First Impressions
Zhangzhou, Fujian province, is considered one of China’s fiery hot furnaces of China. After stepping off the cool air conditioned bus, immediately I had a minor headache due to the sudden drastic change in temperature. It was quite hot. However, aside from this, the reason I came here was because my friend, 曹坤梁, agreed to accompany me to Xiamen if I were willing to go Zhangzhou with him to bring some stuff back from his university dorm. It was nice visiting his university, albeit, I felt like I don’t belong in such a setting anymore, despite the fact that I haven’t official graduated. On another note, It is still nice to know that I get occasional stares from attractive girls. Sighs. Gotta cherish this while you are young. But not to the point where it inflates your ego to the point of explosion.
“Located in the south of Fujian Province and in the Lower reaches of Nine-dragon River, Zhangzhou is one of the central cities of the Xiamen-Zhangzhou-Quanzhou Economic Zone, and has the title of national historic and cultural city. Zhangzhou belonged to the Yue State in the Warring States Period and it was founded as a county in the Jin Dynasty. Later a state was set up in the Tang Dynasty. The name of Zhangzhou derives from a river nearby called the Zhang River. In the late Song Dynasty, some residents of Zhangzhou had begun to migrate to Taiwan Island. Zhangzhou is one of the major native places where oversea Chinese and Taiwan compatriots settled”
“漳州文庙位于市区修文西路，是我国四大孔庙之一，也是漳州城内最大的古建筑群，国家级重点文物保护单位。始建于宋庆历四年（1044年）。 历史上，朱熹、郑成功、黄道周都曾到此庙祭祀孔子；南宋建炎年间（1127-1130年），孔子后裔避兵入漳，居住于此，其子孙世代相传住于庙内直至明正德年间。漳州文庙现存占地面积15000平方，建筑面积2600平方，，有仪门、戟门、丹墀、月台、大成殿，两旁为东西两庑及敬一亭等。漳州文庙具有很高的古文化和历史文物价值，是漳州文化发展史重要的实证物。大成殿内部结构和细部装饰据专家考评均为宋代遗物，是研究宋代文庙建筑的珍贵实例，反映了当时闽南一带较高的石雕刻技术和建筑技术水平”
“威镇阁俗称八卦楼，坐落在漳州市区战备大桥桥头左侧。据有关资料记载，“400多年来，威镇阁历尽坎坷。清初顺治九年（1652年），郑成功率反清大军与清军大战漳州城，威镇阁被大火焚毁。乾隆二年（1737年），漳州知府刘良璧依旧制重建。又过20年，威镇阁阁顶遭雷电轰毁，两年后，知府蒋允君主持重修。‘文化大革命’期间的1967年，威镇阁在武斗中被炮火炸塌”
Final Thoughts
Zhangzhou was nice. Plus, the time that I arrived (16:00) was an opportune moment when the sun casted a more appropriate light to accent the natural beauties of the city. However, I would not come again. This was a one time trip.
*Majority of contents are derived from the sources provided in the hyperlinks. Thus, the credit goes to the original author of those links.
*These experiences were made possible by the Gilman Scholarship
9/5/15