Field notes
The journal
What we've learned walking this city — written when there's something worth saying, not on a schedule.
Fujian3 min read
Quanzhou — The Most Underrated City in China
For three centuries Quanzhou was arguably the busiest harbour in the world, and the mosques, Hindu carvings and Nestorian tombstones are still standing. UNESCO listed it in 2021. Visitor numbers have barely noticed.
Fujian3 min read
Tulou — The Earth Fortresses of Fujian
A tulou is one building containing an entire lineage — walls two metres thick at the base, a single gate, and eighty-odd rooms around a courtyard. Dozens are still lived in.
Fujian2 min read
The City That Burns Gold
Every doorstep had a metal bucket in front of it, and every bucket was full of burning gold paper. Nobody had mentioned it. This is what Quanzhou's ritual calendar looks like when you happen to arrive on the right day.
Fujian2 min read
A Village God Parade in Remote Fujian
The village version of Fujian's temple processions is smaller than the city ones and considerably more intense. Everybody has a role, everybody knows why, and nobody is performing for you.
Fujian2 min read
New Year in Putian — A Month of It
Most of China celebrates New Year for a week. Putian keeps going for the entire first lunar month, with palanquins run over fire, all-night processions and a different village every night.
Fujian2 min read
Dehua — Where Blanc de Chine Comes From
Dehua's white porcelain was the standard Europe tried and failed to copy for two centuries. The town is still at it — and it's still a working industry rather than a heritage exhibit.
Fujian2 min read
Anxi — Tieguanyin Country, and a Parade Through the Tea Hills
Anxi grows Tieguanyin — the oolong that made Fujian tea famous. It also runs one of the more spectacular temple processions in the province, straight through the tea terraces.