I can't say I'm a stranger to Fuzhou, but I can't say I'm very familiar with it either. I spent some time in Fuzhou in the past. Back then, I hadn't really gotten into photography, so I mostly used my phone to record my travels around the city. Most of the time, I didn't leave any records, just vague memories.
Back then, I visited Fuzhou's parks with my family, walked through the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys with friends, and wandered aimlessly through the city streets just like I am now. When it comes to memories of Fuzhou, I have to mention scents: first, the smell of car exhaust in the air; second, the fresh fragrance of jasmine; and third, the stench of the city's rivers. Now, returning to Fuzhou, the air seems to have improved, and the rivers I passed no longer emit unpleasant odors. This month is the blooming season for jasmine, and you can still see stalls selling jasmine garlands by the roadside. That fresh, fragrant scent is the true original smell of this "blessed city."
In reality, the Fuzhou in my memory had long been covered in a layer of dust, just waiting for a breeze to blow it away. That breeze is Yantai Mountain.
Yantai Mountain shattered my impression of Fuzhou, transforming it from an old friend with a hint of vicissitudes into a new acquaintance. It turns out Fuzhou has such a surprising side.
Speaking of the Yantai Mountain of today, we must trace it back to the past.
On June 3, 1839, Lin Zexu ordered the destruction of opium at Humen Beach, which ended on June 25, lasting 23 days and destroying 2,376,254 jin of opium. In 1840, the British government used Lin Zexu's destruction of opium at Humen as an excuse to launch the Opium War. The Opium War ended with the defeat of the Qing government. In 1842, the Qing government signed the Treaty of Nanking with Britain, opening Shanghai, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, and Ningbo as treaty ports. Historically known as the "Five Treaty Ports," this marked the beginning of foreigners leasing land and trading in China. In 1844, Fuzhou was officially opened as a port. Western merchants and missionaries leased land and built houses in the Cangqianshan area of Nantai Island, opening foreign firms, schools, and hospitals, and establishing consulates or agencies, forming the "Cangqianshan Foreign Settlement." The Yantai Mountain area, located in the center of the settlement, thus developed into Fuzhou's consulate district and foreign trade base.
The Yantai Mountain Historical and Cultural District is located at the southernmost end of Fuzhou's historical and cultural axis. It currently preserves 163 modern architectural structures, covering various styles such as Romanesque, Gothic, Victorian, and Baroque. Yantai Mountain is not only filled with modern historical buildings but also features a commercial promenade completed in 2021. History and trends blend perfectly here, making the visitor experience one of the best in Fuzhou.
Even though the online reviews were very high, I didn't have high expectations for Yantai Mountain before setting off, just thinking of it as another internet-famous photo spot. As it turned out, this trip truly exceeded my expectations.
I headed towards Yantai Mountain, following Cangqian Road along the Min River until I reached the Yantai Mountain commercial promenade. Standing on the outskirts of the district, it seemed no different from any other commercial street, but only by wandering inside did I discover that there was much more to it.
From the banks of the Min River to the top of Yantai Mountain, the small hill, with an elevation of only 41.6 meters, is not tiring to walk around at all. The scenery along the way is beautiful; the architecture, design, and colors here are refreshing, and the streets are spacious and tidy, making one feel happy at a glance. The afternoon sun becomes gentle here, with various buildings shaded by green trees under a clear blue sky.
Taking the east-west Lequn Road and Aiguo Road as the main sightseeing route, along the way there are important attractions and buildings such as Yantai Mountain Park, Lequn Building, the Min Customs Tax Office, Stone Church, the French Consulate, and the American Consulate.
Lequn Road is named after Lequn Building. Lequn Building was first built in the fourth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1854) and completed in 1859. It is one of the few remaining early Western-style buildings in the Yantai Mountain historical district and was also the earliest Western-style entertainment building and foreign club in China. Lequn Building is a two-story brick-and-wood colonial-style building with a veranda. It is five bays wide, with arches on the first floor and flat arches on the second floor. The entrance has an iconic two-story gatehouse. Lequn Building is now the location of the Daguan Art Museum. There are many exhibits in the museum, but they are ridiculously new. Fortunately, there is no admission fee (otherwise, people would complain to death).
There isn't much to see inside Lequn Building, but a large banyan tree not far in front of the building is spectacular. The afternoon light shines from behind the banyan tree, making the whole tree glow, and pedestrians walk under the tree like ants. This scene is truly beautiful. To the left of Lequn Building is Yantai Mountain Park, which is as small as can be.
After passing the park, I walked further down to check out the former site of the Fujian Meifeng Bank/Private Union University. There is an exhibition inside this building, which requires an admission ticket to visit. The building was originally in a typical colonial veranda style. The second floor and roof were later renovated, adding eaves and upturned corners with traditional Chinese architectural elements, but the fireplace chimneys still protrude from the roof.
On the outer platform of this building, there is also a large banyan tree, its canopy casting a large shadow in front of the building. Both sides of the banyan tree are great places to view the Min River scenery. Standing on this platform, the city view and river view below the mountain are unobstructed, and the buildings on Zhongzhou Island in the distance shine brilliantly in the sunlight.
Walking back along the way I came, I passed by the Stone Church again.
The Stone Church was funded and built by British expatriates in Fuzhou in 1856. It was designed by Hong Kong civil engineer T. L. Walker and completed in 1862. The Stone Church is a pseudo-Gothic building made of granite and diabase, with buttresses on the outer walls, wooden trusses for the roof frame, and double-layered small green tiles on the roof. The church was originally named St. John’s Church, and because it was built of stone, it is commonly known as the "Stone Church."
Even if I hadn't been to Yantai Mountain, I had long heard of the Stone Church located there.
There are two ancient trees in front of the Stone Church: one is a ginkgo tree, and the other is a camphor tree. They are first-class and second-class protected ancient trees in Fuzhou, respectively (there are a total of six century-old ginkgo trees in Fuzhou, and only one is first-class, which is right at the Stone Church). Every autumn, when the ginkgo leaves in front of the Stone Church turn yellow and fall, the church and the golden ginkgo leaves form a beautiful autumn picture. When autumn arrives, I will bring my camera to the Stone Church to enjoy the beautiful scenery of falling ginkgo leaves.
Walking and looking along the way, every street here is so lovely that one can't help but look again and again, and take photo after photo. Being here, my soul seems to have become freer.
The sun sets, and the sunset melts into gold. Yantai Mountain at night is even more bustling and lively, showing its enthusiastic side to visitors.
Street concerts are underway, and the traditional-style music feast at Anlan Guild Hall has also attracted many people. This hurried trip only explored a small part of Yantai Mountain; I will come again next time.
Perhaps the river breeze is not as free as the sea breeze, but it can still bring coolness to people; perhaps the river water is not as vast as the sea, but when night falls, the reflection of the city in the water is still beautiful; perhaps the city of Fuzhou is too low-key, but those who like it have their own reasons.
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