Fuzhou has its own "Little Kyoto"! It's truly beautiful.

Follow the tide of the Min River into Shangxiahang, where Longlingding unfolds like a yellowed scroll steeped in time, nestled among staggered saddle-roofed walls and carved doorways. Ascend the steps, and by the Santong Bridge, banyan tree roots whisper tales of the century-old trading port. The salty sea breeze seeps through cracks in the bluestone slabs, carrying the echoes of tea, tung oil, and silk merchants from bygone days. The "Purple Air Comes from the East" brick carving above the old house's doorway still shimmers with vermilion red, while moss has crept onto the carved wooden windows of the inner courtyard, dyeing the plaque inscribed by a Qing Dynasty scholar an emerald green.

Atop Longlingding, remnants of cliff carvings stand shoulder to shoulder with small Western-style buildings from the Republican era, their stained-glass windows reflecting the silhouettes of horse-head walls. Around a corner, a simmering pot of Chaihugou, a local hotpot, exudes the savory aroma of shrimp oil and crab paste. An elderly gentleman fans himself by the ancient well, recounting anecdotes of Chen Baochen, while a grandmother's thread noodles hang like a silvery curtain of rain on bamboo poles. As dusk settles, red lanterns illuminate one by one, and the lilting melodies of Nanyin music drift through narrow alleys, startling a tabby cat perched on the eaves of a qilou. Time here is fragmented into dappled light and shadow, where the legends of the trading port and the bustle of daily life quietly ferment among the black tiles, brewing into the essence of Fuzhou's history.

Post by Zephyr_Thornfield_52 | Mar 27, 2025