| Zhangzhou, located at the southern most end of Fujian Province and between the two Special Economic Zones of Xiamen and Shantou, is facing Taiwan Island across the sea, with Hongkong and Macau in the south. Zhangzhou plain is the largest plain in Fujian, with its surface relief declining from northwest to southeast, with a great variety of land forms including mountainous regions, hills and plains.
Zhangzhou, a famous historical and cultural city, where every generation produces its celebrities, with beautiful mountains and rivers, is an ideal place for vacation and tourism, religious pilgrim as well as flower appreciation and fruit tasting. The ancient Nanshan Temple with 1000 years’ history, city relics from Song Dynasty-Zhao Family Palace, folk house treasure-Eryi building, training base for China’s women volleyball team-Tengfei Gym, 100-li flower corridor of South Fujian as well as National Littoral Volcanic Park are all favorable places for tourism. In 1986, Zhangzhou was listed as the state’s famous historical and cultural city by the State Council.
A great deal of prehistorical relics excavated in recent years have aroused the interests of historians and they have been officially named as “Zhangzhou Culture”.
Zhangzhou has a long history. As early as 4000-5000 years ago, primitive Min-Yue people lived here. The city has a history of 1312 years. It was also known as Xiang City for the reason that there is a Xiang River passing by.
Zhangzhou now governs two districts, one city and eight counties. It is also a famous hometown of overseas Chinese and one of the main ancestral homes for Chinese compatriots of Taiwan Island.
Zhangzhou, has a mild and moist climate, and fertile soil; flowers are in full bloom all the year round and fresh fruits are available in all the four seasons. Zhangzhou is a natural “Big Green house”,enjoying the good fame of “Home land of Flower and Fruits”. It is one of the regions with most developed agriculture in China, The fruit per capita comes out top in the country, with export volume of mushroom and asparagus listing first in the country. Currently, a country –level outbound type Agriculture Demonstration Plot and a Cross-strait (Zhangzhou) Agricultural Cooperation Experimental Area have been established in Zhangzhou .The largest high-quality agricultural base for earning foreign exchange, the largest green food production base as well as the largest agricultural products processing base in Fujian Province are established.
Numerous historic sites and unique natutal landscape of Zhangzhou will attract more and more tourists from home and abroad.
Nanshan Temple Nanshan Temple is situated in the south of Nine Dragon River and is one of the 8 famous resorts in Zhangzhou City. It is a Buddhism temple with over 1200 years history which attracts tourists at home and abroad.
Inside the temple there are the Heaven King's Hall, the Daxiong Hall, the Shrine of Buddhist Scriptures, all of which are built in an exquisite and grand style. Enshrined in these halls are the statues of Maitreya, Four Kings of Heaven, etc.
100 Flower Village 100 Flower Village was founded about 500 years ago when a descendant of the famous philosopher Zhu Xi fled to Zhangzhou to escape political persecution. One night he fell asleep, stone drunk, and had a dream of flower fairies descending from heaven. They danced, and sang, “Growing flowers brings eternal happiness, enjoying flowers brings long life.” He awoke and named the place Changfu (Lasting Happiness), and his descendants have been growing flowers ever since and now have over 20,000 kinds of flowers, with water sprite flower (narcissus) as Zhangzhou’s most prized flower.
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