Get to know Zhangzhou
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- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Fujian
- Chinese name
- 漳州市
- Local areas
- 11 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 12,882.27 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 5,054,328
- Administrative seat
- Xiangcheng District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The Jiulong River (九龙江) crosses the north and flows east out through Xiamen harbour; the city government counts it as Fujian's second-largest river and the Zhangzhou Plain as the province's largest alluvial plain. National nature reserves cover Hubaoliao (虎伯寮) in Nanjing County (南靖县) and the Zhang River (漳江) estuary mangroves in Yunxiao County (云霄县). Dongshan County (东山县), whose main island is Dongshan Island (东山岛), lies where the East China Sea meets the South China Sea; its government calls it the mainland county closest to southern Taiwan.
History
Zhangzhou was founded as a prefecture in 686, under the Tang, at today's Xilin Village (西林村) in Yunxiao, and named after the Zhang River beside its seat. The seat moved to present-day Zhangpu County (漳浦县) in 716 and to the modern city site in 786. The prefecture-level city dates from 1985, when the old county-level city became Xiangcheng District (芗城区), today's seat of government. Zhangzhou is a National Famous Historical and Cultural City.
Zhangzhou glove puppetry (漳州布袋木偶戏) and woodblock New Year prints (漳州木版年画) joined the first national intangible heritage list in 2006. The puppetry flourished here under the Southern Song and had reached Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia by the late Ming.
What to see
The Fujian Tulou (福建土楼), large rammed-earth buildings, were inscribed as World Heritage in July 2008. Nanjing County contributes the Tianluokeng cluster (田螺坑土楼群) of one square and four round buildings, the thirteen-building Hekeng cluster (河坑土楼群), Huaiyuan Lou (怀远楼) and Hegui Lou (和贵楼); Hua'an County (华安县) adds the Dadi cluster (大地土楼群), including Eryi Lou (二宜楼).
On Dongshan Island, Tongling (铜陵), a town of more than 600 years, has the nationally protected Guandi Temple (东山关帝庙) and the Fengdongshi ('wind-moved stone', 风动石) scenic area. The stone memorial archways (漳州石牌坊) and Jiangdong Bridge (江东桥) in the urban districts are also national-level monuments.
Food and local products
Zhangzhou is known as a 'city of flowers and fruit', and the city government lists narcissus (水仙花), the medicine Pien Tze Huang (片仔癀) and Babao seal paste (八宝印泥) as its three treasures. Autumn brings Pinghe honey pomelos (平和蜜柚), Tianbao bananas (天宝香蕉) and Hua'an olives (华安橄榄). Local snacks include lumian noodles (卤面), four-fruit soup (四果汤), shouzhua noodles (手抓面) and oyster omelettes (蚵仔煎).
Getting oriented
The Yingtan–Xiamen (鹰厦), Longyan–Xiamen and Xiamen–Shenzhen railways and the Fuzhou–Xiamen passenger line meet at Zhangzhou. Most of the prefecture speaks Zhangzhou Hokkien (漳州话); parts of Pinghe (平和), Zhao'an (诏安) and Nanjing counties speak Hakka.
Highlights
- Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster 田螺坑土楼群: Square Buyun Lou (步云楼) and four round buildings in Shangban Village (上坂村), Nanjing County; part of the Fujian Tulou World Heritage inscription of 2008.
- Dadi Tulou Cluster 大地土楼群: Eryi Lou, Nanyang Lou (南阳楼) and Dongyang Lou (东阳楼) in Dadi Village (大地村), Xiandu Town (仙都镇), Hua'an County; Eryi Lou became a national key cultural relic in 1996.
- Dongshan Guandi Temple 东山关帝庙: A national-level protected monument in Tongling town, grouped with the wind-moved stone in the Fengdongshi scenic area.
- Yundongyan 云洞岩: A provincial-level key scenic area in Longwen District (龙文区).
- Zhangzhou woodblock New Year prints 漳州木版年画: Mostly door pictures, printed colour blocks first and black line block last; they became popular in the Ming and Qing, and the rise of the port of Yuegang (月港) helped their export.
