Xiapu, Fujian

Chinese Name: 霞浦（xiá pǔ）
Population: 548,600
Area: 1,489.6 square kilometers (575 square miles)
Location: on the northeast coast of Fujian Province, southeast China
Area Code: 0593
Zip Code: 355100
GDP (2018): CNY23.16 billion (USD 3.50 billion)  

Xiapu China, located in the northeastern part of Fujian Province, is the oldest county in eastern Fujian. Xiapu's long coastline, shallow sea, sandy beaches and beautiful mudflats provide rare and unique scenery for photography. Photographers from home and abroad come here for large and beautiful mudflats. The long coastline and numerous islands also provide advantaged natural conditions for marine planting, so Xiapu is also known as the home of kelp and laver in China.

Xiapu Fujian possesses rich tourist resources, including magnificent sea view, beaches, islands, harbors, waterfalls, and mountains. Various local historical stories, ancient buildings add mystery to Xiapu's human landscape and attract visitors interested in them. Xiapu also is a dreamland for photography lovers for the diverse and colorful mudflats and sea views.
 

1. Xiaohao — For photographers, it is easier to take stunning pictures successfully in the Xiaohao Village as the beach will be colorful with the reflection of sunshine and rosy clouds.

2. Beiqi — The top beach that resembles the tiger skin texture is in Beiqi. As long as there is light, the golden texture and meandering streams are visible.

3. Beidou Beach — It is the main place to shoot sunrise and fishermen returning from the sea.

There are other good places for a shoot, such as the Mantou Mountain, Huazhu, Hanjiang, Dongan Island, Dongbi…
 

1. Yangjiaxi — If you just for sightseeing, you can give priority to Yangjiaxi in Xiapu. It is one of the most popular scenic spots in Xiapu Fujian with stunning natural scenery and ancient buildings as well as engaging folk stories.

2. Konghao Memorial Hall — The Konghao Memorial Hall at Chi’an is set to memorize an eminent Japanese monk named Konghai who made a great contribution to the introduction of the advanced Tang Dynasty culture to Japan.

3. Jianshan Temple — It now preserves the architectural form in the Qing Dynasty well, very famous in the eastern Fujian.

4. Liuyundong— The Liuyundong at Sansha Town has a large number of cliff inscriptions and Buddha statue, which make it full of Buddhist cultural atmosphere.

5. Baiyueli- The preserved historical and cultural heritage of She nationality in the Banyueli Village enables visitors to appreciate traditional buildings and to experience local customs and folk songs.

The best time to visit Xiapu is from April to November. The annual average temperature in Xiapu Fujian ranges from 17C(62F) to 23C(73F) , Rainy day is frequent in spring, from January to April and rainstorms and typhoon can be seen in the summer of Xiapu, July to August. The climate is fairly mild in winter.

But for photographers, they can produce excellent works there all year round.

 April to June: It is suitable for shooting fisherman working scenes when the people harvest kelp and catch fry. Also, the rhododendron bloom in the Taimu Mount on April is worth seeing.

 June to August: Summer is the season of typhoons when the clouds are particularly brilliant, especially the sunset clouds.

 June to August: Summertime in Xiapu has far more sunny days than other seasons, when the clouds are particularly brilliant, especially the sunset clouds, which is more appropriate for wonderful photographs. However, it is also the season of typhoon and visitors should pay more attention to the weather forecast.

 October to December: People is busy with cultivating kelp, so it also a good time to capture them and the beaches. Red maple leaves in Yangjiaxi and Taimu Mountain on November are definitely worth for Xiapu traveling.

Travelers can fly to Fuzhou Changle International Airport and Wenzhou Yongqiang Airport then take shuttle buses to Xiapu with about 2.5 hours. Visitors from Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Jinan, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Fuzhou, and Xiamen can take direct bullet trains to Xiapu. Also, it takes 1 hour by bullet trains from Fuzhou City to Xiapu. 

In Xiapu, buses and taxis are the two main methods of transportation. It costs about 10 to 15 yuan from the city center to the railway station. Because the county is smaller, people tend to take tricycles and motorcycles. It takes 500-600/day to rent a car and employ a guide who will take you to the best places to shoot.

The Fish Ball, Black Rice, Sweet Potato Cup-Shaped Cake, Seafood Fired Rice-Flour Noodles, and Light Soup Noodle are the local snacks as well as the best Xiapu food to try.

 Black Rice
People pick the leaves of Nanzhu tree, a wild plant, and pound them into juice. The glutinous rice is soaked in juice and steamed in a wooden steamer. Its color becomes black when it is done.

Xiapu Late-Ripe Litchi, Xiapu Kelp, Xiapu Mustard, Xiapu Sea Cucumber are worthy to take back home.