood.

• Daming Food Street

  address: 鼓楼区达明路美食街
  A typical Chinese streetfood street with all kind of 小吃 (xiaochi, snacks) such as BBQ skewers, desserts, etc. A popular place for young locals and couples to hang out at night.

Mid-range

• Hao Shi JieVery expensive if you go upstairs, but stay on the ground floor and eat the dim sum which is cheap (under ¥250/head) and delicious.

• Moby Pizza

• Cafe ForumGood quality meals in a box and reasonably priced coffee, but the service can sometimes be atrocious. Hit it on a good day, it is great. On a bad day, it is dire.

• Ajisen Japanese NoodlesA great range of noodles and tasty side dishes. Friendly service and pictures in the menu for those who can not read Chinese which is a real Godsend.

• Lemon leaf

  address: 5F, 66 Hubin Road
  Very good Thai food. Featured dish: lemon fish and curry crab.

• Roman Holiday

  phone: +86 591 88902217
  address: Jiao Tong Road, by the Hong Yun Xing Cheng Apartments
  Likely the best Italian food in Fuzhou. Excellent Pizza, pasta. Also, some good fusion Japanese/Italian/Chinese dishes.

• Jazzy pizza

  address: Many locations
  Chinese alternative to Pizza Hut, good pizza and cheaper, salads and pasta are ok, too.

• Bullfighter

  address: Many locations
  Steak house, you choose one steak and can use the salad and dessert buffet.

Splurge

• Panevino

  address: Wenquan Park Road
  Italian food, very good quality for Fuzhou standards. They have a set menu for lunch and dinner. Upstairs there is a good Japanese restaurant. Can communicate in English, in which the menu is also written.
• Korean restaurant (in Ramada Hotel). One of the best Korean restaurants in the city. BBQ in the table and good quality. Try the meat selection and the vegetables. More than ¥200/person.

Restaurants near the white pagodaMore than a dozen restaurants, mostly upmarket.

• BambinoGood Italian restaurant, cheaper than Panevino. You can also find some Chinese food among the Italian dishes. ¥150-200. Menu in English.

• TaiyroJapanese food buffet. Free flow of drinks, sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki for ¥150/person. The sashimi used to be served frozen, not so good but sushi is acceptable and teppanyaki is good.

• VenueFrench restaurant in Fuzhou, and perhaps the only one. More than ¥400/person

• MamamyaAnother Italian restaurant but not so good, pizzas are small and expensive, salads no good. ¥100 or more per person.

• Old ShanghaiTypical Shanghainese food, menu only in Chinese but with pictures, less than ¥100/person.

• Shao Yuan Yi HaoHas a host of foreign beers, British, German and Belgian as well as fine wines, a few single malts, and beautiful decor and people. Bit pricey, but worth it for the music and atmosphere. It is a beautifully remodelled warehouse, the sort of design you might expect in a Western city or perhaps Shanghai, but unique in Fuzhou.

• 1-2-3 Bar

  address: Baima Road
  Cheap beer, convivial atmosphere, sometimes live music, stays open as long as you are drinking/semi-conscious. The sign says 1-2-3, but Chinese pronounce it "do-re-mi" for reasons that are not at all clear.

• Club Blog Club

  address: 136 Hubin Road
  A coffee shop managed by a Western resident that overlooks West Lake.

• The Pure Drop

  address: Hubin Road
  A lively and convivial atmosphere, cheap, cold beer, live music every night.

• The Bamboo BarCheap beer, waterside tables, live football games on TV. Pushy owner, but easily ignored after a couple of beers!

• Saint Nobody

  address: Beida Road
  The most mysterious club in fuzhou with cheap beer and good indie music. An anti-fuzhou look which makes you feel like a traveler lost in an unknown city.

• Prada

  phone: +86 591-87110888
  address: 中国福建省福州市鼓楼区余府巷 中福西湖花园北福楼C区1层
  The preferred bar for expats in Fuzhou. Local style, people playing dice and live singers. Few staff speak English, try to get a VIP card from the manager. Main drink is beer but you can order some cocktails.