Sources for this guide
地理环境 · Zhangzhou Municipal People's Government
建制沿革 · Zhangzhou Municipal People's Government (history office text)
自然资源 · Zhangzhou Municipal People's Government
南靖概况 · Nanjing County People's Government
漳州市 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
木偶戏（漳州布袋木偶戏） - 中国非物质文化遗产网·中国非物质文化遗产数字博物馆 · China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
漳州木版年画 - 中国非物质文化遗产网·中国非物质文化遗产数字博物馆 · China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
福建土楼列表 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Wikipedia (Chinese) · CC BY-SA 4.0
铜陵镇概况 · Dongshan County People's Government
位置面积 - 地理环境 · Dongshan County People's Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-30.
Explore Zhangzhou
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Zhangzhou 漳州
Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster 田螺坑土楼群
Dongshan Island 东山岛
Fujian Tulou · Dadi Cluster, Hua'an 福建土楼·华安大地土楼群
Zhangzhou Museum 漳州市博物馆
Yundongyan Scenic Area 云洞岩
Temple of the Emperor Guantai of Dongshan 东山关帝庙
Nanjing Yunshuiyao Tulou Area 南靖云水谣土楼景区
Nanmen Bay 南门湾
Dongshan Tongling Ancient Town and Wind-Moving Rock 铜陵古镇与风动石
Maluan Bay 马銮湾
Dadi Tulou Cluster 大地土楼群
Yunshuiyao Village with Hegui and Huaiyuan Tulou 云水谣与和贵楼怀远楼
Hekeng Tulou Cluster 河坑土楼群
Lingtong Mountain 灵通山
Liu'ao Feicui Bay 六鳌翡翠湾
Volcanic Island Ecological Scenic Area 火山岛自然生态风景区
Zhangzhou Ancient City 漳州古城
Daimei Old Village 埭美古村
Xiangcheng District 芗城区
Longwen District 龙文区
Longhai District 龙海区
Changtai District 长泰区
Yunxiao County 云霄县
Zhangpu County 漳浦县
Zhao'an County 诏安县
Dongshan County 东山县
Nanjing County 南靖县
Pinghe County 平和县
Hua'an County 华安县
Places to explore around Zhangzhou
A waterside city view at Western Yard Ecological Park in Zhangzhou (漳州西院湖生态园). Photograph date recorded by the source: 2018-10-05 17:27:04.Zhangzhou漳州
Zhangzhou’s visitor story follows the Jiulong River and the cultures that developed around its trade. Nanshan Temple gives the city a longstanding Buddhist landmark, while the municipal museum interprets local history and…
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Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, Nanjing County, Fujian.Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster田螺坑土楼群
Tianluokeng gathers five earthen residences into a compact hillside composition: a square building at the centre, with round and oval neighbours around it. The central Buyun building anchors the arrangement, while the…
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Tongling Town and the coast of Dongshan Island · 东山岛 Photograph date recorded by the source: 2023-02-03 15:51:07.Dongshan Island东山岛
Dongshan’s northeastern Tongling quarter links a coastal fortress with a richly decorated Guan Yu temple. The surviving gate and old stone-built setting recall the island’s defensive role, while the temple’s carved wood and…
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Tulou de Fujian · 福建土楼Fujian Tulou · Dadi Cluster, Hua'an福建土楼·华安大地土楼群
The Dadi cluster in Hua’an presents a Minnan branch of Fujian’s earthen-building tradition. Eryi Lou is the principal circular residence, with an extensive decorative interior, while Nanyang Lou houses interpretation of tulou…
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Zhangzhou Museum · 漳州市博物馆Zhangzhou Museum漳州市博物馆
Zhangzhou Museum’s present home is in the Yuanshan Cultural Centre, where regional history is explored through ceramics, maritime exchange and local sculpture. Zhangzhou kiln ware is a strong focus. One particularly revealing…
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Wind-Moving Rock at Yundongyan · 云洞岩风动石 Photograph date recorded by the source: Taken on 1 December 2013.Yundongyan Scenic Area云洞岩
Yundongyan is a hill of piled rock masses on the eastern side of Zhangzhou. Its attraction lies in the spaces between those rocks: Qianren Cave opens into a broad sheltered cavity, while Yixiantian narrows the view to a slender…
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Entrance to Dongshan Guandi Temple · 东山关帝庙入口 Photograph date recorded by the source: 3 February 2023, 13:47:46.Temple of the Emperor Guantai of Dongshan东山关帝庙
Dongshan Guandi Temple stands in Tongling, beside the Fengdongshi scenic area. The compact temple is dedicated to Guan Yu and is arranged along an axis of gateway, middle hall and principal hall. Its architectural decoration…
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Nanjing Yunshuiyao Tulou Area · 南靖云水谣土楼景区Nanjing Yunshuiyao Tulou Area南靖云水谣土楼景区
Yunshuiyao combines a village walking route with the Hegui and Huaiyuan tulou in Nanjing County.
