Fuzhou

Most people haven’t heard of Fuzhou, but why would you? After all it’s only a city of some 6 million people! Fuzhou is a ‘small’ Chinese city, and capital of Fujian province.   It’s a fascinating, sometimes crazy, mix of old and new. Walking around you get to see both the ancient history of the city as a trading port, the marks of 20th century China and finally the rise of China as a global power, with glass and steel skyscrapers popping up and if that’s too much, it’s easy to find a quiet place. It’s coastal, surrounding by mountains and in 2014 was ranked 7th in china for air quality.

Check out our current Teaching Jobs in Fuzhou.

Weather in Fuzhou

 

Weather in Fuzhou allows tourists to visit the city all year round because it is a very comfortable temperature. However the most popular months are probably between April and November.

Getting Around

 

Fuzhou Changle International Airport is located about 30 miles from the city centre with easy transport links to and from it. Fuzhou railway station is known as the ‘transportation hub’ of Fujian province and it is situated in the Northern region of the downtown area and has great links to all major cities. Fuzhou is a compact city with lots of transport options. The newest addition is a subway line that recently opened and connects the 2 main train stations in the city. There’s also a very well established bus network with fares at a flat rate of 1RMB. This is a popular option with York English teachers. Taxis too are affordable and are ever-present in Fuzhou. Bicycles are also very popular as the city is extremely flat for the most part.

Shopping in Fuzhou

 

If you’re a keen shopper then you should know Fuzhou is home to three main shopping gems:

Lacquer – These are things such as vases, tea services, smoking sets and stationery goodies.

Stone Sculptures – Rocks from Mountain Shou are made into vases, small characters, stationery, landscapes and ornamental flowers.

Cork Pictures – Cork is a popular material and is used to make hanging pictures, decorative ornaments, characters, animals and birds.

As well being many traditional places to shop, there are also shopping squares and more modern supermarkets also, such as; Fuzhou Hualian and Fuzhou Lianbang Emporium.

Food in Fuzhou

 

Fuzhou has it’s own wonderful local cuisine which can be found in either restaurants or from local street vendors). There’s a strong seafood heritage to the cooking as well as influences from other parts of China so along with the usual chicken, beef and pork dishes expect lots of prawns, clams and fresh fish. Flavour wise there is a bit of everything: from the sticky sweet local favourite li zhi rou (comparable to sweet and sour from back home) to the spicy Sichuan influences with tons of dried red chillies there is a dish for you. Vegetarians also do well as the local diet is high on tofu. But if one morning you wake up craving home comforts don’t worry you can still find plenty to satisfy your appetite. There are establishments selling Indian, Mexican, Italian, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese. You name it. You can find it in Fuzhou.

Going Out in Fuzhou

 

Fuzhou’s nightlife improves year on year. There’s a wide selection of bars, including a popular stretch called Shao Yuan that has everything from riverfront cafe bars to cocktail bars, to specialist beer places. There’s something for everyone.

Elsewhere there’a a raft of clubs and other late night options including the infamous Honey Bar and a smattering of late night KTVs for when you need to karaoke along to Adele at 3am.

Must Sees in Fuzhou

 

• Fuzhou National Forest Park – The Fuzhou National Forest Park covers an area of 860 hectares and is home to stunning green hills, over 2,500 species of tress and beautiful clear water.
• Sanfang Qixiang – This is a chance to see the real history of Fuzhou and China. It is a very traditional and relatively small block that is referred to as the ‘Architecture Museum’.
• Xi chan Temple -Xi Chan temple, a huge temple complex not far from the river. What sets this apart from countless other temples in Asia is how busy it is. Not with tourists but with Taoist monks. This is a real working temple and it’s fascinating to sit in a secluded spot and watch people practicing their religion.
• 18 Streams – 18 streams, a narrow river valley south of the city. It’s miraculously quiet most of the time and is a beautifully scenic place to cool off in clear natural rock pools under waterfalls.
• Minjiang Park – The Minjiang Park is the largest open park in Fuzhou. It is situated on both sides of Minjiang River and is 7.5 miles long. It is a beautiful park with stunning landscape and a taste of real culture.
• Xihu park (West Lake) – West Lake is a beautiful lake in the heart of the city, with a number of little islands and pathways winding around and between them.
• Drum Mountain – Drum Mountain on the other hand is on eastern edge of the city. It’s a huge ridge that overlooks the city and provide spectacular views. It’s also highly popular especially with exercise enthusiasts who climb it regularly!

 

Cost of living in Fuzhou

 

 

Item	CNY/RMB	GBP £	USD $
Meal at Chinese Restaurant	13.00	1.52	1.89
Meal at Higher End or Western Restaurant	50.00	5.90	9.75
Draught Beer (0.5 Litre)	5.00	0.58	0.73
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 Litre Bottle)	3.33	0.39	0.48
Water (0.33 Litre Bottle)	1.83	0.21	0.27
Regular Milk (1 Litre)	10.67	1.24	1.55
Loaf of Fresh White Bread	13.00	1.52	1.89
White Rice (1kg)	6.00	0.70	0.87
Skinless Chicken Breast (1kg)	37.00	4.32	5.37
One Way Public Transport Ticket	1.00	0.13	0.20
Monthly Pass (Unlimited Trips)	60.00	7.00	8.72
Taxi Start	10.00	1.17	1.45
Taxi After 1km	2.00	0.23	0.29
Taxi 1 Hour Inner City Journey	30.00	3.50	4.36
Monthly Utility Bills	250.00	29.18	36.31
Cinema Ticket (Western Release)	50.00	5.84	7.26
1 Bedroom Apartment Monthly Rent (City Centre)	3,100.00	361.78	450.28
3 Bedroom Apartment Monthly Rent (City Centre)	5,500.00	641.87	798.89