Fuzhou (福州), capital of Fujian Province and home to roughly 8.3 million people, is the most relaxed gateway into Fujian — culturally deep, walkable, and in 2026 finally stitched together by a complete metro network after the Binhai Express (Line F1) opened at the end of 2025, linking Changle International Airport directly to the city in under 40 minutes.
The old city is defined by Sanfang Qixiang, the largest preserved Ming and Qing urban district in China, while the river side is defined by the Min River night cruise, the hot-spring hotels around Wusi Road, and the cross-river skyline of new Fuzhou. This is also where jasmine tea and Fo Tiao Qiang (Buddha Jumps Over the Wall) were invented — the latter birthed at Ju Chun Yuan in 1876 — and in 2025 Fujian received its first MICHELIN Guide, with 11 of the province's Bib Gourmand restaurants in Fuzhou alone.
For most travellers, two full days is enough to cover the old lanes, Yantai Hill, West Lake Park and a river cruise. Add a third day for Gu Shan or a hot-spring afternoon.