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Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, China
     Home of Narcessus
Zhangzhou is located on the lower reaches of the Nine-Dragon River, and forms a "golden triangle" with Xiamen and Quanzhou. It is a time-honoured city as well as a well-known "land of plenty".
As early as 5,000 years ago, the ancient Minyue people began to settle here. In 686, the second year of Chuigong in the Tang Dynasty, Chen Yuanguang the Pioneer Saint of Zhangzhou established Zhangzhou Prefecture by the Zhang River, today's Yunxiao, and assumed office as governor. In 786, the second year of Zhenyuan in the Tang Dynasty, it was moved to today's place. In the Ming Dynasty, it was changed to Zhangzhou Fu, the prefecture of the Ming Dynasty. In 1951, it became a city. Today, Zhangzhou has nine counties and a district under its administration which are Xiangcheng, Longhai, Yunxiao, Zhangpu, Shaoan, Dongshan, Changtai, Nanjing, Pinghe and Huaan, covering an area of 12,607 km2 and having a population of 3,760,000.
Zhangzhou is both beautiful and rich. The 33 scenic spots have a long history of reputation, such as Nanshan Temple, Sanping Temple, Ciji Palace, Yundong Rock, Ancient Fortress of the Song Dynasty, and ancient castle of Tongshan. The urban district, Xiangcheng, has always been reputed as the "City of Flowers and Fruits". The narcissus is a speciality of Zhangzhou, so the city is also called "Hometown of Narcissus". The mandarin orange of Zhangzhou, the banana of Tianbao, the Litchi of Qiuhu, the date of Yunxiao, the pomelo of Pinghe and of Huaan are called the "six renowned fruits of the South Fujian" and have won an international fame.
Interestingly, the South Fujian dialect is spoken with local variations tin the counties of Zhangzhou. As Zhangzhou is a major native place of Taiwan compatriots, custom here is quite similar with that in Taiwan; the Jin Song and Xiang Opera share the same origin with the Gezi Opera in Taiwan; there are Taiwan Banana, Taiwan pineapple and even Taiwan Road,...From the city to the countryside, there are marks showing the close relation of Zhangzhou with Taiwan.

The Nine-Dragon River
   
The winding Nine-Dragon River is the second longest river in Fujian. Its name came from a legend that in the sixth year of Datong in the Liang Dynasty nine dragons were seen playing in the river near Longtan.
The Zhangzhou plain, an alluvial plain of the Nine-Dragon River, is the largest plain in Fujian, and has always enjoyed the laudatory titles of "Barn of the South Fujian" and "Homepage of Flowers , Fruits, Fish and Rice."

Mumian Nunnery
         
Mumian Nunnery at the foot of Nine-Dragon Hill near Zhangzhou had its name for Mumian Village where the Nunnery is sited. In front of the Nunney stands the Mumian Pavilion, a place where County Magistrate Zheng Huchechen in the the later years of the Southern Song Dynasty executed Jia Sidao.

Hundred-Flower Village
         
Hundred-Flower Village, about 2.5 km from Zhangzhou City proper in the southern suburb, in a sea of flowers, is a famous spot for viewing flowers. The village was originally called Changfu Village. Since Yongle Period in the Ming Dynasty, villagers have lived by planting and selling flowers. In 1963, Zhu De, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, came here to enjoy the flower show and suggested that the village be built into a "hundred-flowered village". Thus, the village changed its name to present one. Now, villagers have planted more than twenty thousand species of flowers and cultivated more than ten thousand potted flowers and miniature trees, many of which found market abroad.

Mist Cave Rock
         
The Mist Cave Rock was named so because in rainy days white mist will come out of the stone cave in the mountain. It was said that in the Kaihuang Period in the Sui Dynasty someone raised cranes in the mountain and villagers could often hear the singing of the cranes. So the mountain is also called Crane-Singing Mountain. Viewed from distance, the Mist Cave Rock looks as if it were a man- made miniature scenery. Wandering about in the Mountain, one can see a dazzling variety of stone inscriptions everywhere, which were mostly written by celebrities. Thus, the Mountain is called the "Forest of Inscriptions in South Fujian" and regarded a treasury for the study of the calligraphy in the past.

The Jiangdong Bridge
         
The Jiangdong Bridge, lying 17km away from Zhangzhou, was first built in the Shaoxi Period during 1190 and 1194, in the Southern Song Dynasty. The original bridge was a pontoon one. There is a legend concerning the building of the bridge. In 1214, the seventh year of Jiading, when the bridge was undergoing a reconstruction, the swift current washed away huge stones meant for the piers time and again. One day, to the builder's surprise, a tiger crossed the river without much difficulty, Then he sited the piers on the tiger's route and succeeded in laying the foundation for the bridge. So the bridge is also called "Tiger Crossing Bridge". The original bridge was rebuilt several times until 1972 when it was changed into a reinforced concrete one. However, the ruins of the original bridge still remain and serve as a material object for the study of ancient Chinese bridges.

The Old Crater at Longhai

The Old Grater at Longhai lies on the shore of Niutou Mountain at Baitang, Longhai County, former Haichen County. According to scientific records, its last erruption dates back to more than 22 million years ago. Today, the dark gray stone columns and walls stick out tilted and overlapped from the crater and emerge and diappear with the tide, displaying the charm of nature.

The Scene at Bachimen(Eight Feet Gate)
         
Bachimen, a key junction of Dongshan Island and the mainland, was originally a ferry. In 669, during the Zongzhang Period in the Tang Dynasty, Chen Yuanguang led his army to reclaim South Fujian and brought about the prosperity of Dongshan Island. To honour Chen's merits, people called the ferry "Chen Ping Ferry". In 1664, the third year of Kangxi, the Qing government built here an eight-foot-high wall with a fort, so as to cut the connection of the people in Dongshan with an anti-Qing general Zheng Chenggong. Then, Chen Ping Ferry was changed ito Bachimen. In 1960, the People's Government built a dyke here, joining the island to the mainland and making it a penisula. In 1973, on the dyke was builtthe Xiangdong Aqueduct, leading fresh water into the island. The projects of the dyke and the aqueduct have add to the beauty of the island.

Dongshan Island
         
Dongshan Island is the second largest island in Fujian, a beautiful island well known for its eighteen scenic spots.
Quiet Dongmenyu is surrounded by sea. There is a seven storeyed stone tower, erected in 1526, the fifth year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty. Thus the place is also called Tower Islet. The tower is one of the best scenes in Tongshan and serves as a navigation mark as well.



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