Home : China Guide : Fujian : Fuding
By GAO YAN & WU XINYI

Fuding is a small city in northern Fujian Province, along China's southeastern coast. It is 299 kilometers north of Fuzhou, the provincial capital, and to its east, separated from it by the sea, is Taiwan's Chilung. This city, with its unique scenery and colorful folklore, is a magnet for tourists.

Beautiful Landscape
Tailao Mountain Scenic Area is 58 kilometers south of Fuding city proper. Surrounded on three sides by the sea and mountains on the other, strangely shaped rocks and caves, and precipitous peaks shrouded in dense mist are to be found in this scenic area. Some caves stretch right down to the seashore, providing ideal settings for watching the ocean waves, while others lead up to the mountain summit, a particularly suitable spot to sit and gaze at the sunrise. Some caves are small, with the capacity for just a few people, while others are large enough for one thousand. Some of the large caves have smaller ones leading off them, forming a labyrinth.

In the late spring and early summer, the Tailao Mountains are often veiled in mist, particularly after a rainfall. When viewed from a distance, mountain peaks loom through a sea of clouds. In clear weather, the mountain summit is the perfect place to view sunrise over the sea.

During the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279), these mountains were well known for their 36 temples, all on different scales, scattered throughout. Unfortunately, most of them have fallen into ruin, but there are 360 stone pillars still standing on the site of the Guoxing Temple. Visitors in the vicinity of the temple may also appreciate the ancient stone tables and stone carvings of figures, animals and flowers. Ruiyun Temple, first constructed in 936, and after undergoing several enlargements, maintains its magnificent aspect.

Rafting along the Lanxi stream

At the foot of the Tailao Mountains in the southwest gently flows the Lanxi stream. From its lower reaches runs the Jiuli (Nine Carps) stream, extending 26 kilometers. When rafting downstream, visitors are amazed at the stretching and undulating mountains, with their summits cloaked in clouds. They may also be pleasantly surprised at the boldness of fish busily searching for food. These fish are not disturbed by strangers on rafts, but are often swept away by swift currents from the upper reaches of the stream.

Unique Folklore of She Ethnic Group
Visitors to Fuding would find a visit to a She communal village quite fascinating. They may see the She women, wearing their ethnic costumes, busy at work. With luck, they may also observe elderly women, using old style looms to weave cloth. The dress of the local She women is colorful, and includes an apron embroidered with patterns of birds, flowers or geometric figures, worn over their tunics, the collar and wristbands of which may be trimmed with lace. A woman may be distinguished as married or single by her hairstyle and earrings.

Unique Folklore of She Ethnic Group

She people love singing, and sing while working, greeting guests, as well as when holding sacrificial rites. During major festivals, the She people organize songfests on various scales. Traditional songfests are usually held in the mountains. Participants sing, in the antiphonal style that has no fixed tune about love, or anything reflecting aspects of their daily life. A songfest might last as long as three days.

Local Delicacies
Fuding attracts visitors not only with its unique scenery but also with its local culinary specialties -- Siji grapefruit, a fruit frequently featured at state banquets for its distinctive fragrance and exquisite taste, and Binlang sweet potatoes, which after being cooked and mashed make a delicious dessert. Local people usually greet their distinguished guests with this dish. Nowadays, pre-cooked Binlang sweet potato is a popular dish at state banquets, after having been slowly heated for a few minutes and its flavor enhanced with edible oil, sugar, sesame, peanuts and other condiments.

Fujian Cuisine

For tourists, sampling the local delicacies prepared on street stalls is far more enjoyable. The most popular snacks include beef meatball soup, dumpling soup, and sweet cake made with glutinous rice flour. Tourists also have the opportunity to witness the meticulous preparation of these snacks. For instance, the dough circles used to wrap dumplings are no more than half a millimeter thick, and are transparent when held to the light. The fillings are made from hand chopped lean meat, dried shrimps and other condiments. Dumpling soup is served with chopped green onions sprinkled on its surface, giving the dumplings the appearance of blooming flowers.

Fuding City abounds with marine resources tremendously appealing to visitors. Yushan Islet is noted for its heavenly lake, and the stretches of sandy beach along Qingchuan cove attract numerous visitors. Fuding has few man-made features, making it an ideal place for sightseeing. (Source: China Today)

   5 days Xiamen-Yongding-Zhangzhou Visit

The following websites are also running by HRC Sinoway Travel

Expert in Fuding travel services, Fuding tours, Fuding bike tours, Yangtze River cruise, Fuding festivals, Fuding trekking tour, Fuding Minority Ethnic Culture tours. Copyright © 2004 Sinowaytravel.com™ All rights reserved.