A laid-back Fujian city of tulou (earth buildings), rice paddies and the ancestral homes of many overseas Hokkien.
Zhangzhou in southern Fujian is a slow river-city famous for the round earthen tulou of nearby Nanjing and Hua'an counties, and as a cradle of Hokkien culture that spread to Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
Beyond the tulou, its old town has temples, snack streets and banyan shade.
Here are the highlights worth your time in Zhangzhou.
Clusters of round and square earth buildings; the 'four dishes one soup' group.
¥90Temple lanes, snack stalls and old banyans.
FreeA tulou village along a stream with ancient banyans.
¥90Zhangzhou has its own kitchen — here are the dishes to try.
Braised noodle soup.
Fujian-style oyster pancake.
Fried five-spice pork rolls.
Nearby Anxi oolong country.
Snack stalls and temple lights.
Evening strolls by the river.
Oolong tastings.
Zhangzhou Station on the high-speed line; ~20min from Xiamen, ~2.5h from Guangzhou.
Xiamen (XMN) is the gateway.
Buses to Nanjing (~1.5h).
DiDi within the city.
Where you stay shapes the trip. Three good bases:
Central, walkable old town.
Sleep inside a round earth house.
Modern hotels.
Tulou explorers and those tracing Hokkien roots.
