Fuzhou is an old port city, Marco Polo visited it. In the 19th century, it exported more tea than any other Chinese port. Today, Fuzhou 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 Fuzhou region, home the the sub ethnic group of Foochow people, has its own unique culture and language (Foochow language), as well as 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 district in China "Three Lanes and Seven Alleys" with over 200 residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The area is where mountains and rivers meet the sea. Plenty of mountains and waterfalls are in the hinterland, while sandy beaches are abundant in the coastal areas, especially in the town of Changle and the island of Pingtan.
The actual port is in the suburb of Mawei, which has also 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.
Most of the illegal Chinese immigrants smuggled to Western countries 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.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Fuzhou
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Fuzhou - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Fuzhou hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Fuzhou Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
