China

ZHEJIANG & JIANGXI 247

Putuo Shan 4 The Zhenjue Si (Monastery Wenzhou 7
of True Enlightenment) houses
See pp248–9. Zhiyi’s mummified body in a 124 miles (200 km) S of Ningbo.
pagoda in its main hall. * 7,120,000. ~ £ c n 107–1
The Guoqing Si Monastery, at Xiaonan Lu, (0577) 8825 3137.
the foot of Tiantai Shan } Huading Peak
LOCATED ON THE southeast
Tiantai Shan 5 # daily. & coast of Zhejiang province,
Wenzhou has always been a
118 miles (190 km) SE of Yandang Shan 6 seafaring city. It is still a busy
Hangzhou. c port and its booming econ-
50 miles (80 km) NE of Wenzhou. c omy is mainly due to heavy
THE HEAVENLY Terrace from Wenzhou to terminus at Baixi. investment by overseas
Mountain – Tiantai Shan – Chinese. A good base for
is the seat of the Tiantai THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL area of visiting nearby Yandang Shan,
Buddhist sect, which also has sheer hills, luxuriant the city also offers a few
strong links with Daoism (see slopes, and monasteries. Its sights of its own. The most
pp30–31). A pilgrimage site highest peak, Baigang Shan popular, Jiangxin Park, is
since the Eastern Jin, today it reaches 3,773 ft (1,150 m). situated on an island in the
is especially popular with The Big Dragon Pool Falls Ou River and can easily be
Japanese Buddhists, who (Dalongqiu Pubu) cascade reached by the regular ferry
regard China as the Buddhist 623 ft (190 m), making them service from Maxingseng Jie.
motherland. The sect’s founder, one of China’s highest. The Completely devoid of traffic,
the monk Zhiyi, spent most of path leading to them weaves the park’s pretty gardens,
his life on the mountain, among towering columns pavilions, pagodas, and
where the imperial court of rock, where, on the hour, footbridges make it a pleasant
helped him to construct a a cyclist performs a high- place to spend a few hours. It
temple. This wonderfully wire act. The largest area is also has a working lighthouse.
scenic spot, with its paths, Divine Peaks (Ling Feng), Stretching between Jiefang Lu
streams, and woodlands, is excellent for hiking among and Xinhe Lu to the south of
ideal for walking. Several caves and strangely shaped the Ou River is what is left of
famous plants such as peaks. The Divine Cliffs the old town. Here and there
huading cloud, mist tea, the area (Ling Yan), reached are a few particular buildings
Tiantai mandarin orange, as by cable car, has walkways of interest such as the 18th-
well as a variety of medicinal and a suspension bridge. century British-built Protestant
plants, were discovered here. From the bus terminus at church, the 19th-century
Baixi, there are several Catholic church, and the
The first of Tiantai Shan’s walking trails. Miaoguo Temple, whose
monasteries, Guoqing Si, lies origins are Tang-dynasty.
at its foot, 2 miles (3 km) } Big Dragon Pool Falls
from Tiantai village. From } Jiangxin Park
here, a road leads to the # daily. &
3,609 ft (1,100 m) Huading Jiangxin Dao. 4 from Jiangxin Matou,
Peak. Visitors can then walk } Divine Peaks Wenzhou. # 8am–10pm daily. &
to Baijingtai Si (Prayer Terrace
Temple) on the summit or # daily. &
to Shiliang (Stone Beam)
Waterfall, near the Upper Walkway with panoramic views, Yandang Shan
Fangguang Monastery, where
there are a number of inscrip-
tions, including one by the
famous Song artist, Mi Fu.

248 CENTRAL CHINA

Putuo Shan 4

NESTLED AMONGST numerous islands in
the Zhou Shan archipelago, Putuo
Shan is one of the four sacred Buddhist

mountains, having strong associations with

the goddess of compassion and mercy,

Guanyin. It has been considered holy since To the summit
A cable car links a minibus
the 10th century, and although the temples stop with the summit of
Foding Shan from where
Detail of an suffered greatly at the hands of the Red there are wonderful views
incense burner across the island and out
Guards during the Cultural Revolution, to sea.
they are still impressive and full of

fascination. A small, attractive island, fringed with bright

blue waters and sandy beaches, Putuo Shan has become a

very popular place of pilgrimage. Minibuses ply the roads

between the major temples and sights, but the island’s

hills, caves and beaches are best explored on foot.

. Puji Si
Surrounded by beautiful
camphor trees, this extensive
temple is located at the island’s
tourist center. The first
temple was built here
in the 11th century,
although the
current temple is
far newer.

. Guanyin Colossus @
At the southern tip of the island a
massive 108-ft (33-m) statue of

Guanyin stands near the shore.
A pavilion at its base exhibits a
collection of some 400 statues
representing the goddess in
her numerous incarnations.

T

Chaoyang
Dong

BAIBU

SHA
@

Duobao
Pagoda

STAR SIGHTS g JIN SHA
@
. Guanyin Colossus
. Puji Si @T
. Fayu Si
Chaoyin
Dong

0 meters 500
0 yards 500

ZHEJIANG & JIANGXI 249

Huiji Si VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Close to the top of
Foding Shan, Huiji 50 miles (80 km) east of Ningbo,
Temple, dating back to off coast of Zhejiang. ~ at Zhou
1793, stands resplen- Shan. g from Shanghai (fast
dent amid tea bushes ferry: 4 hrs; slow ferry: 14 hrs),
and bamboo groves. Ningbo (fast ferry: 2.5 hrs; slow
ferry: 5 hrs), and Zhou Shan (half
hour). & for island access, plus
minimal fees for separate sights.
_ Guanyin Festival (early Apr).
∑ www.putuoshan.net

HUO’AI SHA KEY

a @ Minibus stop
@ g Ferry
Gufo a Cable car
Dong T Cave
T
Paths
Road

a

Foding
Shan

Shancai Fanyin Qian Bu Sha
Dong Dong The loveliest of Putuo Shan’s beaches,
Qian Bu Sha (Thousand Step Beach)
T T stretches along the eastern coast and is
separated from Bai Bu Sha (Hundred

Step Beach) by a headland and cave,
Chaoyang Dong, concealing a teahouse.

THE LEGEND OF HUI’E

Hui’e, a Japanese monk who had purloined a

Guanyin figure from the holy Buddhist mountain

Wutai Shan, was sailing home when his ship was

caught in a violent storm. Fearing for his life, he

vowed to build a temple to

Guanyin if he were saved.

The seas suddenly calmed,

and the ship floated gently

towards the nearby shores

. Fayu Si of Putuo Shan. Believing
The 200 halls of this charming temple
pile up against the flank of a hill that Guanyin was choosing
overlooking the sea. The Dayuan Hall,
unusual for its domed roof and beam- the island, Hui’e built the
less arched ceiling, was brought here
from Nanjing in the late 17th century. promised temple and

became a devoted hermit

spending the rest of his life Frieze of Hui’e sailing
on Putuo Shan.
near Putuo Shan

250 CENTRAL CHINA

Nanchang 8 t Youmin Si

FOUNDED DURING THE HAN ERA, this 177 Minde Lu. # 5am–5pm daily. &
provincial capital flourished under Bayi Park # 5am–11:30pm daily. &
the Ming dynasty as a center of trade.
However, it is best remembered as the This Buddhist temple founded
scene of a significant uprising led by in the Liang era in the 6th
the Communist leader Zhou Enlai, who century is one of Jiangxi’s
took control of the city for a few days principal shrines. It was
in 1927. Although Nanchang was soon damaged during the Cultural
Detail of façade, recaptured by the Nationalists, the Revolution, and has now
Youmin Si incident started a chain of events that been restored. One of its
ultimately led to the formation of the People’s Republic three halls has a 33-ft (10-m)
of China. Despite being largely an industrial city, Nan- high Buddha statue standing
chang has numerous sights including a good museum on a lotus. The temple also
and several sites with revolutionary associations. houses a Ming-dynasty bronze
bell and another cast during
the Tang era in AD 967.

Just south of the temple is
Bayi Park (August 1st Park),
formerly the site of the
imperial examination halls. It
is a pleasant expanse of water
and greenery, with an
enclosed garden known as
Old Man Su’s Vegetable Plot,
after its Song-dynasty owner.

E Revolutionary Museum

380 Zhongshan Lu. # daily. &

Housed in a striking building

that was once a hotel, the

August 1 Uprising Museum

was the headquarters of the

Communist forces led by

Zhou Enlai, that captured the

city in 1927. Its three floors

Offering incense sticks in front of the Youmin Si are filled with period furniture

and weaponry.

E Renmin Square Enlai, who led the uprising

Memorial Hall to the Martyrs of the that briefly captured the city P Teng Wang Pavilion

Revolution 399 Bayi Dadao. § (0791) on August 1 of that year. Their 7 Yanjiang Lu. § (0791) 670 2055.

626 2566. # 2:30–5pm Sun–Fri. & army, consisting of about # daily. &

The huge, open space of 30,000 rebels, held the city The impressive Teng Wang

Renmin (People’s) Square is until the Kuomintang forces Pavilion was first built in 653,

surrounded by some impres- drove them out. Although the during the early Tang-era and

sive, if slightly chilling, operation was a failure, it is immortalized by the poet Tang

examples of Soviet-inspired considered a defining moment Bo. There have been about 26

revolutionary architecture. in 20th-century Chinese his- versions of the pavilion since

At the southern end is the tory, and celebrated as the day then – the latest was erected

Monument to the Martyrs, of the birth of the Red Army. in 1989 to replace the one

a theatrical sculpture of revo-

lutionary fervor topped by a ZHOU ENLAI (1898–1976)
rifle, while the vast Exhibition

Hall is decorated with a glit- Zhou Enlai, one of the early members of

tering red star. Just north of the Chinese Communist Party, became

the square is the Memorial the nation’s prime minister in 1949. His

Hall to the Martyrs of the pragmatism and diplomacy helped him

Revolution, which exhibits survive the constant upheavals of Mao

archival photographs of events Zedong’s chairmanship. To the West,

in China between the 1920s he represented the reasonable and

and 1940s. affable side of the Chinese people,

P Zhu De’s Former while to his countrymen, he was the

only member of the government to

Residence understand their problems. He is cred-
ited with curbing some of the excesses
Near Bayi Dao Dao. # daily.

This attractive wooden house of the Cultural Revolution. When he

dates from 1927, when it Premier Zhou Enlai died, the outpouring of grief in China

housed the fledgling revolu- in 1973 was spontaneous and heartfelt.

tionaries, Zhu De and Zhou

ZHEJIANG & JIANGXI 251

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

312 miles (500 km) SW of Hang-
zhou. * 4,100,000. k Xiangtan
Airport. £ Train Station. c Long
Distance Bus Station, CAAC (buses
to airport). g Ferry Terminal. n
169 Fuzhou Lu, (0791) 638 2245.

The stately Teng Wang Pavilion, on the banks of the Gan Jiang its construction was said to
avert disaster, while its
destroyed by fire in 1926. The from the 4th century to the destruction heralded the fall
197-ft (60-m) high structure is Qing era. There are also of the city. The pagoda is
in the Southern Song style. several funeral items from located in a quaint neighbor-
Visitors can take a lift to the the Spring & Autumn period hood with a handful of tea-
top for views of the city. Occa- and the Ming era, including houses, barber shops, and
sional performances of dance statuary, jade belts, and grocery stores.
and music or local opera are jewelry, some of which was
also held in the tiny theater. discovered in the tomb of the E Qingyun Pu
son of Hongwu, founder of
E The Provincial Museum the Ming dynasty. Dingshan Qiao. # Tue–Sun. &

1 Xinzhou Lu. # Tue–Sun. & t Shengjin Ta The Blue Cloud Garden or Ba
Da Shan Ren Museum was
Located near the river in the Zhishi Jie. # entry is often closed. & the retreat of one of China’s
west of the city, this museum’s great painters, Zhu Da, who
exhibition space still needs to Formerly part of a temple, flourished at the end of the
be filled. However, the existing this 194-ft (59-m) high brick Ming era and the early Qing
exhibits are interesting, and pagoda was first built in the dynasty. He was a descendant
include fossils found in Jiangxi, late Tang dynasty, but was of the Ming imperial family
and a range of porcelain from entirely rebuilt in the 18th who went into hiding here
the kilns at Jingdezhen, dating century. Like many pagodas, after their fall, in what was
originally designed as a Taoist
retreat. His paintings, strik-
ingly spare and direct, are
reproduced here.

