10 November 1998

        The story began in the late 1980's with a copy of the magazine China Tourism. I was captivated by the pictures of faraway places, and stories of people who led an exotic existence. The question that dogged me on and off over the years, about what these people were doing in my backyard, was finally going to be answered.  I was going to travel through the whole of China.

        The plan was to travel along the coast of China and then make my way through the rest of the provinces.  The first leg of the journey was to head north ending up in Heilongjiang province in time for the winter festivities.  I boarded the vessel Jimei in Hong Kong on the overnight trip to Xiamen, Fujian. Arrived in Xiamen the next morning at 10:45 a.m., headfirst into one of many bureaucratic hassles. Chinese Customs insisted on registering all my photography equipment in case I would sell some of it off.

  The Museum

         I stayed at the Lujiang Hotel which is right in front of the ferry to Gulangyu Island. Walked around the island and took in the Museum, Sunlight Rock and listened for the elusive strains of piano and violin that was supposed to emanate from the old buildings that date back to the 30s. Apparently, the residents of Gulangyu are keen musicians; and every family is supposed to be in possession of a musical instrument.

        Since I had till noon to check out; I decided to visit Xiamen Botanical Garden. The Epigraphy Garden is a recent addition of modern calligraphy engraved in massive rocks dotting the Wanshi Mountain. After checking out I then set off for the next city, Quanzhou. One of the tourist attractions there is Kaiyuansi, a temple dating back to A.D. 686.  Quanzhou is also known for its Muslim mosques, hundreds of years ago there was a thriving community of Arab Muslims living here.  For those who prefer walks in country park settings, there is Qingyuanshan. The mountain has seen recreational visitors since the Qin dynasty; and my ticket stub claims that Taoist, Buddhist relics from the Song and Yuan dynasties still remain.  Look out for the Laotse statue near the entrance.

        Traveling north, I reached the city Fuzhou. The only attractions here are Yushan and Wushan; but there is a huge Mao Statue in Wuyi Square. The only reason for stopping here is to catch the train from Nanping to Wuyishan. The 248 express train costs RMB 24 and minibuses at the train station pick up passengers headed towards the mountains.

                                                                                                                                                                                             Bamboo Raft Ride

        The first day in the mountains are spent in Dahongpao, a patch of land that grows Fujian’s best known tea; Shuiliandong, a smallish waterfall; and Wuyi Palace, a modern day park. The next day was spent on Sky Tour Mountain and the bamboo raft ride. The 100 minute raft ride afforded a leisurely view of Wuyishan after a good hike in Sky Tour Mountain. The raft ride costs RMB 50 per person in a group of six.