The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys boasts more than 150 ancient buildings. Photos provided to China Daily

A bustling city of commerce has not forgotten its past

When the American coffeehouse chain Starbucks unveiled plans for a redesign of its outlet in the city of Fuzhou recently, it was clear that locals were in for a special treat. Rather than reproducing the kind of template decor you might see in any other Starbucks worldwide, generous helpings of local flavor would be lavished on the new outlet: a courtyard, sliding doors, soaring ceilings and a screen inspired by the black and white pieces of the Chinese chess game weiqi.

That is the kind of special attention that others may well want to give to Fuzhou, Fujian province, as a result of the city's being in the "Top 100 Foreign Trade Cities (2011-12)", a list issued recently by China Customs Magazine.

Fuzhou, called the Banyan City because of the tree's ubiquity there, is the provincial capital and is located opposite Taiwan across the Taiwan Straits. With a history of 2,200 years, Fuzhou has always been one of China's key trading ports.

When the country's reform and opening-up drive began in the 1980s, Fuzhou was one of the earliest coastal port cities opened to the outside world and is considered to be one of the most competitive manufacturing cities in the country.

Fuzhou is now also transforming itself into an e-commerce leader in the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone after being designated a National E-commerce Demonstration City.

But Fuzhou offers much more than business opportunities, being a home to history, culture, beautiful scenery and other attractions. Here are just four of them:

1. Three Lanes and Seven Alleys

In the heart of downtown Fuzhou is a large area of ancient residential buildings, a rarity in most big Chinese cities.

The area enjoys a reputation as "the museum of the buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911)". It boasts more than 150 ancient buildings that have courtyards of great historic value. Most were the homes of scholars, bureaucrats and wealthy figures of the time.

Many of the buildings now serve as factories, stores, warehouses and public facilities rather than as residences, and while many are shadows of their former selves, the ancient glory of the area has not been entirely lost.

The area also plays host to weekly performances of local opera by retirees.

2. West Lake Park

This park, in the center of Fuzhou, is the most well-preserved and intact classical garden in the city.

It covers more than 420,000 square meters, of which three quarters is water, offering a picturesque, quiet retreat from the urban rush. In days of old it attracted men of letters and artists, helping to inspire their works. One of those greats was the poet Xin Qiji of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), who compared the lake to the maiden Xi Shi, one of the famous four beauties of ancient China.

In the southwest of the park is Panda Hall, well-known for its successful rearing and breeding of pandas, which gives visitors the chance to get a close-up view of China's most famous animal.

3. Wuyi Square

This landmark is regarded as the geographical and spiritual heart of Fuzhou. To the north of the square are the municipal government buildings, to its south is the city's small stadium and to the east and west is the Fuzhou People's Congress Hall.

Visit the square at dawn or dusk to see soldiers raise or lower the national flag.

Every night, the square is a bustling meeting place for locals, who perform dances around the musical fountain and the white statues that sit at its center. To the south of the fountain is a stainless steel sculpture named Sanshanyishui (which literally means three hills and one river), as well as a statue of Mao Zedong.

4. Hualin Temple

Hualin Temple, in the downtown area, is a Buddhist temple outside the compound of the Fujian provincial government, at the southern foot of Pingshan Hill in northern Fuzhou.

The temple, in the simplicity and elegance typical of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), now functions solely as a museum.

Built in 964 AD, this is the oldest wood architecture extant in South China.

Eating

Fuzhou dishes are representative of the Min Cuisine that is very much a feature of Fujian province and is one of the eight major cuisines of China. Located at the mouth of the Minjiang River and on the edge of the East China Sea, Fuzhou is famed for its fresh-water-fish dishes and seafood.

The best-known Fujian dish is fotiaoqiang, a kind of soupy stew of delicacies. Other well-known dishes include yuwan (fish balls), minced beef and pork inside a fishy flour ball of dough in a thin broth, and libing (oyster cake), a traditional food in Fuzhou similar to a pizza but with oyster and leek.

China Daily

West Lake Park, Fuzhou's most well-preserved and intact classical garden. Photos provided to China Daily

(China Daily 10/05/2012 page23)