Forgotten Fuzhou trumps the rest

Fujian local opera in Sanfang Qixiang, an ancient compound through which run three main streets and seven small alleys. [Photo by Yang E'na/For China Daily]

In Sanfang Qixiang you can also acquaint yourself with the cultural heritage of Fujian, for example seeing how festival lanterns, which date back to the Tang Dynasty, are made. Old tables that used to be almost a permanent fixture outside medicine stores are still to be seen on the roadside. In one place there is a 30-meter-long tree trunk, the remnants of the building materials of an ancient shipyard. These days it serves as a bench, a place where you can rest your weary legs after a stretch of sightseeing.

Not far from Sanfang Qixiang is a small river called Antai. The ancient buildings along its banks have been renovated and are now elegant restaurants. With delicious food, the river flowing gently by and the branches of willow trees dancing in the wind, it can serve as the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening.

In downtown Fuzhou are two old fish ball and beef ball restaurants that date back more than a hundred years. The surface of yonghe fish balls is made of eel and shark, and the inside consists of meat or some other stuffing. They taste great and have a silky texture. The good thing, too, is that if you try them and like them enough, you can take home gift packs for relatives and friends.

Another daytime activity could simply be a long stroll enjoying the city's countless banyan trees. The Mandarin for banyan tree is rong shu, which lends itself to the city's nickname, rong, reflecting the tree's ubiquity in Fuzhou. Take a close look at many a banyan tree, and you could swear you are looking at an old man stroking his long beard as he tells old tales.

West Lake, National Forest Park, Binjiang Park and Zhenhai Tower are also well worth seeing, and with most, admission is free.

If art is your thing, No 1 Shaoyuan, in the downtown area, is the place to go. It resembles the 798 Art Zone in Beijing, consisting of abandoned factories that have been turned into studios and ateliers. If this is the last stop on your visit, there is no better place to sip a coffee and ruminate on the days you have just enjoyed in Fuzhou.