Fuzhou travel guide

Fuzhou's external transport forms a network of sea, land and air, while road travel is the most convenient within the province.

Fuzhou Changle International Airport is about 39 km from the city centre and has flights to more than 70 domestic cities. Several airport bus routes run from the airport to the city; a taxi costs about ¥150.

Fuzhou is connected to the national rail network, with trains to all parts of the country.

Most passenger trains bound for Xiamen, and some bound for Wenzhou, depart from Fuzhou South Railway Station. The high-speed train from Fuzhou South to Xiamen takes about 1.5 hours. The opening of the Fuzhou–Longyan bullet train has also turned the former “two-day Fuzhou and Longyan trip” into a day trip.

Fuzhou city has more than 300 long-distance bus departures daily to Wenzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and over 30 counties and cities in the province. Coach services between Xiamen and Quanzhou make travel between Fuzhou and these two major cities even more convenient.

The Min River route from Fuzhou port runs upstream to Nanping and downstream to Mawei, and passenger ferries from Mawei Port can reach Putuoshan, Ningbo and other destinations.

Within Fuzhou, buses and taxis are the main means of getting around.

There are currently five lines: Lines 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. Line 1 links Fuzhou Railway Station and Fuzhou South Railway Station.

The bus network is extensive, with dozens of routes connecting every corner of Fuzhou, including air-conditioned buses and special tourist lines. Buses use unmanned fare collection (¥1, ¥2, ¥3, ¥5) and distance-based pricing (¥3, ¥5, ¥6, ¥8).

Fuzhou taxis start at ¥10 for the first 3 km, then ¥2 per km thereafter. After 23:00, a 20% surcharge applies per km. Service is attentive both day and night.

When it comes to Fuzhou's famous dishes, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, lychee pork and drunken spare ribs are must-mentions. Jiuchunyuan's Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is the most traditional. River seafood from the Min River is also worth trying. However, Fuzhou's light flavours can be a real test for the palates of people from southwest China or Hunan, where food is much spicier. For Cantonese diners, though, the taste is just right.

Other celebrated dishes include chicken soup with sea clams, phoenix fish maw, wine-lees eel, Swallows Return to Nest, Plum Blossoms Bloom Twice and snow mountain prawns. They are pricey, but genuinely worth it.

Fuzhou's snacks are also distinctive, most representatively fish balls, guobian hu (wok-edge paste), scallion meat cakes, yan si, rou yan and spring rolls.

Set off from Taijiang Wharf on Jiangbin Road in Taijiang District, passing Taijiang Golden Bund and the North and South Riversides, all the way to Hongshan Bridge. As the lights come on, the clear waters of the Min River shimmer and the scenery is enchanting, with dazzling light shows along both banks. Take a sightseeing boat along the Min River and savour Fuzhou's progress and charm under the night sky. (Ticket ¥100)

Fuzhou's vegetarian cuisine is also renowned. Made from wheat gluten, tofu skin, tofu sinew, winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and wood ear fungus, these dishes are skilfully prepared and cooked with care, and they taste very good. Many temples and restaurants in Fuzhou serve vegetarian food, and the vegetarian dishes at Yongquan Temple on Gushan are the most famous. Over 30 named dishes include 'Golden Lotus of the South Sea', 'Half Moon Sinking into the River', 'Three Delicacies of Shigu' and 'Three Shreds of Yongquan'.

1. Fuzhou is not famous for its seafood; what's worth eating here is the river seafood.

2. Fuzhou people like to add shrimp oil when cooking. Those unaccustomed to this flavour should say so in advance.

For fish balls, try Taxiangkou Fish Ball Shop on Ta Lane, one of Fuzhou's seven lanes, a long-established name. Also, a nondescript alley near Dongjiekou has several fish ball shops. One of them displays its founding date on its sign: a small shop with over 60 years of history, and it is widely considered the best of the bunch.

Hotel prices in Fuzhou are higher than in comparable cities. Wusi Road has a relatively high concentration of guesthouses and hotels, and discounts are available in the off-season. If you stay at a guesthouse run by a county-level office in Fuzhou, rooms are cheaper and the location is quite good. For hot-spring hotels, prices vary widely, so it is best to check in advance.

Aojiu Festival: the 29th day of the first lunar month, also known as Filial Piety Festival or Sending-Off-Poverty Festival.

Zuoxia: the first day of summer on the lunar calendar.

Dongjie Cuowan (Winter Solstice Dumpling Rolling): the winter solstice on the lunar calendar.

Authentic Fuzhou bianrou and the bianrou in Shaxian snacks differ greatly in preparation, and the term usually refers to the Shaxian version. Fuzhou bianrou puts more emphasis on the broth, made from a stock simmered from pure bones with relatively little meat, and it is now quite rare.

Pudu Festival: the 9th day of the 12th lunar month each year.

Sacrifice to the Kitchen God (Jizao): the 23rd and 24th days of the 12th lunar month.

Fuzhou's main commercial streets include Wusi Road (known for brand clothing and tourist products), Wuyi Road (home to large department stores and shopping centres), Taijiang Road (small goods and specialty second-hand markets), Dongjiekou (Fuzhou's traditional commercial street), Bayiqi Road (Fuzhou's oldest and most bustling shopping street), Aofeng Road (the largest wholesale market area in Fuzhou), as well as Zhongting Street (East Asia's first indoor pedestrian street) and Zhongzhou Island (the first pedestrian shopping island).

Fuzhou gathers the local specialities of Fujian: Oolong tea, Jian lotus seeds, longan and lychee, as well as the famous 'Eight Great Dried Goods', namely Liancheng sweet potato strips, Wuping pig gall dried meat, Shanghang dried radish, Mingxi dried pork, Ninghua dried chilli and Changting dried tofu, plus the 'Four Shellfish': razor clams, oysters, clams and ark shells. Beyond these, you can buy Pien Tze Huang, narcissus, Fuzhou mandarin oranges, olives, dried meat floss and Qingyuan tea cakes as gifts to take home.

Many restaurants serve it. Sit down and order 'a bowl of guobian', and the staff will understand. The preparation is said to be very distinctive, but for most food lovers, deliciousness is what matters, so there is no need to ask too many questions about the details.