NANCHANG CITY CENTER B R IBDAGYEI YANGMING LU

The Provincial

Museum 6 Jiang g G BEI LU BAYI DA DAO
Renmin Square 1 YANJIAN SUPU LU
DIESHAN LU
Revolutionary Gan XIANGSHAN BEI LU Tourist
SHENGLI LU 3 Office
Museum 4
MINDE LU 2
Shengjin Ta 7
Teng Wang Pavilion 5 5

Youmin Si 3

Zhu De’s Former 6 MINDE LU BAYI
Residence 2 GONGYUAN

ZHONGSHAN LU ZHONG S H A N LU 1 CAAC

4 BEIJING
XI LU

RUZI LU N

KEY RUZI LU XIANGSHAN NAN LU Long Distance
NJ Bus Station
c Long distance bus station Z
g Ferry terminal HONGIANG c
N Post office LUYA
DAO
BAYI DA

ZHANQIAN XI LU USHANROF
OUT
7 U N D A B Train
0 meters 800 StationJINGG
0 yards 800 SHAN
Xiangtan
Airport, ANG
DAD
Qingyun Pu
A

O

252 CENTRAL CHINA

Lu Shan 0

DURING THE 19TH CENTURY, this beautiful
area of highland scenery was developed
by Edward Little, a Methodist minister and
property speculator, as a resort area for
Circular gate- Europeans. Later it became a favorite retreat
way at Lu Shan among Chinese politicians; Chiang Kai Shek
had a summer residence here and from 1949 Lu Shan
was popular with Mao and his ministers. Today, despite
the summer crowds, Lu Shan remains a refreshing
place for walks among lakes, hills, and waterfalls.

Xunyang Lou, an impressive
re-creation of a Tang-era tavern

Jiujiang 9

115 miles (184 km) N of Nanchang. . Floral Path
* 4,380,000. £ c n 6 Lufeng This walk skirts the edge of the western cliffs,
Lu, (0792) 856 0600. giving marvelous views over the Jinxui Valley.
The path leads to the Immortal’s Cave, once
THE GATEWAY to Lu Shan, the inhabited by a Daoist monk.
ancient port of Jiujiang,
was used for shipping rice . Dragon’s Head Cliff a
and tea and, during the Ming Magnificent views combine with
dynasty, porcelain from the sound of the wind in the pine a Jiangjun He
Jingdezhen. Badly damaged forest and the roaring of waterfalls
during the Taiping insurrection, in the Stone Gate Ravine.
it was later opened to foreign
trade in 1861 and became STAR FEATURES
noted for its tea bricks.
. Dragon’s Head Cliff
The older and livelier part of
town lies close to the river,
separated from the industrial
section by two lakes. Yanshui
Ting, the Misty Water Pavilion,
is located on a small island
on Gantang Hu. It was most
recently rebuilt in the Qing
dynasty and contains a
museum showing old photos
of Jiujiang. Nengren Si was
founded in AD 502. Closed
during the Cultural Revo-
lution, it now houses a flour-
ishing community of monks.

The Xunyang Lou is a
modern reincarnation of a
Tang-dynasty wooden tavern,
which was the setting for a
raucous scene in the Chinese
classic, The Water Margin
(see pp28–9).

t Nengren Si . Floral Path Suspension
. Meilu Villa Bridge
168 Yuliang Nan Lu. # daily. &

P Xunyang Lou

Binjiang Lu. # 8am–7pm daily. &

ZHEJIANG & JIANGXI 253

0 meters 500 KEY VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
0 yards
c Bus station Guling, 22 miles (35 km) S of
500 Jiujiang. @ from Jiujiang Bus
Station; minibus from ferry car
a Cable car park. # daily. & entry to scenic
n Tourist information area and for each site. 8 - 0

Path
Built-up area

c

DAJIN LU n

Ruqin HENAN LU LU HEDONG LU . Meilu Villa
Hu Named after his wife Song Meiling, this
is the former villa of Chiang Kai Shek
XIA
and one of the few places in China
that commemorates his period of rule.

NGSHAN

Lulin People’s Hall
Hu The site of the 1959 Central
Committee Congress during which
Peng Dehui criticized Mao’s Great
Leap Forward is now a museum.

Lu Shan Museum
is housed in Mao’s
former villa.

Yuping BOTANICAL
Feng GARDENS

Black Dragon Pool
Five streams plunge over a
huge stone into a pool, which
is said to be inhabited by a
dark dragon, although the
water is limpid and clean.

254 CENTRAL CHINA

Porcelain

DESPITE CHINESE POTTERY’S long history, it was not until Blue and White Ming
the Bronze Age (between about 1500 and 400 BC) porcelain is seen by some
that special clays and hotter kilns resulted in a harder, as the epitome of Chinese
sometimes glazed stoneware. True porcelain, however, style. The elegance of the
did not appear until the Sui dynasty. A far finer type of designs and the depth of
ceramic, true porcelain is smooth and polished, and color are astounding.
produces an almost crystalline ring when struck; at its
most delicate, it is even translucent. Porcelain became
popular in Europe during the 16th century, and the
Portuguese, and later the Dutch and English, set up a
lucrative trade between China and the rest of the world.

Jingdezhen clay is the key to the quality of the As on a production line, each artisan performs a
porcelain and is a mixture of fine white kaolin single task in the porcelain-making process. The clay
and “petuntse” (a crushed feldspar rock). The is centered on a wheel and thrown into a rough
resulting fine powder is washed, strained shape, sculpted into a finer piece with scrapers,
through silk, and dried. and brushed with water to create a smooth surface.

A cobalt blue underglaze may be added before Firing is a crucial stage in making porcelain –
coating with a clear glaze of limestone ash, the fluctuations in temperature can ruin thousands of
finest petuntse, and water. The glaze absorbs pieces in one go. The best porcelain is fired inside
clay “saggars” – cases that protect them from dust
the blue dye and fuses into the original and sudden variations in heat.
clay to form a hard glassy porcelain.

Rose medallion porcelain was Reign mark starts here
made specially for export. Often and reads top to
bottom, right to left
these pieces were made to Western
designs in terms of shape and Characters for Reign marks
decoration. Sometimes din- Emperor Hongzhi show the reign
ner sets displaying a family name of the
or even a royal crest were emperor when the
produced, and designs piece was made.
were sent from Europe to However, the ease
be reproduced by the Chinese. with which they can be
faked renders accurate
dating the task of experts.

ZHEJIANG & JIANGXI 255

PORCELAIN One of Jingdezhen’s many pottery shops
TIMELINE
Jingdezhen q would once have graced the
HAN town. The adjacent Ancient

A key development Pottery Factory (Guyao
during this period
was the art of Cichang) gives demonstrations
glazing. Simple
pots began 90 miles (145 km) NE of Nanchang. of the ancient techniques used
changing from
everyday items to * 1,500,000. k £ c n CITS, in the making of porcelain.

works of art. 8 Lianhuatang Lu, (0798) 822 2939. The Porcelain Museum

TANG (Taoci Guan) houses a

Technical advances during FOR CENTURIES the ceramic collection of beautiful porcelain
the Tang dynasty saw the
production of new types of capital of China, Jingdezhen from the Song, Ming, and
porcelain, most famously
the sancai (tri-colored) is still one of the country's Qing dynasties, as well as
pieces illustrating figures
from the Silk Road. major porcelain producers. some of the finer creations

SONG Although pottery kilns were produced since the establish-

Beautiful Song porcelain is operating here as far back as ment of the PRC in 1949.
characterized by simple
shapes glazed in a sin- the Han dynasty, it The main porcelain
gle, rich color.
New shapes was the discovery of market is on Jiefang
were devel-
oped, as well real porcelain, during Lu. Porcelain in all
as the cracked
glazing technique. the Five Dynasties era shapes and sizes is

YUAN (907–79 AD), which sold here, from

Porcelain from the depended on locally classical-period
Mongol dynasty
absorbed foreign found clay rich in reproductions to
influences. Cobalt
blue underglaze feldspar, that brought garden ornaments and
was introduced,
and later per- Jingdezhen its pre- sentimental reproduc-
fected during the
Ming period. eminence. During the Detail from tions of dogs and cats.

MING Ming dynasty, its museum entrance For a view across the

The Ming dynasty was the location near the roofs of town, visitors
era of imperial patronage
of Jingdezhen and large- imperial capital of Nanjing can climb the wooden four-
scale exportation to the
West. The kilns flourished increased its importance and it story Longzhu Ge (Dragon
and the artisans returned to
a richer palette of colors became famous for fine Pearl Pavilion).
and pictorial design.
porcelain with a blue under-
QING
glaze. Although the quality of E Museum of Ceramic
The latter part of this
dynasty was often charac- the porcelain is lower than in History
terized by overly elaborate
design and poor quality, but the past, the main reason for Zhonghua Bei Lu. # daily. &

the early part visiting Jingdezhen is still E Porcelain Museum
of the Qing
saw the ceramic production. Visiting a 21 Lianshe Beilu Lu. # daily. &
production
of delicate factory or one of the ancient

famille rose kiln sites will need to be
porcelain.
arranged though CITS but

there are also several places

of interest that can be visited

independently.

The Museum of Ceramic

History (Taoci Lishi

Bowuguan) is located in a

rural setting on the western

edge of town. Displays of

items taken from ancient kiln

sites around Jingdezhen and

of potters at work effectively

make this museum interactive.

The museum is housed in an

elegant Ming house, a rare The wooden Longzhu Ge, with

survivor among the many that views across Jingdezhen

256 CENTRAL CHINA

The Long March

DURING THE 1920S THE outlawed Communist leaders
sought refuge from the Kuomintang (KMT) at re-
mote rural bases, or “soviets,” in Sichuan, Hunan, and,
in Jiangxi province, at Jinggang Shan, the headquarters
run by Mao Zedong and Zhu De. In October 1934, with
the KMT closing in, the Jiangxi Soviet was forced to
break out and join thousands of revolutionaries on a
tactical retreat. Covering, largely at night, an average of
20 miles (32 km) a day, the Communists marched 5,900
miles (9,500 km) in a year. The march, though not a
strategic success, was a psychological victory.

7 Crossing the remote, The Red Army – outlawed, har-
boggy and freezing Aba ried and hungry – had to fight
Grasslands brought enor- battles, outwit their better equip-
mous losses. A subsequent ped enemy, and cross inhos-
meeting with rival, Zhang pitable terrain in all seasons.
Guotao, firmly established
Mao’s primacy. SHANXI

KEY NINGXIA

Long March 8
Y•elloXwi’aRniver
8 Yan’an was the end point of the 0 kilometers 300 Lanzhou SHAANXI
march on 19 October 1935. Mao 0 miles
arrived with 5000 marchers and •
established the Yan’an Soviet as
an independent communist state. GANSU

300

7 HUBEI

SICHUAN Ya ngzi
6

5

Chengdu • CHONGQING

43

GUIZHOU

Guiyang •

6 Daxue Shan, the Great Snowy Mountains, are

some of the highest in the country. Crossing the passes

was the most challenging episode of the Long March, Kunming GUANGXI
•

and led to the death, through altitude sickness, ex- 4 At Lu Shan YUNNAN

haustion, and exposure, of many Red Army soldiers. Pass, the Red Army.
reached the pass just

ahead of the KMT, deceived

their pursuers, and gained

an unexpected victory.

5 The Luding Chain Bridge (see p371) was 3 Zunyi was taken despite heavy losses in
the only means of crossing the Dadu River. January 1935. Mao emerged from the ensuing
Blocked by KMT troops who had removed most of conference as leader of the Communist Party
the bridge’s planks, 22 Red Army soldiers took the and commander of the Red Army; the Soviet-
bridge by crawling along the remaining chains, supported general was expelled.
with the loss of 7 men.

