Zhangzhou unveils summer tourism season in Shanghai

Credit: Chen Shuguang

Caption: Fujian tulou

Zhangzhou, central China's Fujian Province, unveiled its summer tourism splendor in Shanghai, showcasing its intangible cultural heritage gems on Wednesday.

Inheritors from the city preformed glove puppetry, a national-level intangible cultural heritage, and Zhangzhou paper-cutting in Yangpu District.

Ten new cultural and tourism routes were released at the same time.

One of the routes takes tourists on an in-depth trip through the city, stringing together Fujian tulou (earthen houses) Scenic Area that includes Nanjing County and Hua'an County, Dongshan Island, Zhangpu County and the Emerald Bay resort, Huoshan Island, and Hooray, a resort with a camping site and four amusement parks.

Tulou is a complex of ancient buildings, which are unique to the Hakka in the mountainous areas, constructed between the 13th and 20th century in various shapes and sizes.

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: Scenery of Zhangzhou

Housing a whole clan of almost 1,000 people, a tulou is known as a small kingdom, functioning as a little village or small society.

Hundreds of tulou are dotted around in Fujian's Nanjing, Hua'an, Pinghe and Zhao'an counties and Yongding District in Longyan city. Most of them are still well preserved and functioning today.

Fujian tulou was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008.

A summer retreat tour will take people to enjoy the fun of Haxi drifting in Zhao'an County and visit Nanmen Village, Xianglin Pogada, Baicaoyuan (Herb Garden) and Lingtong Mountain.

There's also a tour route for honeymooners that include Banyueshan hot spring, Shuangyu Island and Baitang Bay.

The coastal city also earned its reputation for its beautiful seaside scenery.