China Guide
Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan Island
There's something very self-contained about the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan Island, which occupy 1200km or so of China's convoluted southern seaboard. Though occasionally taking centre stage in the country's history, the provinces share a sense of being generally isolated from mainstream events by the mountain ranges surrounding Fujian and Guangdong, physically cutting them off from the rest of the empire. Forced to look seawards, the coastal regions have a long history of contact with the outside world, continually importing – or being forced to endure – foreign influences and styles.
Possibly because its specific attractions are thinly spread, the region receives scant attention from visitors. Huge numbers do pass through Guangdong, in transit between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macau, but only because they have to, and few look beyond the overpowering capital, Guangzhou. Other cities and towns have managed to preserve their old, character-laden ambience intact. The pick of these are the Fujian port of Xiamen, its streets almost frozen in time since the start of the twentieth century, and Chaozhou, in eastern Guangdong, a staunchly conservative place consciously preserving its traditions.
Beyond the boundaries of the various Special Economic Zones (SEZs), specifically created in the mid-1980s as a focus for heavy investment and industrialization, lurk some respectably wild – and some nicely tamed – corners where you can settle back and enjoy the scenery. The Wuyi Shan range in northeastern Fujian contains the region's lushest, most picturesque mountain forests. Way down south, Hainan Island has the country's best beaches.
Indeed, a sense of local tradition and of being different from the rest of the country pervades the whole region, though this feeling is rarely expressed in any tangible way. Language is one difference you will notice, however, as the main dialects here are Cantonese and Minnan, whose rhythms are recognizably removed from Mandarin. Less obvious are specific ethnic groups, including the Hakka, a widely spread Han subgroup whose mountainous Guangdong– Fujian heartland around Yongding is dotted with fortress-like mansions; and the Li, Hainan's animistic, original inhabitants.
Highlights
1 Wuyi Shan Dramatic gorges and great hiking trails amongst some of the finest scenery in southern China.
2 Gulangyu Islet Uniquely relaxing island sporting vehicle-free streets, European-style colonial mansions, and sea views.
3 Hakka mansions These circular mud-brick homes, sometimes housing upwards of five hundred people, are China's most distinctive traditional architecture.
4 Cantonese food Sample China's finest cuisine, from dim sum to roast goose, in one of Guangzhou's restaurants.
5 Chaozhou Old town with Ming-dynasty walls, some great street life, the famous Kaiyuan Si – and more good food.
6 Hainan Island Soak up the sun, swim, surf and watch Chinese and Russians at play on the country's best beaches.