ZHEJIANG & JIANGXI 257

Many prominent Long The thickly-wooded slopes of Jinggang Shan
Marchers became China’s
future leaders, including (from Jinggang Shan w Kuomintang troops in 1928.
left) Bo Gu (Communist leader Located at about 3,300 ft
until 1935), Zhou Enlai, Zhu
De, and Mao Zedong. (1,000 m), Ciping was the

• centre of the Jinggang Shan

Beijing

Ciping, 200 miles (320 km) S of revolutionary base during the

Nanchang. c n 2 Tianjie Lu, 1920s and 1930s and is now

(0792) 655 6788. & for most the site of local government.

revolutionary and scenic sights. Its location at the center of the

∑ www.jgstour.com mountain range and growing

collection of hotels make it a

HENAN THERE ARE TWO reasons good base for exploring the
for visiting Jinggang area. The beauty of the

Shanghai • Shan: its scenery, which area is a startling

has been featured on contrast with its image

Chinese bank notes, and as a gritty, revolutionary

its revolutionary stronghold. There are

associations. The the beautiful 33-ft

mountain range, of (100-m) Shuikou

which the main peak waterfalls, located in

JIANGXI is Jinggang Shan, a luxuriant valley

Changsha sometimes known surrounded by

• as Wuzhi Feng (Five rocks amid bamboo,

HUNAN Fingers Peak), azaleas and pine
2
1 reaches to 5,200 ft Monument outside forest. Wulong Tan,

(1,586 m). There are Wulong Tan a few miles north of

magnificent views, Ciping, is composed

especially at sunrise, as well as of several limpid pools into

GUNANDONG a great variety of plants, birds, which stream a number of
Guangzhou
butterflies and other insects. rapids and waterfalls. A cable
•
The village of Ciping was car can take you to the top and

completely destroyed during give you magnificent views

the civil war of the 1930s but over the whole area, whilst for

was rebuilt after 1949 as a sort those with the inclination and

of shrine to the communist energy, much of the area can

struggle and to the Long March be enjoyed on foot.

in particular. There are a

number of buildings commem-

orating the way of life of the

1 Jinggang Shan was the early revolutionaries, forced
base of the Jiangxi Soviet whose
position was steadily being here in the late 1920s by
eroded by advancing KMT
troops. Led by Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai Shek’s obsessive
the Long March started from
here on 16 October 1934. persecution, which culminated

2 The crossing of the Xiang in a massacre of striking work-
river was the marchers’ first
major battle. Accounted a di- ers in Shanghai in 1927. It is
saster, huge amounts of equip-
ment were lost in the waters. possible here to gain some

idea of what life was like for

the revolutionaries, as they

developed their strategy

before the epic walk to

Shaanxi. A short distance

away is the watching post at

Huangyang Jie, where the Pearl Pool, one of the five

Red Army repulsed waterfalls at Wulong Tan



CENTRAL CHINA 259

HUNAN & HUBEI

H UNAN AND HUBEI are grain producer during the
Central China’s west- Ming and Qing dynasties, by
ternmost provinces. the 19th century the popu-
Hubei is dominated by the HUBEI lation had outgrown the
mighty Yangzi River, and its land, and the ensuing
capital Wuhan is a great HUNAN unrest was exploited by the
industrial city on the river. Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
The mountainous Three
Gorges in western Hubei near Rebellion (see p422). The region’s
Yichang is now the site of the world’s poverty also had a great impact on
largest dam, due for completion in China’s history in the 20th century. As
2009. The scenic Shennongjia Forest the birthplace of Mao Zedong,
Reserve, home of the legendary Wild Hunan’s revolutionary credentials are
Man, and Wudang Shan, known for its still one of its principal attractions,
martial arts school, are spectacular both in Changsha, the capital, and in
sights definitely worth visiting, although Mao’s birthplace at Shao Shan. Other
remote and difficult to access. popular sights include Dongting Hu,
China’s second-largest lake, in the
Hunan’s fertile farmlands lured mil- northeast, the temples at scenic Heng
lions of migrants during the political Shan in the south, and the
upheavals in North China between the wonderful mountain scenery of
8th and 11th centuries. An important Wulingyuan in the northwest.

SIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Towns & Cities Temples & Holy Mountains Nature Reserves & Areas

Changsha 1 Heng Shan 3 of Natural Beauty

Furongzhen 4 Wudang Shan q Shennongjia 0

Jingzhou 8 Wulingyuan pp264–5 5

Wuhan 7 Danjiangkou Dams
Yueyang 6 Yichang 9
Shiyan • Shuiku
Historic Sites
Shao Shan 2 q • Laohekou
• Zaoyang
Zhu•shan Xiangfan•
0 316
Suizhou•
•
Guangshui

Jingmen Anlu• • Macheng

Xiaogan
k• •
Jianshi • 318 209 9~ Han Shui
207 7 • Xishui

Lichuan• Ya•Zhicheng •8• •Huangshi

Enshi Xiantao Liangzi

Xianfeng Jianli ngz i Hu
• 106

• •Jinshi
Dongting 6
Cili •
•
Chongyang
5
Hu
• Changde
Yongshun • 4~Yua3n19J i a n g
Jishou • Anhua • Z i Yiyang
107 • Pingjiang 0 km 100
Xi ao SShui•

• Zhexi Xiangta•n1~Zhuzhou 0 miles 100
Shuiku
Chenxi •2 •
Loudi
KEY
• Huaihua • •

Lianyuan Liling

Hongjiang• 320 3 k International airport

• •

Dongkou Shaoyang

• ~ Domestic airport

207 Hengyang

•Tongdao • Leiyang National highway
Major road
•Yongzhou 107 •
Chenzhou Zixing

•

Daoxian • Yizhang• 106 Railroad
• Guilin Provincial border

h ui

• Shaoguan
100km =10mm

Martial artist practicing in one of the temples on Wudang Shan

260 CENTRAL CHINA

amount of elasticity. Amazingly Shao Shan 2

scientists were able to deter-

mine that she died at 50, and

was suffering from tuberculosis 80 miles (130 km) SW of Changsha.
and arthritis. According to the £ daily from Changsha. c
customs at the time, the tombs

Twere filled with foods and HE BIRTHPLACE of Mao
Zedong, China’s leader
furnishings to comfort that part
of the soul that remains on from 1949 until his death in

earth, and a silk banner that 1976, Shao Shan is really two

mapped the Han belief system. towns. The newer one is near

Close by is the pleasantly the railway station, while the

landscaped Martyrs’ Park. village of Shao Shan Dong,

Among the numerous sites where the “Great Helmsman”

No. 1 Teachers’ Training College, related to Mao Zedong, the spent his early years is 4 miles

Changsha most interesting is the Hunan (6 km) away. At the height of

Changsha 1 No. 1 Teachers’ Training the Mao phenomenon during

180 miles (290 km) S of Wuhan. College, where he studied the Cultural Revolution, special
* 5,750,000. ~ £ c
n 59, 2 Duan, Furong Zhong Lu. from 1913, when he was 19, pilgrimage trains, crowded

AN IMPORTANT ancient city, until 1918. Although he with Red Guards, brought
Changsha was the capital
of the Chu kingdom until the famously failed his art almost 8,000 worshipers a
unification of China under the
Qin in 280 BC. Much later, exam, by drawing a day. Shao Shan is still
the city’s profile was raised
once more when in 1903 it circle and calling it an popular and any
became a treaty port, open to
foreign trade. During the egg, he was declared buildings connected
Sino-Japanese war in 1938, it
was damaged by the student of the year in with Mao are now pre-
Kuomintang. The town is
associated with Mao Zedong, 1917. At college, he served as museums.
who attended college here
from 1912 to 1918. devoted much of his Mao’s Family House,

The excellent Hunan time in organizing where he was born in
Provincial Museum houses
many items of interest, includ- student societies, a use- 1893, is typically rural,
ing a collection of painted
neolithic pottery and bronzes ful practise for his future except for its displays
from the Shang and Zhou
eras. However, the principal role as leader. Mao of memorabilia. Next
displays were excavated from
three Han-dynasty tombs at returned as a teacher to it lies the Mao
Mawangdui, to the east of the
city. The first tomb belonged between 1920 and 1922. Zedong Exhibition
to the wife of the Marquis of
Dai, the second was that of Visitors can follow a Hall and nearby to
the Marquis himself, while the
third contained their son. The self-guided route Mao statue, that sits the Mao
Marquis, Li Cang, became through the rebuilt No. 1 Teachers’ Ancestral Temple.
prime minister in 193 BC, and college, which is still Training College Overlooking the
died in 186. The tombs con- active, visiting the village is Shao Peak,
tained a wooden outer coffin,
surrounded by a protective dormitories, the well where accessed by cable car. About 2
layer of clay and charcoal,
within which were four other Mao bathed in cold water, miles (3 km) from the village
coffins, lacquered and hand-
somely painted. The bodies and the halls where he held is Dripping Water Cave,
had been dressed in several
layers of silk. His wife’s body political meetings. where, legend has it, Mao
(on display in a liquid-filled
tank) was so well preserved pondered over the Cultural
that her skin retained a certain
E Hunan Provincial Revolution in 1966.

Museum & Martyrs’ Park

3 Dongfeng Lu. # 9am–5pm daily. & P Mao’s Family House &

P Hunan No. 1 Teachers’ Mao Zedong Exhibition Hall

Training College Shao Shan Chong. § (0732) 568

207 Shuyuan Lu. # daily. & 5157. # 8am–5:30pm daily. &

Stone tablets engraved with Mao’s poems, Shao Peak, Shao Shan

HUNAN & HUBEI 261

Wulingyuan 5

See pp264–5.

Yueyang 6

62 miles (100 km) N of Changsha.
* 5,104,000. £ g at Chenglingji.
n 25 Yunmeng Lu, (0730) 821 8922.

SITUATED ON THE banks of the
Yangzi and the shores of
Grand gateway of the Zhusheng Si Monastery, Nanyue Dongting Hu, China’s second

Heng Shan 3 Furongzhen 4 largest freshwater lake, Yue-
yang is an important stopping

point for river ferries and trains

on the Beijing to Guangzhou

75 miles (120 km) S of Changsha. 249 miles (400 km) NW of Changsha. line. Its main sight, Yueyang
§ (0734) 566 2571. c from £ to Mengdonghe, then bus or Tower, was once part of a
Changsha to Nanyue. # daily. & boat. c g from Mengdonghe. Tang-era temple. The current
structure, dating from the Qing

O MNE OF THE FIVE holy Daoist ENGDONGHE is the era, is an impressive sight,
mountains, Heng Shan at jumping-off point to with its glazed yellow-tiled

4,232 ft (1,290 m) is a cluster Furongzhen (Wang Cun), the roofs overlooking the lake.

of wooded peaks, dotted with location of the eponymous Nearby are two pavilions,

temples that were established 1986 film. Wang Cun, mean- Xianmei Ting and Sanzui Ting;

some 1,300 years ago. The ing Hibiscus Town, was an the latter was where Lu

gateway to Heng Shan is adaptation of the novel A Dongbin, one of the Daoist

Nanyue, a five-hour bus jour- Town Called Hibiscus by Gu Eight Immortals (see pp30-31),

ney from Changsha. It is a Hua. It was one of the first came to drink wine. To the

pleasant little town with two books to show how the polit- south is Cishi Ta, a pagoda

main streets, and a couple of ical upheavals of the 1950s built in 1242 to propitiate

significant temples. Nanyue and 1960s affected people in flood-causing demons.

Damiao has been a place of rural China. Furongzhen is an A 30-minute boat ride from

worship for both Buddhist attractive town with stone Yueyang is the small island of

and Daoists since the early streets and old wooden build- Junshan Dao, a former Daoist

8th century AD, although the ings. Its Tujia Museum on retreat that is now famous for

current buildings, modeled on Hepan Jie is devoted to the its silver needle tea.

Beijing’s Forbidden City, date culture of the indigenous

from the 19th century. The Tujia people. Visitors can also P Yueyang Tower

other, Zhusheng Si, is an 8th- go rafting near Furongzhen, Dongting Beilu. § (0730) 831 5588.

century Buddhist monastery, on the Yuan Jiang River. # daily. &

rebuilt in the 18th century.

The mountain can be

explored on foot or by mini-

bus, but it is a 9-mile (15-km)

walk to the top. There is a

cable car to the summit from

about halfway. A number of

monasteries and temples lie

along the path that meanders

through lush countryside

before reaching the Martyrs’

Memorial Hall, honoring

those who died in the 1911

revolution. Next is the 7th-

century Xuandu Si, Hunan’s

main Daoist temple. The route

finally leads to Shangfeng Si,

also the minibus terminus.

Just beyond is the summit

marked by Zhurong Gong, a

tiny stone temple. Visitors can

stay at a hotel near the top

for views from the Terrace

for Watching the Sunrise. A river boat at the scenic Junshan Dao (Junshan Island)

262 CENTRAL CHINA

Cult of Mao

WHEN HE BECAME Chairman in 1949, Mao
Zedong was already a figure of almost
mystical stature, having led the Red Army

since 1934. He was an ideologue and whilst

1960s Mao his impatience at the pace of reform led to
lapel badge
decisions that often brought disaster, skillful
maneuvering by the party meant that he

remained a heroic figurehead. The Cultural Revolution

(see pp64–5) 1966–76, was, at the expense of millions of Mao’s portrayal not only as a
deity but as a man of the people,
lives, a calculated attempt to make Mao a deity. The was part of the ambiguity of the
cult. Nonetheless, Mao remains
years after his death saw a diminution of his status, but at the center of the image
surrounded by adoring women.
since the 1990s his popularity has revived. Once again

Mao is considered by millions to be weida – Great.

