The 2000-year-old city of Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian Province. It faces the island of Taiwan, off the China coast.
Fuzhou is decorated with banyan trees planted during the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960-1127). Hot springs also bless the city. And the two "Opposing Pagodas" watch over the city from hilltops outside of two; the White Pagoda (built in 904 AD during the Tang Dynasty) and the Black Pagoda are imagined by locals to be in some way opposed to each other. Both Pagodas are octagonal and have seven levels. The White Pagoda stands about 135 feet tall; the Black Pagoda is over 100 feet. Both make excellent platforms for photographing the city.
The Min River runs through the town and into Horse-Tail Harbor. The harbor used to be a military center during the Ming Dynasty; now it is an economic zone and boasts the province's largest shipyard.
The city also boasts a 1700 year old scenic park and a zoo. West Lake Park has a 30 hectare lake which has been reconstructed a few times over the centuries. The Fuzhou Zoo has about 100 species of wildlife in a five hectare garden.
