Fujian
Fujian Province is one of China’s 23 provinces, located in southeastern China, bordering Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Guangdong provinces, and facing Taiwan Island across the Taiwan Strait. It covers an area of 124,000 square kilometers and has a population of 41 million. The inhabitant of Fujian is dominated by the Han nationality, and there is a special group among the Han nationality in Fujian, which is called the Hakka people, the Hakka dialect they speak is considered to be the remains of ancient Chinese, which is not the same as today’s standard Mandarin Chinese and the local Fujian dialect; The largest minority is the She nationality, with 380,000 people.
In addition, there are some Hui Muslims and Mongolian people who have settled in Fujian since the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), among them, the Hui people are the descendants of Persian and Arab merchants who came to Fujian to do business through the Maritime Silk Road at that time; the Mongolians are the descendants of the Yuan Dynasty government officials at that time, and most of the remaining 28 ethnic minorities have only moved to Fujian since 1980, and the number of them is not large.
Historically, after the Hakka people moved into Fujian, in order to defend against thieves and wild beasts, they developed the huge fortress-like house where the whole family lived together-Tulou, and it has become a symbol of Fujian tourism. Due to it being the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, Fujian has had a lot of contact with foreign cultures since ancient times, on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, many buildings of different Western styles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries have been preserved. These are the left by missionaries, merchants, and diplomats of those years.
Fujian is a mountainous province. Since ancient times, it has been called “eight mountains, one water, and one field” by the Chinese. The most famous of these is probably Wuyishan Mountain, not only because of the beautiful and magnificent mountain scenery but also because of the local specialty tea.
Useful Information
Area: 124,000 km²
Average annual temperature: 15-22 degrees
Geography: The region is covered by mountains, valleys, and hills and sea areas.
Population: 41,540,100 inhabitants. (2021)
Altitude: 20 m – 330 m
Economy: Aquaculture, Textile industry, mechanical manufacturing industry, building materials, energy, etc.
How to get to Fujian?
Major travel destination cities in Fujian have airports, which can be reached directly by plane from other cities in China. And these cities also have railway stations and high-speed rail stations, and the use of the high-speed train can be wise if you start from the surrounding areas, such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, or Guangzhou.
By plane
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport has flights connecting most cities in China and major cities in East and Southeast Asia. Another famous destination, Wuyishan, also has an airport, with flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Xi’an, Chengdu, Nanjing, Shenzhen, and other big cities.
By train
The fastest high-speed train from Hangzhou to Xiamen takes about 5.5 hours, and the high-speed train from Guangzhou to Xiamen takes 4-5 hours. If you take the high-speed train from Hangzhou to Wuyishan, it only takes about 2.5 hours.
By car
Since Yongding and Nanjing, where Tulou is located, are small cities without a railway station or airport, the only option is to take a car after arriving in Xiamen, which takes about 3 hours by car.
When to go to Fujian?
Fujian has a subtropical climate with very sunny weather and heavy rainfall. This province can be visited pleasantly throughout the year, but the best times are spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November). Better to avoid the months of July and August when it is very hot. It is also the season of torrential rains and typhoons from August.
For lovers of photography and Chinese natural landscapes, do not miss the Xiapu mudflat. The best seasons for Xiapu are between April and November, avoid cold and drizzly winters.
Fujian cuisine is one of the eight major regional cuisines of China, and it is known for its savory and light presentation and tastes and for its soups.
Among the renowned local specialties:
Buddha jumps over the wall: A variety of shark fin soup, created in the Qing dynasty, and rich in protein and calcium. The name of the dish refers to its supposed ability to cause Buddhist monks to renounce vegetarianism in order to taste it.
Oyster omelet: This dish consists of an omelet and a garnish consisting mainly of small oysters. Shrimp can sometimes replace oysters. In this case, we are talking about a shrimp omelet.
Fish dumpling: A very common food in Fujian. They are made with fish and stuffed with minced pork.
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