• Lili Marlens

  address: 中国福建省福州市鼓楼区 古乐路117号-2
  Similar to prada. Staff dressed in army style clothing. Manager is friendly and speaks a little English

• Wooshie Bar

  phone: +86 591 8785 0151
  address: Wusi Road, Gulou, Fuzhou
  Small bar, live music, cheap beer (¥100 for 10), cocktails (¥25 each) and a relaxed atmosphere. Has a country music theme. Great place to go to enjoy something different from the usual fuzhou bar. Couches for free

• B Boss Club

• Late Market Bar

  address: Aomen Lu 47 鼓楼区东街口商圈澳门路47号
  Maybe the only 'speakeasy' bar in Fuzhou, mimicking the illegal establishments during Prohibition in the US. The bar is hidden behind a noodle shop (thus the Chinese name 喜福食舍 meaning Lucky Food House). Enter the noodle shop and go through a conceiled door in the left-most shelf on the wall. The bar offers an upper-class atmosphere with dimmed lights and not too loud music. In addition to a large number of imported whiskys and gins, this place is known for special cocktails infused with traditional Chinese medicine.

Budget

There are a number of cheap hotels around Fuzhou Railway Station. (The new Fuzhou South Railway Station has a lot fewer lodging options in its vicinity). However, be sure to call ahead to confirm that they can register foreigners.

• Jinjiang Inn (Fuzhou Railway Station

  address: 41 Qinyuan Road (Qinyuan Lu)
  Located at the intersection of Qinyuan Road and Hualin Road, the Jinjiang Inn's full name tells you all you really need to know-the Jinjiang Inn (Fuzhou Railway Station) is adjacent to Fuzhou bus station. (The full name in Mandarin: Jinjiang Zhixing Fuzhou Huochenzhan Dian). The North Long-distance Bus Station is also within a short walking distance from the hotel.

• Hualin Hotel

  address: 201 Hualin Road (Hualin Lu
  The Hualin Hotel (Hualin Dafandian) is within easy reach of provincial government buildings, Wenquan Park and the commercial district. This Fuzhou hotel offers Chinese buffet breakfast, 24-hour access to natural hot springs and free broadband internet.

• Haiyun Hotel (Nanmendou Branch)

  phone: +86 591 38257666
  address: Bayiqi Lu 11, 6th floor 福建省福州市鼓楼区八一七中路11号华商楼6楼
  A cheap hotel with rooms with private bathrooms near very close to the city center of Fuzhou, walking distance to some scenic spots and direct access to a subway station. Not a nice place by all means, but clean enough for a night or two.

Mid-range

• Ju Chun Yuan Hotel

  address: Dong Jie Kou
  Very central for shopping and such. Has a well-reputed Chinese buffet, a KFC and a UBC coffee shop.

Splurge

There are some nice hotels in Fuzhou:

• Fuzhou Lakeside Hotel

  phone: +86 591 87839888
  address: 158 Hubin Road
  Ask for a room with view of West Lake. This was Fuzhou's first five star hotel, now past its prime. Still a lovely location, though.

• Empark Grand HotelGood Macau restaurant on ground floor.

• Shangri-La Hotel5-star luxury. Try the burger in the lobby if you are tired of Chinese food. Also has a great and (by five-star standards) inexpensive coffee bar with free internet access.

• Golden Resources

• Howard Johnsons

  address: Mawei District
  Don't be fooled by the name - this is not the HoJos you are accustomed to in the US. Very classy hotel with a good western restaurant on the ground floor and an excellent Japanese restaurant on the second floor.

• Best Western

  address: Downtown
  Nice western hotel with soft beds in a good location. Half block to Panevino's (Italian restaurant) and Hot Springs Park.

• Westin Fuzhou Minjiang Hotel

  phone: +86 591 88111111
  The 5sense Restaurant has high level Chinese cuisine with imported seafood and meat and western touch. Live music in the lobby bar in the evening.

The area code for Fuzhou is 591.
China Unicom and China Mobile will register phone plans with foreigners, however, smaller ones may sometimes lack the knowledge to do so. Bring a passport.

• Mount Wuyi - scenic area famous for tea, ancient cliff burials and relics of the 3000-year-old Minyue Culture. The landscapes here are surreally beautiful.
• Xiamen - three hours by bus, an hour and a half on the new fast train.
• Qinyun Mountain - a scenic mountain area about 65 km from Fuzhou near the small town of Yongtai. Lots of great walks through river valleys with tons of sub tropical flora and fauna and those ubiquitous waterfalls. Worth an overnight visit.
• Langqi Island - a 45-min bus ride from Fuzhou, via Mawei. On the east of the island there is a splendid beach with few visitors. Cute old ferry takes you there from the mainland for ¥2.
• Fujian Tulou - round earthen houses built for multiple families and easy fortification when two main doors are closed. Southwestern part of Fujian Province. Many tourist buses leave out of Quanzhou and/or Xiamen.
• Quanzhou - old city between Fuzhou and Xiamen, reachable by bus or train. Around the year 1000 this was the main shipping port for south China and Marco Polo wrote extensively about it when he visited. Good temples and a 1000-year-old mosque, recently rebuilt.