POSTER ART

In the 1960s the Chinese
propaganda machine turned
out posters featuring Mao by

the million. He was often
portrayed as a benevolent
avatar, a god come among

the people to transform
their lives.

A Mao study group dis- “Celebrate the birth Mao’s face was always a ruddy
cusses Mao’s philosophy in the and life of Chairman red, as artists were told to avoid
late 1960s. His thought briefly Mao for 10,000 years.” grey and to imbue him with
became a modern substitute cherub-like youth.
for the Confucian philosophy
that had dominated Chinese
intellectual life for millennia.

The thoughts of Chairman
Mao were collected in 1961
in a volume, known as the
“Little Red Book,” which was
distributed to all Red Guards.

Pilgrims at Shao Shan, Mao’s
birthplace (see p 260), pay their
respects. At the height of the Cultural
Revolution, several trains a day pulled
into Shao Shan to disgorge thousands of
fervent pilgrims. In the 1980s this traffic all
but ceased but has revived in recent years.

HUNAN & HUBEI 263

“Chairman Mao is the red sun in our hearts” according
to this poster. The uppermost characters say “the East is
Red,” the name of a piece of music that became an
anthem of the Cultural Revolution.

Light always radiates Early poster art was slightly different
from behind Mao, in character from later propaganda.
just as a halo might Although this poster asks people to
appear behind a god march forward under the banner
in a temple. of Mao Zedong, revolutionary Soviet-
endorsed communism, rather than
Maoism, is celebrated on the flags.

Mao memorabilia is widely avail-
able in China, although many of the
pieces on sale at markets today have
been produced specifically for the
tourist market.

Since Mao’s death the Party has
had to tread a delicate line

between condemnation of his
excesses and praise for his

achievements. His portrait still
hangs at the north end of

Tian’an Men Square; perhaps his
posthumous function is as a
symbol of a united China.

MAO ATTACKED

In 1994 Mao’s private physician, Li Zhisui, wrote

The Private Life of Chairman Mao, in which Mao

is portrayed as vain, cold, and contemptuous of

his colleagues and of the suffering of the Chinese

people. The book was instantly

banned by the Chinese govern-

ment. At the time of publication,

Li was living in the United States

and so escaped persecution. The

Domestic shrines with a figure of Mao book provides some surprising
to whom family members would address
their revolutionary prayers started insights into Mao’s habits and
replacing Daoist and Buddhist shrines
during the 1960s. Mao shrines are still opinions. However, many critics,
seen, although the Party disapproves.
even those unsympathetic to

Mao’s politics, claim that the The jacket of

book is simply opportunistic. Li’s biography

264 CENTRAL CHINA

Wulingyuan 5

OFTEN CALLED ZHANGJIAJIE, this 243-square- . Xianren Qiao
mile (391-sq-km) scenic preserve is a karst The Bridge of the Immortals
landscape (see pp412–13) of enormous beauty, is a spectacular, narrow and
unfenced span of rock over
with rocky pinnacles rising from a coverlet a deep chasm.
of dense sub-tropical vegetation. Wulingyuan
covers three natural reserves – Zhangjiajie,
Tianzi Shan, and Suoxi Yu – and contains

Sedan chair for well over 500 species of tree, including
tired tourists the dawn redwood, which was believed

to be extinct until it was re-identified in
1948. It is also a haven for fauna, including giant sala-
manders, rhesus monkeys, and a wide variety of birds.
The park is often cloaked in fog, adding atmosphere but
obscuring most views. Summers are excessively humid.

TIANZI SHAN
ZHEN

NA

. Huang Shi Zhai a
At 3,450 ft (1,050 m), Huang Shi Zhai is
the highest area in Wulingyuan. The climb ZHANGJIAJIE
up the 3,878 steps requires a good two NATURE PRESERVE
hours; there is also a cable car if the
stairway sounds too daunting.

a Jinbian XI

ZHANGJIAJIE
CUN

c

Kongzhong ZHANGJIAJIE SHI
Tianyuan
The Heavenly Garden STAR SIGHTS
is an isolated outcrop
covered in a mantle . Huang Shi Zhai
of green and . Xianren Qiao
surrounded by . Huanglong Dong
clusters of slender
pinnacles and
towering peaks.

HUNAN & HUBEI 265

Tianzi Ge VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
In the northern part of the preserve, the pinnacle of this
hill allows views of a valley forested with dozens of fine, 155 miles (250 km) NW of
splinter-like tors. Numerous underground caverns are Changsha. ~ at Zhangjiajie Shi
found throughout the surrounding area. (Zhangjiajie City). £ to Zhangjiajie
Shi. c to Zhangjiajie Shi; 1 hour
TIANZI SHAN a minibus to Zhangjiajie Cun (Zhang-
TURE PRESERVE a jiajie Village). # daily. n 26 Ziwu
Zhong Lu, Zhangjiajie Shi, (0744)
822 2301. & valid for 2 days.
∑ www.zhangjiajie.com.cn

KEY

c Bus station

a Cable car

Path

Built-up area

Road

Yupi Feng
The limestone
columns of the
Emperor’s Brushes
are featured on
Chinese stamps and
resemble traditional
Chinese calligraphy
brushes.

Gan Xi

SUOXI YU Suo Xi c
NATURE PRESERVE SUOXIYU CUN

Baofeng 0 meters 1000
Hu 0 yards 1000

Boat trips on Baofeng
Hu’s pristine waters are
included in the price of
admission.

EXPLORING WULINGYUAN . Huanglong Dong
Although illuminated garishly, 7 mile (11 km)
The main entrance is just past Zhangjiajie Cun. Yellow Dragon Cave loses none of its impact.
Follow the left path for a four-hour walk that Boat tours drift down its subterranean river.
includes Huang Shi Zhai. The right path pre-
sents several options, taking you, eventually,
away from the crowds. Accommodations are
available in Zhangjiajie Cun, as well as Suoxiyu
Cun, which is a good base for exploring the
east and north of the park. Simple inns are
scattered throughout the reserve.

266 CENTRAL CHINA

Wuhan 7 the city. On the eastern part
of the hill is Changchun
AN IMPORTANT PORT ON THE YANGZI, Hubei’s Guan, a Daoist temple with a
capital is an amalgamation of three older pharmacy, where a doctor
cities. Wuchang, capital of the State of Wu dispenses locally collected
herbs. To the south is Hong
(770–221 BC), and Hanyang, founded in the Ge, a red-brick building that
Sui era (AD 581–618), are ancient settlements, housed the Former
while Hankou was founded in 1861 when it Headquarters of the Hubei
Military Government (Hong
became a treaty port for foreign trade. As a Lou) during the 1911 uprising.
Daoist statue, result the city was a center for early Chinese Provoked by Sun Yat Sen (see
Changchun industrialization, when iron and steel works p297), the uprising led to the
fall of the last Qing govern-
Guan were built here in the 19th century. It was ment. Sun Yat Sen’s statue
also the site of the first uprising of the 1911 stands in front of the building.

Revolution that led to the fall of the Qing dynasty and P Yangzi Bridge
the formation of Republican China. This impressive 361-ft (110-m)
long bridge was built in 1957
by the Communists. Before its GGOONJNJLLIIUEGUEGFFYYAAUUNNAAGGNN
construction, all road and rail
traffic crossed the river by
ferry. A second bridge
was built a short way
downriver in 1995.

Hankou Train DADAO

Station S H E
JIA
WWUUSSHHEENNGG LLUUN
JJIIEEFFAANNGG
Ancestral musical instruments at the Hubei Provincial Museum HANKOU n

Hankou Bus

E Hubei Provincial Museum his living quarters, conference HANGK ON N ZHONGSHAN Station JIANGNHAN LU
room, bomb shelter, and GONGYUAN
156 Donghu Lu. § (027) 8679 4127. swimming pool. G LU c
# 8:30am–5pm daily. & JIEFANG DA
P Yellow Crane Pavilion DAO
Located on the shore of Dong
Hu, this is one of China’s best Wuluo Lu. # daily. & c ZHONGSHAN DA DAO 7
museums. Among its high-
lights are items excavated in The Yellow Crane Pavilion CAAC
1978 from the tomb of the on She Shan, south of the
Marquis of Yi, an eminent Yangzi in Wuchang district, Hanyang CCUUIIWWEEIIHHEENNGG LLUU YA H NHEaDnASDhAuOi 4g
figure from the Warring States is a reconstruction of a 3rd- Bus Station
period. He died in 433 BC and century edifice that burned 5 Zhonghua
was buried in a lacquered down in 1884. According to c Lu Terminal
coffin, accompanied by his legend, it was built to honor HANYANG DA DAO
concubines, his dog, and one of the Daoist Eight 6
thousands of bronze, stone, Immortals, who paid his tav- H A N YA N G
and woodem items. Many of ern bills by drawing cranes
these are on display, but the on the walls, which would fly YYaa nn gg zz ii
most impressive is the panoply down to entertain the other
of bronze bells which produce guests. The 164-ft (50-m) high
two notes each when struck. pavilion is a handsome Qing-
style building. It can be
Ferry rides are available to climbed for fine views across
explore the scenic area around
Dong Hu, with its many 0 meters 800
pavilions and gardens.

P Mao’s Villa 0 yards 800

Donghu Lu. § (027) 6888 1918. Old bronze pinnacle at the Yellow WUHAN CITY CENTER
# 8am–5pm daily. & Crane Pavilion
Gui Shan 5
This pleasant villa (Mao Guiyuan Si 6
Zedong Bieshu) was Mao’s Hankou 7
hideaway between 1960 and Hubei Provincial Museum 1
1974, where he stayed for Mao’s Villa 2
prolonged periods during the Yangzi Bridge 4
first years of the Cultural Revo- Yellow Crane Pavilion 3
lution. It is set in a spacious
garden, and visitors can see

HUNAN & HUBEI 267

P Gui Shan VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Wuhan’s industrial quarter of

Hanyang has a few sights of 470 miles (750 km) W of

interest most of which lie on Shanghai. * 7,950,000. k £

or around Gui Shan or Turtle Hankou Train Station, Wuchang

Hill. This was named after a Train Station. c CAAC (buses to

magic turtle that defeated a airport), Hankou Bus Station,

threatening water demon and Hanyang Bus Station, Wuchang

prevented the Han and Bus Station. g Yangzi Ferry

Yangzi rivers from flooding. Terminal. n 26 Taibei Yilu,

The Guqin Tai (Lute Terrace) Hankou, (027) 8578 4125.

was where the legendary

musician, Bo Ya, would

come to play his lute. t Guiyuan Si

After the death of his 20 Cuiweiheng Lu. § (027)

friend, the woodcutter 8484 4756. # daily. &

who could understand his This Buddhist temple in

music, Bo Ya destroyed western Hanyang was

Daoist priests depicted in a wall his lute and vowed never founded in the early

painting at Changchun Guan to play again. A couple Qing era (1644–62),

HUANG International of tombs survive in the although the current
DA JIE Airport eastern part of the buildings are late Qing
mountain. Near the tomb and early Republican. It

JIEFANG WWUUHHAANN CCHHAANNGG JJIIAANNGG EERR QQIIAAOO of He Jingyu (1895– has a few ancient relics
GONGYUAN 1928), one of the first
women leaders in including a Northern
DDAA DDAAOO Communist China, lies
SSHHEENNGGLLII that of a semi-mythical Wei Buddha statue, but

JJIIEE Buddha statue, is most famous for its
Guiyuan Si hall of 500 arhat

hero from a much statues sculpted in the

CCHHEEZZHH earlier era – Lu Su, a 1820s. The main hall has a

AN LU Wu general from the statue of Buddha carved from

YYAANNJJIIAANNGG DDAA DDAAOO Three Kingdoms a single piece of jade.
YYaa nn gg zz ii
period.

P Hankou

From 1861, the district of

g WUCHANG ZZHHOONNGG BBEEII LLUU Hankou was the site of the
former foreign concession.
Yangzi Ferry This area has several fine
Terminal examples of European-style

g

colonial architecture. The best

Sha Hu DONG HU are located between the river
GONGYUAN and Zhongshan Dadao, par-
ticularly along Yanjiang Dadao

Z H ONGSHAN LU DDOONN 1 and Jianghan Lu. The old
LLUU GHU 2 Customs House looking over
JJIIEEFFAANNGG LLUU the river is a vast Renaissance-

style building with a striking

HONGSHAN LU grey-stone portico and
Corinthian capitals.
3 MINZHU LU
ZZHHOONNGG NNAANN LLUU

Wuchang c
Bus Station

Wuchang £
Train Station

KEY Colorful kites on sale on the Yangzi riverfront

£ Train station
c Long distance bus station
g Ferry terminal
n Tourist information
N Post office

268 CENTRAL CHINA

Jingzhou Museum, part of the The Three Gorges Dam
Taoist Kaiyuan Temple
THE CONSTRUCTION of the Three Gorges Dam,
Jingzhou 8 at over 600 ft (180 m) high and more than
a mile (2 km) across, was intended to provide

a significant amount of China’s energy, curb
the Yangzi’s tendency to flood, and chan-
nel some of the country’s wealth, for long
Observation concentrated along the coastal regions, into
Station Statue China’s heartland. However, creating a 400-
mile (645-km) long reservoir has also meant the relocation
of many thousands of people, the obliteration of impor-
tant cultural sites, and long-term environmental damage.

