THE long-awaited Xiamen-Shenzhen high-speed railway officially started operation Saturday, and it takes only three and a half hours to go from Shenzhen to Xiamen, one of the most popular destinations for Shenzhen travelers. In fact, there are six stations in Fujian Province, Xiamen, Jiaomei, Zhangzhou, Zhangpu, Yunxiao and Zhao’an, and each city has its own unique fun. Here are some recommended places for exploring the beauty of Fujian Province along the high-speed railway.

    Xiamen

    Located at the southeast coast of China, Xiamen is a popular tourist destination famous for its attractive seascape, fresh air and clean environment. The city has been called the Egret Island as it is home to hundreds of thousands of egrets.

    Xiamen is a typical seaside city with abundant tourist attractions such as islands, mountains, temples and parks. The well-known Gulangyu Island, South Putuo Temple and other tourism spots such as Jimei, Hulishan Canon Platform, Wanshouyan Park and Xiamen University are highly recommended.

    Gulangyu Island is the most well-known spot in Xiamen. It received its romantic name from the huge reef surrounding the island. When the tide comes in, the waves pound the reef and it sounds like the beating of a drum. In the early 1900s, many wealthy people, scholars and upper-class overseas Chinese built luxury homes on the island. Although many owners of the houses no longer live there, people still rush to the island to explore the old glory of the area.

    Xiamen is also an ideal place for relaxation, with many romantic cafés and Western-style restaurants by the sea.

    There are also plenty of special local products to be added to your shopping list, such as various kinds of tea leaves, fruits and seafood.

    Zhangzhou

    Located in the south of Fujian Province, Zhangzhou is a famous ancestral hometown for overseas Chinese and Taiwan residents. It is said that almost 30 percent of the population of Taiwan are originally from Zhangzhou. It is also a State-level historic city with a history of more than 1,300 years.

    Well-known tourism spots include the Nanjing Tulous (Hakka-style round buildings), Yuandong Cave, Sanping Scenic Area, Zhangzhou Coastal Volcano National Geographic Park, Zhaojia Fortress, Dongshan Island, Jiangkou Mangrove Protection Area and Yunshuiyao Ancient Town.

    Known as “the mysterious buildings in mountains,” the Nanjing Tulous were first built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and many which are still standing were built in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. They were built along the mountains with ordinary construction materials such as wood and stone as well as some special materials such as glutinous rice, brown sugar, bamboo and water. The tallest one is the 200-year-old Changjiaohegui Building at 21.5 meters high, while the largest one is Shuyangshunyu Building with 368 rooms.

    Yunshuiyao Ancient Town is also a must-see place, famous for its abundance of banyan trees. Among them, 13 trees are aged more than 100.

    Jiaomei

    Jiaomei is a small town in Longhai City and is also a hometown for many overseas Chinese and Taiwan residents. Corazon Aquino, the first woman president of the Philippines, is of a family originally from Jiaomei.

    It has also been one of the four most famous ancient towns in Fujian Province for hundreds of years.

    There are many historic tourism spots in the town, such as Longchi Rock, Huangdu Tomb, Ciji Palace, Cai’s Temple, Zhenghe Temple and Guangong Temple.

    Mushroom cultivation is one of the core industries in Jiaomei, so it is also a great idea to bring back some mushrooms and related products to friends in Shenzhen as healthy souvenirs. (Wang Yuanyuan)