Fuzhou

Fuzhou's core counties lie on the north bank of the estuary of Fujian's largest river, the Min River. Fuzhou is an old tea export port city where Marco Polo visited in the 19th century. Today, Fuzhou is the provincial capital of Fujian, and also a major light industry center got fairly heavy Taiwan investment because of the city is right across the straits from Taipei.

There are many mountains and waterfalls in the hinterland, while sandy beaches are abundant in the coastal areas, especially in the town of Changle and the island of Pingtan. The actual port is in the suburb of Mawei, which has also been a center for shipbuilding for several hundred years. For a more general view of Fujian's seafaring history, visit the Maritime Museum in Quanzhou.

The Fuzhou region has its own language, called Fuzhou Hua or Mindong Dialect. The region also has its own culture and an architectural style distinct from other regions in China and Fujian, which can be found both in the city and in the towns and rural areas around it. The city has the oldest wood structure in South China (Hualin Temple) and has one of the largest historic downtown districts in China "Three Lanes and Seven Alleys" with over 200 residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are a large hearvy iron bell in Drum Mountains and Tanshishan cultural relics in Minhou County.