Jingzhou Municipality. 150 miles (240
km) W of Wuhan. * 1,600,000.
c 4 ~ n 52 Jingding Lu.

AWORTHWHILE short stop Three Gorges Dam seen from the high-water side
if cruising the river, the
ancient town of Jingzhou is
about 8 kms to the west of its
modern counterpart Shashi.
The old town is ringed by
walls 20 ft (7 m) in height,
which were constructed by
General Guan Yu of the State
of Shu (AD 221–63). Within
the walls stands the Jingzhou
Museum. This has a a large
collection of ancient silk and
fabrics and, more notably,
finds from a Western Han
tomb of a court official called
Sui including his gory but
well-preserved corpse
complete with organs.

Yichang 9

Yichang District. 155 miles (250 km) ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
W of Wuhan. § 0717 624 1875.
c ~ £ n 52 Jiefang Lu, (0717) Hundreds of miles downstream, the rapidly growing
676 0392.
municipality of Chongqing has been pumping untreated
YICHANG, once a treaty port
for foreign traders, is now waste and chemicals into the Yangzi. With the river no
associated with the Gezhou
Dam, completed in 1986 and longer able to flush this
the huge and controversial
Three Gorges Dam, due to be away, the fear is that it
finished by 2009. It is
possible to visit the site of could all collect in a 400-
the Three Gorges Dam at
Sandouping, which lies 24 mile (645-km) long
miles (38 km) upstream. The
town is also a starting point cesspool. Additionally,
for a visit to Shennongjia
scenic area. the reduced flow of the

water could substantially

increase the silting up of

subsidiary waterways,

further harming the

fragile ecosystem and

closing the migration

routes of many fish

species and rare Part of the Three Gorges before the

freshwater dolphins. water levels rose 575 ft (175-m)

HUNAN & HUBEI 269

. Jar Hill VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Observation
Platform Sandouping, 22 miles (35 km)
This highpoint W of Yichang. n CITS, 72
provides an Yiling Dajie, (0717) 622 0848.
excellent bird’s @ 4 from Yichang train station
eye view of the or hire a minibus or taxi for a
dam as well as a couple of hours. Visitor Center
museum showing # daily. &
the history of the
construction. The Yangzi Sculpture
is a large lump of eroded
rock that is said to be
from the Yangzi River.

The Ship Lifting Tower
is simply a large and very
powerful elevator for
ships less than 80-ft
(25-m) long – faster than
using the 5-level lock.

STAR SIGHTS . 5-Level Double Ship Lock
At over a mile long (1600 m) this lock can raise or lower
. Jar Hill Observation ships a total vertical distance of 370 ft (113 m) and is,
Platform not surprisingly, the largest lock system in the world. It
takes nearly three hours to pass through the lock gates.
. 5-Level Ship Lock





272 CENTRAL CHINA

Wudang Shan lies to the

south of town, and there are

several ways of reaching it. A

path near the railway station

takes eight hours to reach the

summit at Tianzhu Peak.

Minibuses go about three-

quarters of the way up, from

where it is another two hours

on foot to the top. Other

options are sedan chairs and

a cable car that runs between

a point called Qiongtai and

the summit. Going up by

minibus, visitors first pass the

Martial Arts School and

then the Zixiao Gong

(Purple Cloud Palace), an

impressive Ming temple that

Dense virgin forests lining a gorge at Shennongjia has become the busiest in the

Shennongjia 0 Wudang Shan q area. Inside the main hall is a
beautiful spiral cupola. From

the minibus terminus, a short

diversion leads to the

124 miles (200 km) NW of Yichang. 218 miles (350 km) NW of Wuhan. £ Nanyan Gong temple at the
c from Yichang to entrance at Muyu, from Wuhan or Xiangfan to Wudang very edge of the cliff. Nearby
then hire a car. n 18 Longkang Lu, Shan town. c from Shiyan, Xiangfan is Dragon Head Rock that
Yichang, (0717) 868 6799. 8 from or Liuliping to Wudang Shan town. & projects horizontally from the
edge, and is covered in
Yichang tourist office & Forestry Office THE MANY PEAKS of Wudang sculpted designs. The main
Shan – the highest reaching path goes past Lang Mei
Travel Service, Muyu, (0719) 345 2303.

THIS REMOTE and little-visited 5,289 ft (1,612 m) at Tianzhu Xian Ci, a shrine dedicated to
forest reserve has some (Heavenly Pillar) Peak – have the monk Zhang Sanfeng. The
remarkable scenery. It is been associated with Daoism path eventually divides into

covered with rare trees and since the Tang era. Wudang two at Huanglong Dong. Of

several hundred species of Shan has also been known for the two paths, it is easier to

plants used in traditional its martial arts since the Song- take the one leading straight

medicine, samples of which dynasty monk, Zhang Sanfeng, on to the group of temples at

were introduced to the West created a style called Wudang Tianzhu Peak. At the summit,

by the botanist Ernest Wilson boxing from which tai ji quan the peak is surmounted by

in the early 20th century. It is later developed. After years of Jindian Gong (Golden Hall),

also home to many of China’s neglect, the many temples built of gilded copper and

rarest animals, including the here have been refur- bished bronze in 1416. It has a statue

splendid golden monkey. and are now flourishing. The of the Ming emperor Zhen

Inside the reserve, at entry point is the town of Wu, who retreated to Wudang

Xiaolong Tan, is a museum Wudang Shan, which has little Shan in the 15th century. The

dedicated to the legendary to offer except the temple views from Tianzhu, of razor-

Chinese Wild Man (ye ren), museum of Tai Shan Miao and edge cliffs covered in mist,

who is like the Himalayan Yeti the ruins of Yuxu Gong temple. are magnificent.

and just as hard to find. The

first reported sighting was in

1924. Walking trails around

Xiaolong Tan lead into the

heart of the reserve, providing

an excellent opportunity to

see the rare golden monkeys,

giant salamanders, and gold-

en pheasants. Some trails

follow forest roads, others

meander gently across mead-

ows, while the crudest lead to

mountain tops. Foreign

visitors can explore the Muyu

area, where peaks reach

10,187 ft (3,105 m). It may be

possible to visit the main

town of Songbai, but only if

accompanied by a tour guide. The Ming-era Zixiao Gong (Purple Cloud Palace), Wudang Shan

The Yangzi River at sun set, winding its way through the Three Gorges

HUNAN & HUBEI 273

Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi)

PRACTICED DAILY by millions of yang; movements contract and
Chinese, tai ji quan, or expand, sink and rise, move

“Supreme Ultimate Fist,” is a inwards and outwards. The

slow-moving, graceful form of movements follow one another

kung fu (see p159). Developed fluidly and sets can involve

over a thousand years ago by Daoist anywhere from 12 to 108 moves,
Daoist recluses and monks, tai ji bagua and take up to an hour to

quan is based on the movements complete. Tai ji quan does have

of birds and animals and the Daoist martial aspects, but is utilized chiefly

concept of yin and yang or equal to improve the flow of qi (see pp32–3),

opposites. All of the movements, each or vital energy, through the body. The

with their own names and prescribed exercises leave the practitioner feeling

patterns, have elements of yin and revitalized and relaxed.

Zhang Sanfeng, an official, retired in disgust at the Court The Sword set involves
to Wudang Shan. Inspired by a battle between a crane and the use of a weapon to
a snake, he came up with the basis for tai ji quan, combin-
ing knowledge of kung fu and Daoist health principles. aid balance and
concentration. The
simple sword form,
with some 50 move-
ments, is related to
the water element,
whilst the sabre is

related to fire.

MOVEMENTS OF THE TAI JI QUAN SET

Tai ji quan’s numerous schools have different sets and movements.

“Whip to one side” is a common move often repeated in a set.

The front leg slides

One arm pushes forward; forward, the body sinking
the other whips sideways. (yin) close to the ground in
a powerful position ready to

sweep upward (yang).

Legs are in a classic The trunk sinks,
sturdy tai ji quan while the back
pose, as the weight
shifts forward. remains upright.
Arms are poised
As the body turns to as if to ward off
a 45 degree angle,
the feet turn and the attack.
weight shifts to the
back leg.

Exercising in public squares is
a feature of daily life in China.
Early in the morning crowds of

mostly elderly people perform tai ji
quan in large groups executing the

movements in graceful unison.



THE
SOUTH

INTRODUCING THE SOUTH 276–283
FUJIAN 284–293

GUANGDONG & HAINAN 294–305
HONG KONG & MACAU 306–337

276 THE SOUTH

The South at a Glance

ENCOMPASSING THE PROVINCES of Fujian, Fishermen laboring on the beach at
Guangdong, and Hainan, as well as Macau Meizhou Island
and Hong Kong, the South is China’s most
familiar region, mainly because millions of
immigrants from the area have moved overseas,
taking their cooking and traditions with them.
Yet, with the exception of Hong Kong and
Guangzhou, the area rarely features on travelers’
itineraries. There is much to enjoy, however,
from the ancient Ming city of Chaozhou and
Wuyi Shan’s superb scenery, to the historic
ports of Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Shantou along
the coasts of Guangdong and Fujian, and the
tropical beaches of Hainan.

Nanchang

323 • SHAOGUAN

QINGYUAN

•

GUANGZHOU

ZHAOQING •

The active Buddhist temple Nan Putuo Si, Xiamen •

Xi Jiang •

FOSHAN

YANGJIANG •

• HONG
• KONG
325 MACAU

Nanning

• GETTING AROUND

ZHANJIANG The main airport hubs are at Hong
Kong and Guangzhou. Hong Kong
0 km 100 offers connections to destinations all
0 miles over the world, while Guangzhou
207 has direct flights to cities throughout
100 China and Asia. Xiamen, Fuzhou,
and Haikou also have airports with
• XUWEN several domestic flights. Trains, some
air-conditioned, link much of the
HAIKOU region although routes can be circui-
• tous. The extensive bus network
offers varying degrees of comfort
DONGJIAO depending on the destination. There
YELIN are frequent ferry services, particu-
larly between Hong Kong, Macau,
• and various mainland ports.

DONGFANG •
(BASUO)

HAINAN

• SANYA
Houseboats moored in orderly lines at Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong Island

INTRODUCING THE SOUTH 277

WUYI SHAN Shanghai
Nanchang

Min Jian
g
FUZHOU
9
206 •

31 2 Han Jiang •
05
• QUANZHOU

LONGYAN •

XIAMEN

MEIZHOU • Women of the Hui’an
minority, Chongwu

CHAOZHOU

•

• SHANTOU

FUJIAN

GUANGDONG
& HAINAN

HONG KONG
& MACAU

Traffic and advertisements along the bustling Gloucester KEY
Road in Wan Chai, Hong Kong
National highway
Major road
Minor road
Mountain

SEE ALSO

• Where to Stay pp564–7
• Where to Eat pp590–93

278 THE SOUTH

A PORTRAIT OF THE SOUTH

AN ENDURING MARITIME TRADITION has influenced life and culture
in the South. The long coastline along the South China Sea
gave the ports of Fujian and Guangdong easy access to trade
routes leading East and West. Trade also brought the British and
Portuguese to the South, ultimately leading to the colonization of
Hong Kong and Macau. Only Hainan Island remained isolated from
the developments that took place across the sea on mainland China.

Guangdong and Fujian are voyages of Admiral Zheng He,

particularly mountainous, and a Muslim eunuch, who

although the mountains are crossed the Indian Ocean

not especially high, they have from Fuzhou to Africa in the

isolated the provinces from the early 1400s. Almost a century

political mainstream of the later, Portuguese vessels ven-

center and north of the tured up the Pearl River to

country. Consequently, the Guangzhou; an expedition

South has tended to look that eventually led to the colo-

outwards, across the sea, and nization of Macau in 1557.

over the centuries has been far Picking tea leaves, The British soon followed, but

more inclined than much of Fujian their nefarious policy of

China to deal with foreigners – flooding the Chinese market

either by design or default. with opium led to the two Opium Wars

From the 7th century onwards, Arab (1839–42, 1856–60), after which China

traders introduced Islam to China ceded Hong Kong and the tip of the

through ports such as Guangzhou Kowloon Peninsula to Britain.

