Fuzhou may be the best-known least-known Chinese city out there. Fujianese culture has found its way around the world, yet beyond China most of world wouldn't know Fuzhou from Wenzhou, Dezhou or any number of other average zhou second-tier Chinese metropolises, despite the fact that countless Fujianese have departed over the years from the port of Fuzhou and settled in new lands around the world, bringing their traditions, language and cuisine with them. Today, around 2.5 million "overseas Chinese" claim Fujianese ancestry.
Fuzhou, which first gained fame abroad back in the 13th century days of Marco Polo and 15th century Ming Dynasty explorer Zheng He as China's nautical gateway to the world is today a rapidly modernizing city whose gleaming new high rises testify to its recent prosperity. Much of Fuzhou's growth has been fueled by Taiwanese investment, often supplied by cross-strait residents with Fujianese roots.
Behind its up-to-date surface, a few intriguing remnants of old Fuzhou remain, though barely enough to sustain a solid day of touring. The 1,000-year-old White Pagoda (Bai Ta) is balanced by the equally ancient black granite Black Pagoda (Wu Ta), and Chinese history buffs will appreciate the Fuzhou Provincial Museum and Lin Zexu Memorial Hall, dedicated to the Qing Dynasty official who took a stand against British opium importation, helping to kick off the disastrous (for the Chinese) First Opium War.
Fuzhou is also an excellent point of departure for the rugged beauty of Wuyi Shan and Taimu Shan in the Fujian Province interior; closer at hand, Gu Shan (Drum Mountain) is one the city's top attractions, with regular minibuses departing from downtown Fuzhou's Wuyi Square for Gu Shan's wooded slopes, dramatic views and 1,000-year old temple, Yongquan Si.
History
First known as Fuzhou during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the city itself has existed under various names since at least 202 BC, when the first city wall was erected by the Minyue people. The Minyue received a charter from Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) emperor Liu Bang to establish their capital Ye ("Beautiful") on the site of present-day Fuzhou, also known to this day as Rongcheng, or the "City of Banyan Trees."
Strategically situated on the Min River, the city grew steadily. With the collapse of the Tang, immigrants from the north flowed into Fuzhou, and the city became the capital of the short-lived Min kingdom (909-945).
Fuzhou continued to prosper during the Song (960-1279) and Mongol Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties; Marco Polo paid a visit to Fuzhou during the latter, noting both that the city was a splendid port and that there was a heavy contingent of Mongol troops on hand to keep the locals in line.
The Song had developed China's naval capabilities, and the early Ming (1368-1644) resumed active exploration of the oceans, leading to the journeys of China's most famous mariner, Zheng He, who ranged from his home port of Fuzhou as far as the coast of Africa.
After this period of exploration, however, Ming emperors opted to seal China off from the outside world, virtually ceasing all maritime activities—a decision that critically weakened China just as European powers were expanding globally on the strength of powerful navies.
That weakness became glaringly apparent when, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China was unable to ward off colonial encroachments by Western powers, leading to the humiliating defeat in the Opium Wars fought with Great Britain and t to Fuzhou being declared an open treaty port in 1842 despite the best efforts of Fujianese hero Lin Zexu to fight the scourge of opium.
Fuzhou experienced further hostilities in 1844, as the French destroyed the Qing Fuzhou navy—ironically built with French aid in previous years—in retaliation for a Chinese attack on French troops near the Chinese-Vietnam border during the Tonkin Campaign.
In 1911, Fuzhou was the site of one of many uprisings against the Qing, who were easily defeated by the rebels as China entered a period of volatile change in which the Kuomintang, various warlords and the Chinese Communists vied with imperial Japan for control over vast swaths of China. In 1940, as the world spun into war, the Japanese took Fuzhou after a brutal bombing raid, only relinquishing control in 1945.
Under PRC rule, established in 1949, Fuzhou's entrepreneurial spirit suffered until the Reform and Opening period commenced in the early 1980s, though it has consistently been a key military city thanks to its proximity to Taiwan, where the Kuomintang fled after being defeated on the mainland. Today, though Fuzhou remains home to many military installations, diplomacy, trade and the ancestral connections between Fujianese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have led to a surge in economic growth and construction in the City of Banyan Trees.
Climate
Fuzhou's subtropical marine climate is characterized by mild temperatures, humidity, a typhoon season that runs from June through August and a wet spring with precipitation peaking in March and April. With an average annual temperature of 19.6 °C, seasonal July highs in the mid 30s and yearly January lows only occasionally dropping below the teens and hardly ever hitting freezing, a visit to Fuzhou rarely calls for more than a sweater and light jacket. Mid-September through November is the optimal time for a visit, with frequent sunshine, lower humidity and pleasant temperatures.