(Canton) and Quanzhou, and took silk, Over the centuries, waves of

porcelain, and tea away with them. It Southern Chinese migrated overseas,

was from these ports that China first to Southeast Asia, and later west-

launched its overseas naval expeditons. ward as far as North America, as

The Ming emperors sponsored the great indentured labor. Their global presence

Hong Kong Island’s glittering skyline, seen from Kowloon across Victoria Harbour

INTRODUCING THE SOUTH 279

Highlands around Tongshi

offer glimpses into their

unique culture.

Strong overseas con-

nections have meant that

in the last 20 years, money

has poured back into the

South. China’s more flex-

ible modern economy as

well as large investments

from Hong Kong have

also enhanced the region’s

affluence. Development

has been rapid, propelling

Tiled-roofs above the harbor at Meizhou Island the growth of new cities,

such as Shenzhen, helped

is one of reasons why visitors consider by their status as Special Economic

this the most familiar region in China. Zones. Inspired by Hong Kong’s sleek,

The Cantonese culinary tradition is contemporary architecture, construction

distinct and known the world over. The has been frantic and the proliferation of

local cuisine, however, may encompass high-rise buildings has transformed the

outlandish ingredients not used in skyline of historic cities.

overseas restaurants; it is said, with There are still many hidden gems to

some justification, that the Cantonese explore among the region’s skyscrapers

will eat anything. and new developments. Chief among

Teas from the south are these are Guangzhou’s

exported throughout the Nan Yue Tomb, the

world and Fujian produces rarely-visited Chaozhou

some of China’s finest, with its still-intact Ming

including oolong. The city wall, and one of

area has cultivated the A traditional Hakka dwelling China’s oldest mosques

arts of tea brewing and in Quanzhou. Some of

tasting, and so-called “tea art halls,” the finest examples of colonial

where resident brew masters demon- architecture can be seen in Macau and

strate techniques associated with parti- on the islet of Gulang Yu in Xiamen.

cular varieties of tea, are still found in Tropical Hainan’s main appeal lies in its

Fuzhou, the province’s capital. beaches, but the mountainous center is

The South’s largely subtropical climate worth exploring as well. Finally, there is

has encouraged a gregarious lifestyle, always Hong Kong, a frenetic,

which tends to manifest itself in an cosmopolitan city that vibrates day and

active, open-air streetlife. The local lan- night with an energy that is in keeping

guage of Cantonese is quite different with its status as a global financial center.

from Mandarin, the national language.

The sound is distinctive, even to the

untrained ear. The region’s other major

dialect is Fujianese (Minnan hua).

The South is home to several ethnic

communities, including the Hakka and

the Li. The Hakka migrated to south

and central China from the north. The

impressive round mansions of the

Fujianese Hakka are a highlight of a

trip to the interior. The Li are Hainan’s

original people, who settled here almost

2,000 years ago and lived a primeval

existence until the 1930s. The Central Women of the Hui’an minority, Chongwu

280 THE SOUTH

Rice Rice plants, like most other
cereals, produce dense flower-
RICE HAS LONG BEEN vital to the Chinese as heads, with the grains tightly
both a food staple and a cash crop. So packed inside protective husks.
intrinsic to life is the grain that “Chi fam le
ma?” (Have you eaten rice today?) is one
of the most common greetings in China.

Rice-growing is thought to have its origins
A bottle of in southern China around 10,000 BC,
rice wine although the flooded-field method that

allowed larger yields and required massive
irrigation projects was not perfected until thousands
of years later. Today, rice is grown throughout much of
China and accounts for 35 percent of the world’s total.

An endless chain of wooden pallets pulls water
from a lower source to the fields by the pedaling
power of laborers. Although much irrigation is
now mechanized, numerous ingenious devices,
many of them ancient technology once fashioned
from bamboo, are still used to water the fields.

Japonica rice Japonica, a sub-species
Glutinous rice of Oryza sativa, is the
most common rice in
China, and is generally
short grained and
slightly sticky. Glutinous
rice, grown in the south-
east, becomes a sticky
mass when cooked. It is
often served wrapped in
bamboo leaves.

RICE PRODUCTS

The Chinese have found many uses for their pervasive

staple. During the Ming dynasty, builders used water in

which glutinous rice had been cooked as mortar mix to

strengthen defensive walls. Rice straw, the leaves of the

plant left after harvest, is pulped to produce a fine

white paper, perfect for paintings and kites. Husks

are used as fertilizer, packing material, or simply fed

to animals. Rice is ground to produce rice flour

which can be rolled and pulled to create a huge

range of noodles. Numerous rice wines are sold in

China, some of them quite palatable, including Extracting juice from rice to ferment and

sweet Shaoxing, made from glutinous rice. make into jiu (wine or spirits)

INTRODUCING THE SOUTH 281

Water buffalo pull plows, harrows, and other CULTIVATING RICE
agricultural implements. These sturdy animals thrive
in the waterlogged conditions, produce valuable ma- In much of rural China, rice growing
nure, and require less maintenance than tractors. is very much a hands-on activity, and
traditional methods are still used,
especially in hilly country. The work
is labor-intensive, but the two or three
harvests a year that are possible in the
south make the efforts worthwhile.

Rice seedlings
are grown in
special protected
beds. After about
40 days they are
transplanted by
hand to the
paddies.

TERRACED HILLSIDES Planting is tiring, back-breaking work,
and in some areas is now mechanized.
Vast areas of China are dominated by Teams of workers wade through the paddy
rice cultivation, and paddy fields have fields planting the seedlings one by one.
transformed the landscape, especially in
the subtropical regions of the south, where At harvest
cascades of terraces clothe many hillsides. time, the fields
Low mudbanks trap the water as it trickles
down the slopes, creating an attractive are drained
sequence of narrow, contour-hugging before the rice
fields which are worked mainly by hand. plants are cut
Farmers are not completely reliant on either by hand-
rainfall because the water flow is carefully held sickle or
controlled, as is the depth, which is
typically 6 in (15 cm). Ever resourceful, by machine.
some farmers raise edible fish such as
grass carp in the paddy waters. To dry the rice,
mounds of freshly
harvested grain
are raked out in
a thin layer and
left to warm in
the sun.

Winnowing,
tossing or pouring

the rice from a
basket, separates

the dried rice
grains from their
husks – the wind

carries away
the chaff.

282 THE SOUTH

Regional Food:The South Bitter melon
and water spinach
THE SOUTHERN SCHOOL of Chinese cooking, called by
the generic name Cantonese, is centered around
Guangzhou, where the Pearl River delta runs into
the South China Sea. Situated at the mouth of this
estuary lies Hong Kong, another culinary center of China.
Fish, of course, plays a major role in this coastal economy
and rice is the dominant food grain. Other food crops
include tea, peanuts, sugar cane, and subtropical fruits
such as bananas, pineapples, oranges, and lychees. Large-scale
emigration from the south has meant that Chinese food served
outside China is likely be southern Chinese cooking.

and spring: there is no winter. less expensive “delicacies” not
As a result crops grow luxur- popular in other provinces
iantly all year round and such as frogs’ legs, turtles,
supplement the abundance dogs, snakes, and nearly
of fish. Despite this fecundity, every kind of animal there is.
the size of the population the Food has become almost a
land has to support means religion to the Cantonese
that it has always struggled to and the locals claim that in
provide enough food. There- Guangzhou “there is a
fore the Cantonese also eat restaurant every five steps.”

Turnip BBQ pork buns

Pork cake Prawns in
beancurd skin
dumplings

Lush and colorful vegetables on
display in the market

GUANGZHOU (CANTON)

THE EPICENTER of Chinese Spring rolls Prawn
cuisine, Guangzhou Chicken feet dumplings
owes its culinary primacy A selection of dim sum dishes
to its geography. As a port it
had a well-off, cosmopolitan
merchant class who could
afford expensive foods. It also
has a subtropical climate and
a summer that lasts for almost
six months, with the rest of
the year divided into autumn

REGIONAL DISHES AND SPECIALTIES

Most people probably associate Cantonese cuisine

with dim sum (meaning “dot on the heart”

or “snack”), delectable, dainty bites of
steamed or fried food: dumplings with

prawn or pork fillings, miniature spareribs,

deep-fried spring rolls, paper-wrapped
prawns, chicken feet, or glossy custard-filled

tarts. These snacks are to be eaten during

Soy-cured bacon the day for lunch with pots of tea, never as
and sausages dinner. Other famous specialties are the fish
and shellfish dishes, and roast meats –

duck, cha shao (roast pork), and suckling pig. Key to the
southern school of cuisine are its various sauces. Although

such fresh food is often quickly steamed with a few simple Steamed Seabass: steamed
with scallions and ginger, and
aromatics, sauces such as oyster, hoi sin (sweet soy bean seasoned with light soy sauce,
and garlic), mushroom, lemon, black bean and chu hou rice wine and sesame oil.
(soy bean, garlic and ginger) are also used to add flavor.

INTRODUCING THE SOUTH 283

CHAOZHOU &
DONGJIANG

Chaozhou (also known as Fish drying in a shop in Hong Kong
Swatow) is a richer cuisine
than Cantonese. Because this HONG KONG ON THE MENU
cuisine specializes in shell-
fish and seafood, freshness ALTHOUGH MAINLY Chinese, Seafood with Vegetables A
is vital – hence the emphasis Hong Kong is a unique popular dish of prawns, squid,
on buying live animals or city in China: as an interna- and scallops stir-fried with
fish, be it at a market or tional port, it has been open whatever vegetables are
restaurant. They like to use to outside influences. So, available and noodles.
stocks flavoured with fish while most of the restaurants
sauce, hot sauce, or red rice are Cantonese, you will also “White-cut” Chicken A whole
vinegar. Dongjiang is a more find all the regional Chinese chicken blanched in boiling
rustic and salty cooking – cuisines here alongside those water or stock, then left to cool
soy-cured bacon and air-dried from other Asian countries in the liquid under cover for
sausages are a specialty – and and Europe. A gastromomic 6–8 hours. Tender and moist.
it also uses more poultry. This supermarket, Hong Kong
cooking is also sometimes doesn’t really have a specialty Stir-fried Squid with Black
known as Hakka, meaning dish although some claim that Bean Sauce In fact any
“family of guests,” which “smelly beancurd” (a pungent seafood such as crab, lobster,
refers to the immigrants from type of fermented tofu) fulfils or prawns may be substituted
that role. Hong Kong is a for the squid. This can also be
Dried vegetable and spices stall 24-hour city and, all day ev- made with chilies for a more
ery day, all the food places, spicy alternative.
northern China who settled from the humble street stands
in the south some time after to the luxury banqueting halls Eight-treasure Stuffed
the invasion by Mongols in are filled with people eating. Beancurd The stuffing is pork
the thirteenth century. Later The story goes that you could and prawn – vegetarians should
there were other large-scale visit a different restaurant stick with the Eight-treasure
migrations overseas, one each day for a year, and never Buddha’s Special (see p180–1).
of the reasons why most eat the same dish twice.
Chinese restaurants in the Steamed Chicken with
West serve only southern Dried Mushrooms Chicken
Chinese (Cantonese) food. pieces steamed with Chinese
mushrooms – simple but great.

Lobster with Ginger & Oyster Sauce Beef: stir-fried Roast Meats: choice cuts of
Scallions: lobster braised beef with mushrooms and suckling pig, duck, pork,
with aromatics and served vegetables, all cut to the and chicken served cold
on a bed of soft noodles. same size, in oyster sauce. with tasty dipping sauces.



THE SOUTH 285

FUJIAN

THE SEA AND MOUNTAINS form the Ancient Min. Very little
essential features of the province survives from this period,
of Fujian. Its major cities apart from the mysterious
thrive as coastal ports, while boat-shaped coffins, found
inland there is the spectacular, lodged high above the river
rugged beauty of Wuyi Shan. in the Wuyi Mountains. The
main attractions are strung along
Fujian’s historical impor- the busy coastline and include the
tance dates back almost as historic ports of Xiamen and Quanzhou,
far as the Warring States as well as Fuzhou, the capital, which
period (475–221 BC), was a major maritime center for over
when the Yue people, 1,000 years. Other attractions are the
defeated by the State of Chu (today’s stone town of Chongwu, and Meizhou
Hubei and Hunan), migrated south- Island, birthplace of the important
wards to settle in this part of China and Goddess of the Sea. Inland, Fujian’s
Vietnam. Those who came to what is hinterland is wild and unspoilt enough
now Fujian were called Min Yue, later to protect the last remaining South
known as the Min people. Even today China tigers. It is also the home of the
the Fujianese are sometimes referred to Hakka people, whose traditional
as Min and the southern Fujian language dwellings can be seen at the rural set-
as Minnan Hua. The native people who tlements around Yongding.
preceded them are thus called the

SIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Towns & Cities • Yanshan
Chongwu 3
Fuzhou 5 Pucheng
Quanzhou 2 •
Xiamen 1
6

Areas of Natural Beauty • Songxi Fuding
• Jianyang
Wuyi Shan 6 Nanfeng •
• Shaowu • • Jian’ou
104 •

Zherong

Islands Jiulong Xi • Fu’an
Meizhou Island 4 205
Taining Ningde •
• • Nanping
Jin Xi Luoyuan •
Jiangle •
Lianjiang
Sanming Min xx xxxxxx xxxxxx
Jiang •
• Matsu Tao
316 5
~
Liangcheng • Yong’an xx

• 205 • Fuqing
xx Haitan Dao
Putian •
Jiulong Jiang
319 • Zhangping Nanri Dao

•319• Longyan Hui’an • 4

Shanghang Nan’an • 2 3 KEY
Yongding • Tong’an
205 •
x x xx xxxx• ~ Domestic airport
Zhangzhou Jinjiang
~
1 xx xxxx
Pinghe • • National highway

Chinmen Tao

Major road

Zhangpu • Railroad

0 km 75 Yunxiao • xxxx Disputed border
0 miles
75 Dongshan South
Dao
China Sea Provincial border

• Chenghai

Looking out to sea over the gabled rooftops of Meizhou Island

286 THE SOUTH

Xiamen 1

AN ATTRACTIVE CITY WITH A BUSTLING nautical atmosphere, Cannons guard the ramparts
Xiamen was known as Amoy in the 19th century. A
relatively new settlement by Chinese standards, it was at Huli Shan Fort
founded in the 14th century and became a significant
port during the Ming dynasty. It also served as an Almost 46-ft (14-m) long and
important stronghold against the Manchus when they weighing 49 tons (50,000 kg),
invaded in the 17th century. The resistance was led by it had a firing range of 6 miles
the legendary pirate and Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong, (10 km). Taiwan’s islands are
also known as Koxinga, who is commemorated in the visible from the ramparts – a
city. Xiamen became an early treaty port in the 19th fascination for locals, who
century, when the foreign community established itself were forbidden entry to the
on Gulang Yu. The city was also declared one of site until 1984.
China’s first Special Economic Zones in the 1980s.
P Jimei School Village
by the former US President
Richard Nixon. A bullet-scarred # daily. &
rock marks the spot where
Koxinga killed his cousin. Located 9 miles (15 km) north
of the city, Jimei School Village
Colorful rooftop dragon, E Overseas Chinese was founded by the philan-
Museum thropist Tan Kah Kee (Chen
Nan Putuo Si Jiageng) in 1913. A succesful
Siming Nan Lu. # Tue–Sun 8:30am– Singapore businessman, he
t Nan Putuo Si 11:30am & 2:30pm–5pm. & returned to China in 1950 and
held various government posts.
Siming Nan Lu. § (0592) 208 6586. This museum is divided into Built in Chinese-Gothic style,
# 4am–6pm daily. & two sections. The first focuses the college is set in a beautiful
on the history of Fujianese park filled with pagodas and
This busy temple was founded emigration, illustrated by close to the sea. Tan Kah
in the Tang era in the photographs, paintings, and Kee’s former residence, also
extravagant southern style mementoes. The second here, is open to the public.
(see p300). Its three halls hold houses bronzes, pottery, and
a wealth of Buddhist statuary. artworks that once belonged P Gulang Yu
The Heavenly King Hall has to non-resident Chinese. The
an image of Wei Tuo, Protector bronze collection is remark- Xiamen Seaworld § (0592) 206
of Buddhist Doctrine, who able, spanning the period from 7668. # 24 hrs. & Shuzhuang
holds a stick pointing down the Shang (16th century BC) Garden # daily. & Sunlight Rock
to signify that the temple to the Republican era. # daily. & Koxinga Memorial Hall
offers lodging to pilgrims. # 8am–4:50pm daily.
P Huli Shan Paotai
The tranquil island of Gulang
Daxue Lu. # daily. & Yu lies only a ten-minute boat
ride from Xiamen, with
Situated in the Huli Shan Fort
along the coast, this huge
cannon was made for the
Qing government by a
German manufacturer in 1891.

t Huxiyan
A quaint little temple lies high
on a rocky outcrop at Huxiyan
(Tiger Stream Rock). Another
temple, Bailu Dong (White
Deer Cave), is located even
higher up the hill. Built in the
Ming era, its main draw is the
fine view across the city.

Y Wanshi Botanical Garden Gulang Yu’s tiny streets and elegant colonial houses

Huyuan Lu. # 6:30am–6pm daily. &

This large scenic area houses
over 4,000 species of plants,
especially from South China
and Southeast Asia. These
include eucalyptus, bamboo,
and a redwood tree planted

FUJIAN 287

attractive buildings, and no Statue of the legendary rebel VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
traffic apart from battery-
powered buggies. The island commander, Koxinga, Gulang Yu 155 miles (250 km) SW of Fuzhou.
first became important in * 1,250,000. ~ £ c Hubin
1860, when the resident famous rebel. Koxinga and Nan Lu Bus Station, Xiahe Lu Bus
representatives of the foreign his fleet held out against the Station, Siming Bus Station.
powers established them- encroaching Manchus for g weekly from Hong Kong to
selves here. It soon grew into years. He is also credited with the Heping Ferry Terminal; to
a European-style town with ousting the Dutch from Gulang Yu from the ferry
churches, consulates, and Taiwan. Farther south along terminal near Lujiang Hotel.
spacious villas. In 1903, it was the coast is Shuzhuang n Zhongshan Lu, (0592) 212
designated an International Garden, filled with numerous 6917.
Settlement for Europeans and tropical plants and flowers,
Japanese, complete with a while next door is the attrac- Gangzaihou Beach. Close
municipal council and Sikh tive, but usually crowded by to its north is Sunlight
police force, and it retained this Rock, the island’s highest
status until the end of World point that can easily be
War II. The island still retains reached by cable car. At the
an atmosphere reminiscent of foot of the rock is the
Southern Europe. Koxinga Memorial Hall,
which houses a handful of
Spread over one square mile Koxinga’s personal posses-
(2.5 sq km), Gulang Yu is very sions, such as his jade belt
pleasant to explore on foot, and parts of his robe, as well
with its tiny streets and elegant as other historical items.
houses, fronted by pretty
flower gardens. Close to the Farther toward the south-
ferry terminal is Xiamen western coast is Yingxiong
Seaworld, which houses an Shan, with an unusual open-
interesting collection of sharks, air aviary at the top of the
seals, dolphins, penguins, and building. It is filled with
tropical fish. To the southeast is colorful parrots, egrets, and
the Statue of Koxinga, which tropical pigeons.
commemorates Xiamen’s

XIAMEN CITY CENTER KEY 0 meters 800
& GULANG YU
c Long distance bus station

Gangzaihou Beach 8 g Ferry terminal 0 yards 800

Huxiyan 2 n Tourist information Jimei School
Koxinga Memorial Hall 0 N Post office Village
Nan Putuo Si 1
Xiamen Airport,
Xiahe Lu Bus Station

Overseas Chinese Museum 4 Hubin Nan Lu XIAHE LU XI LU Xiamen Train
Shuzhuang Garden 7 Bus Station Station
Statue of Koxinga 6 N
Sunlight Rock 9 Siming Bus ZHONGSHAN ENYUAN LU
Wanshi Botanical Station GONGYUAN
GONGYUA
c

HUBIN XI W

Garden 3 DATONG LU N GONGYUAN NAN LU
Xiamen Seaworld 5
Yingxiong Shan q LU

g ZHONGSHAN LU HUYU AN LU

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ZHENHAI
LU
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JISH AN LU NEICU OA OBISH AN LU YA N P ING ENZ TUNNEL
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GULANG Terminal U
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GUSHENG L 0 4
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A Huli Shan
Paotai
7 XUE
LU





290 THE SOUTH

Earthen Dwellings of Yongding

THE HAKKA ARE a people who Capable of housing several hundred
were driven south from the people, these round or square

Yellow River plains by war in buildings are constructed

the late Tang and early Song around a courtyard, contain-

dynasties. It is perhaps due ing a maze of storage sheds

to their past experiences of and public meeting rooms.

persecution, and to their Hukeng is one of the more

presence in a new land (their Lucky emblem accessible towns in the Yongding

official minority name is Kejia, on dwelling area with several Hakka dwel-

which means “guest people”) lings. Buses run from Xiamen to

that they adopted a fortress-like style Longyan (4 hours), from where it is a

of rammed earth buildings called tulou. two-hour bus ride to Hukeng.

Numerous tulou are located in the
countryside surrounding Yongding. Although
the round houses are the most celebrated,
other styles are found in the vicinity: massive
square dwellings similar in scale to the round
houses and smaller rammed-earth residences
facing onto a central courtyard.

Grain storage Thick fire walls divide
the building into eight
segments, echoing the

Daoist octagonal symbol,
the bagua (see pp32–3).

Living quarters

Outward-facing An ancestral hall at the center of
windows are small the inner buildings may be used
and trapezoidal and for ceremonies, such as weddings.
only located in the
upper stories for The lower level is dedicated to
security. communal Hakka life. Outdoor
sculleries for washing and food
Outer walls are thick preparation are located before the
for defense, often as
wide as 5 feet (1.5 m) kitchens and dining rooms.
at the base, tapering
towards the top.

An enchanting view of the summit of Wuyi Shan, Fujian

FUJIAN 291

Bodhisattva Kisitigarbha, a bastion against pirates. As

Guardian of the Domain of part of its defense, the granite

Death. On each side of the houses had flat roofs, making

halls are two ancient pagodas them almost invisible from

with carvings. The eastern beyond the forbidding 22-foot

part of the temple houses the (6.6-m) high boundary wall.

Museum of Overseas Trade. The main inhabitants are the

One of its highlights is a Song Hui’an people, whose women

trading vessel dating to 1274. wear distinctive cropped blue

Found in 1973, it was made tops and wide black trousers.

of cedar wood and would Fishing and stone carving are

have had sails of bamboo and the main industries today, but

hemp. At that time, such ships the walls and old streets of

traveled to Arabia, Africa, and Chongwu’s fortress days still

Asia, exporting porcelain and make a striking impression.

Entrance to Qingjing Mosque, one silks and importing spices,

of China’s oldest extant mosques ivory, and glass. The museum Meizhou Island 4
also has stone carvings
Quanzhou 2
relating to Nestorian
45 miles (72 km) N of Xiamen. *
7,500,000. £ c n Fengze Jie, Christianity and to the Arab

(0595) 2217 7719. presence in the city. 35 miles (56 km) NE of Quanzhou. c
North of Kaiyung Si is the from Putian to Wenjia, then ferry.
LOCATED ON THE Jin Jiang,
Quanzhou was China’s Qingyuan Shan scenic
principal port during the Song
and Yuan dynasties. The city’s area with the enormous FOR THE FUJIANESE, this
trade with India and elsewhere Laojun Yan, a Song- island near Putian is
resulted in a permanent
community of foreign dynasty sculpture of the associated with Mazu,
residents. It was known to
Arab geographers as Zaitun, Daoist Laozi (see p31). Goddess of the Sea and
from which the word “satin”
is derived. Although Protector of Sailors (see
Quanzhou’s importance
declined during the Ming U Qingjing Mosque p149). Mazu is the deifica-
dynasty, the town still offers
insights into its maritime past. 113 Tumen Jie. § (0595) 2219 tion of a 10th-century girl,

Currently roofless, the 3553. # daily. & whose powers enabled
Qingjing Mosque was first
built in 1009, with extensive E Kaiyuan Si & her to make mari-
repairs in 1309, 1350, and
1609. Unlike other mosques Museum of Overseas time predictions, and
in southern China which
follow the traditional Chinese Trade 176 Xi Jie. her birthday is the
architectural style, this one is
an elegant stone structure § (0595) 2238 3036. Statue of Mazu, island’s main festival,
with an obvious Arabian
influence. The surviving gate # 7:30am–5:30 pm daily. & Meizhou Island celebrated on the 23rd
is supposedly modeled on a
mosque in medieval Damascus. day of the third lunar
Its museum details the port’s
significance as a trade center. Chongwu 3 month. Numerous temples to
the goddess dot the island, all
In the north of the city, the
Kaiyuan Si was built in AD the way up the hillside where
686 and called Lianhua Si
(Lotus Temple), after a lotus her statue proudly stands on
miraculously grew on a
mulberry bush that still exists 20 miles (32 km) E of Quanzhou. the summit. The main temple,
to the west of the Great Hall. c from Quanzhou to Huian, then Mazu Miao, is a short walk
In the Song period, 1,000 uphill from the pier. Rebuilt
monks worshiped here. minibus to Chongwu. many times, it now resembles
Among the temple’s three
halls, the Sweet Dew Vinaya THE CHONGWU Peninsula’s Beijing’s Forbidden City. Due
Hall has a splendid ceiling
and a throne on which sits importance as a defensive to the effort involved in getting

stronghold was bolstered by here, it may be worthwhile

the construction of the stone staying overnight in one of

town of Chongwu in 1387, as the island’s numerous hotels.

Flat-roofed houses below the level of the wall, Chongwu

292 THE SOUTH

Wuyi Shan 6

144 miles (230 km) NW of Fuzhou.
~ £ then bus 6. c to Wuyi Shan

City (Wuyi Shan Shi), then bus 6 to park.
n 35 Guanjing Lu, (0599) 525 0380.

MAGICAL WUYI SHAN, a hilly
area renowned for its
oolong tea, offers some of the

most stunning scenery in

southern China. Its sheer,

mist-shrouded sandstone

mountains, known as the

Thirty-six Peaks, are threaded

by the Jiuqu Jiang and

covered in lush vegetation.

First visited by the Han

emperor Wudi (r.141–87 BC),

Wuyi Shan came to be regard-

ed as a sacred place by

subsequent emperors.

The best way to enjoy the

landscape is to take a raft

along the river, as it meanders

through gorges known

Elegant European architecture on Zhongzhou Island, Fuzhou collectively as Jin Qu Xi

Fuzhou 5 which has a Tang-dynasty (Nine Bend Creek). Above
the fourth bend, mysterious

iron Buddha. To its west lies 3,000-year-old coffins are

Xi Hu Gongyuan (West Lake lodged high in the cliffs.

155 miles (250 km) N of Xiamen. * Park), where the Provincial Made of nanmu (cedar), they
6,500,000. ~ £ c n 128 Wusi Museum contains a 3,500- are about 16 ft (5 m) long;
year-old boat coffin. each contains a single
Lu, (0591) 8763 6250. individual wrapped in silk
Zhongzhou Island, south

W ITH ITS SCENIC location of the river, was once the site and hemp. How they got here,
on the Min Jiang,
of the Foreign Concession however, remains a mystery.

Fujian’s capital was a major Area. About 6 miles (10 km) Several trails lead to the

maritime port for more than east of the city is Gu Shan, summits. The table-top

1,000 years. It was the center a wooded area with pleasant shaped Da Wang Feng is the

of a lucrative trade first in tea walks. The much-restored most difficult, while an easier

and sugar, and later in cotton, Yongquan Si, built in AD climb is Tianyou Shan, the

lacquer, and ceramics. When 908, is located here. traditional spot from where

the legendary explorer Marco to watch the sunrise. The

Polo visited Fuzhou in the E Provincial Museum highest peak is Sanyang

13th century, he recorded 92 Hutou Jie.§ (0591) 8375 7627. Feng at 2,356 ft (718 m).

that the city was garrisoned # 9am–5pm daily. A path also leads to the

by imperial troops. The city t Yongquan Si Shuilian Dong, with a

still has large numbers of # daily. & teahouse next to a waterfall.

troops due to its proximity

to Taiwan. LACQUERWARE – A CHINESE CRAFT
Wuyi Square, with its

statue of Mao Zedong, marks Made from the sap of the “lac” tree (Rhus

the city center. Just north is verniciflua), lacquer was used long before

the 10th-century Bai Ta the Han dynasty as a timber preservative

(White Pagoda), while to the – it hardens easily, even in damp condi-

west is Wu Ta, a black granite tions. It was later used in making plates

pagoda from the same era. and cups by applying layers of sap on

North of Wu Ta, the Lin wood or cloth, and painting the final

Zexu Memorial Hall layer. The modern craft, which appeared

commemorates Lin Zexu, a in the Yuan dynasty, uses the same basic

Qing-dynasty official who method of applying layers on a wooden

destroyed an opium shipment base, but before the lacquer completely

in protest at the British trade, hardens, it is deeply and intricately carved.

an act that led to the First The surface is then inlaid with gold, silver, A lacquered

Opium War (see p67). Farther or tortoiseshell, and usually painted red. screen

north is the Kaiyuan Si,

FUJIAN 293

The Story of Tea

TEA (CHA) IS ASSOCIATED with forms, all tea comes from the same
China more than with any species, Camellia sinensis. The

other country. Its legendary most common Chinese teas –

origins in China date back over green, black, and oolong – have

5,000 years although some differing appearance and taste due

believe that it was introduced to the process of fermentation,

from India about 1,800 years although the flavor of the tea does

ago. At first it was drunk as a vary depending on where it is

tonic; now it is simply an grown, and whether other

indispensable part of daily life German ad for ingredients have been added such

for almost all Chinese. It is tea, 1908 as chrysanthemums in huacha.

widely grown throughout the warmer Tea is always drunk clear, never with

and wetter southern areas of China, milk or lemon. Sugar is added only in

particularly in Fujian, Yunnan, and the north western Muslim areas, while

Zhejiang. Although tea comes in many the Tibetans drink theirs with butter.

Shen Nong was the mythological
emperor who according to Chinese
lore discovered tea. A wise ruler,
he pronounced that all
drinking water should be
boiled. One day, tea leaves
fell from a tree into a pot
of boiling water and the
resulting brew delighted him.

By the Tang dynasty, tea was drunk
throughout the empire. Before the 8th
century, tea merchants commissioned
Lu Yu to explain the advantages of the
drink. He produced the Cha Jing, a
compendium of tea, which systemized
its production and traditions.

The tea trade was a key element in Britain’s interest
in China. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to
enjoy tea, and the Dutch the first Europeans to deal in
tea commercially, but it was the British who became
the greatest tea traders as the fashion for tea spread
from Holland to England in the late 17th century.

Upscale tea shops Tea plantations, many of them
abound in the larger terraced, cover the hillsides of the
southern interior. Up to five harvests
city centers. Highly can take place in a year. Picking is
prized specialty teas still done mostly by hand – an
such as the Fujianese experienced picker can harvest 70 lb
(32 kg) in a day – but mechanical
oolong tie guanyin methods are becoming common.
can be purchased

and sometimes
sampled.



THE SOUTH 295

GUANGDONG & HAINAN

LOCATED AT THE southernmost tip of fully integrated into
continental China are the province China in the 12th century,
of Guangdong and the island when large numbers of

of Hainan, just off its coast in the Han settlers migrated here

South China Sea. Guangdong’s GUANGDONG from the north. Today, it is

capital, the great city and port a key area of China’s economic

of Guangzhou (Canton), development, most evident in

stands on one of China’s Guangzhou and the new cities of

longest rivers, the Pearl Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Despite the

(Zhu Jiang), while Haikou, HAINAN recent development, there are several

the capital of Hainan, is on places of historical interest, as well as

the island’s north coast, about 30 miles some beautiful inland countryside.

(50 km) to the south of the mainland. Formerly administered as part of

Guangdong is perhaps the most Guangdong, the tropical island of

familiar part of China, since a large Hainan is now a separate province. A

proportion of expatriates around the place of exile for centuries, its superb

world are of Cantonese origin. The beaches on the southern coast have

province also lies very close to Hong only recently been developed as thriv-

Kong, whose inhabitants are mostly ing tourist resorts. There are still ves-

Cantonese. Given its long-standing tiges of the indigenous Li culture to

contacts with the outside world, it is seek out, and some wild mountains to

not surprising that Guangdong was only explore at the island’s center.

SIGHTS AT A GLANCE

Towns & Cities Areas of Natural Beauty Islands
Chaozhou 2 Shaoguan 9 Hainan Island 0
Foshan 6 Zhaoqing 7
Guangzhou 4
Shantou 1 Lianzhou Bei Jia n g 1069 206
Shenzhen 3

Hexian Yangshan Lianping Meizhou

Historic Sites He Jiang

Cuiheng 5 Huaiji Yingde 205 Xingning

Temples 107 8 Heyuan Jieyang 2 ~
Feilai & Feixia 8 k 1
Wuzhou Fengkai 4
6
XiJiang Huizhou
324 Haifeng
7

Lufeng

Yulin Luoding Jiangmen ~3
5
Gaozhou 207 Kowloon
Lianjiang 325 Hong Kong
Yangchun Zhuhai k

Yangjiang Macau

Maoming

Beihai 325

Wuchuan

Leizhou Zhanjiang South KEY
Xuwen China Sea
Gulf of k International airport
Tongking ~ Domestic airport

Lingao kHaikou National highway
Major road
Danzhou 224 Wenchang Minor road
225 0 Qionghai Railroad
Provincial border
Dongfang 0 km 100
(Basuo) Tongshi 0 miles 100

Jiusuo Lingshui
~ Sanya

On the beach mending fishing nets, Hainan Island

296 THE SOUTH

temple Hanwen Gong Ci,
and downstream is the slowly
crumbling Ming dynasty
pagoda Fenghuang Ta.

t Kaiyuan Si

Kaiyuan Lu. # daily. &

Shenzhen 3

The dramatic Shipaotai Gongyuan fortress and moat, Shantou 62 miles (100 km) SE of Guangzhou.
* 1,100,000. ~ £ c g from
Shantou 1 when almost 100,000 people Hong Kong & Macau. n 1064 Yanhe

were massacred for opposing Lu, (0755) 8232 6437.

the Manchu regime. Later, SHENZHEN WAS one of the first
towns to become a Special
225 miles (360 km) E of Guangzhou. during the 19th century, Economic Zone as part of
* 4,130,000. ~ £ c terrible famines and poverty Deng Xiaoping’s economic
n 41 Shanzhang Lu, (0754) 862 led to mass emigration. reforms of the late 1980s. SEZ
status transformed this tiny
6646. Today, the remains of the village bordering Hong Kong
23-ft (7-m) high Ming City into a booming metropolis in
just a few years. Today, it is
THIS CITY WAS originally a Walls run along the banks of an important, although rather
fishing village, whose the Han Jiang, defining the soulless, business center and
transport hub. On its western
strategic location on the Han eastern boundary of the old outskirts are a host of strange
theme parks. Splendid
Jiang estuary was exploited city center. Extending up to China and Window on the
World have scale models of
by foreign traders from 1858. Huangcheng Lu in the west, famous monuments such as
the Eiffel Tower in Paris and
Known then as Swatow, it the old city is Chaozhou’s the Great Wall, as well as
plenty of souvenir shops. The
soon became a major most fascinating quarter, Folk Culture Village displays
China’s folk traditions, and
center for trade. In where its historic past has paintings, pavilions, and
shows of traditional dances.
1980, it was declared a is visible on streets East of Shenzhen, at
Shatoujiao, Minsk World dis-
Special Economic such as Zhongshan plays an entire Soviet aircraft
carrier, complete with aircraft.
Zone and today it is Lu and Jiadi Xiang
G Shenzhen Theme Parks
essentially a modern with its well-
Guangshen Expressway, Shenzhen
city. The old preserved Qing- Bay. # daily. & Minsk World
# daily. &
quarter still has a dynasty architec-

few sights of ture. To the north

interest such as the of Jiadi Xiang is

restored 1879 Kaiyuan Si, an

Tianhou Gong, a active Buddhist

temple with vibrant Guangji Men, temple founded in

carvings. Nearby Chaozhou AD 738, with pretty

along Anping Lu courtyards and

are the remains of old several colorful halls, one of

colonial houses and ware- which has a gorgeous vaulted

houses. East of Anping Lu at ceiling. The grand Guangji

the waterfront is Shipaotai Men along the city wall has

Gongyuan, a fortified gun steps leading up to a trail along

emplacement that was built the top of the wall. Across

in the 1870s. the river is the 10th-century

P Shipaotai Gongyuan

Haibin Lu. # 7:30am–11pm daily. &

t Tianhou Gong

Shengping Lu. # daily. &

Chaozhou 2

220 miles (350 km) E of Guangzhou. Aircraft on the Russian carrier at Minsk World, Shenzhen
* 2,360,000. £ c

THIS ANCIENT CITY was the
seat of a highly cultured
civilization during the Ming
dynasty. Its fortunes declined
rapidly in the 17th century,