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Panoramic view of Nanmen Bay in Dongshan County, Zhangzhou, with the crescent beach and waterfront town · 漳州市东山县南门湾全景，新月形沙滩与滨海小镇 Source-recorded photograph date: 2018-07-19 07:49:42.Nanmen Bay南门湾
Nanmen Bay curves below Tongling's hillside fishing-village houses on the southeastern side of the town in Dongshan County.
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A huge rounded granite boulder balanced on a flat rock ledge, carrying carved characters 銅山風動石 and smaller red inscriptions, with green trees and shrubs around it and blue sea, headlands and distant islands behind; the file has a thin white border with a Caplio GX exposure caption at the lower left and a 請哥哥 watermark at the lower right.Dongshan Tongling Ancient Town and Wind-Moving Rock铜陵古镇与风动石
Tongling combines the streets of the former Tongshan coastal fortress with the nearby Guandi Temple and Fengdongshi, Dongshan's celebrated balanced boulder.
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The curving sandy shoreline of Maluan Bay on Dongshan Island · 东山岛马銮湾沙滩海岸线 Source-recorded photograph date: 2025-02-08 12:41:45.Maluan Bay马銮湾
Maluan Bay lies on Dongshan Island's eastern shore, with a pale sandy beach backed by coastal woodland.
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The Dadi Tulou Cluster earthen roundhouses in a terraced valley, Hua'an County, Zhangzhou · 漳州市华安县大地土楼群，梯田山谷中的土楼建筑群 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 30 November 2013.Dadi Tulou Cluster大地土楼群
Dadi Tulou in Hua'an County brings together Eryi, Nanyang and Dongyang, three earthen communal buildings included in the Fujian Tulou World Heritage inscription.
Read the place guide →Yunshuiyao Village with Hegui and Huaiyuan Tulou · 云水谣与和贵楼怀远楼Yunshuiyao Village with Hegui and Huaiyuan Tulou云水谣与和贵楼怀远楼
Yunshuiyao in Nanjing County connects a riverside village landscape with two distinct earthen residences: rectangular Hegui Lou and circular Huaiyuan Lou.
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Aerial view of the round earthen tulou buildings of He Keng Tu Lou Qun (Hekeng Tulou Cluster) in Nanjing County, Zhangzhou · 漳州市南靖县河坑土楼群航拍 Source-recorded photograph date: Taken on 2 May 2012.Hekeng Tulou Cluster河坑土楼群
Hekeng is a cluster of earthen communal houses in Qujiang village, where buildings follow a narrow valley toward the stream in Nanjing County.
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Lingtong Mountain · 灵通山Lingtong Mountain灵通山
Lingtong Mountain in Pinghe County combines steep volcanic peaks and forest with a Buddhist temple fitted into a natural recess high in the cliff.
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The beach at Liu'ao Feicui Bay (Jade Bay) in Zhangpu County · 漳浦县六鳌翡翠湾海滩 Source-recorded photograph date: 2014-02-02 15:35.Liu'ao Feicui Bay六鳌翡翠湾
Feicui Bay at Liu’ao in Zhangpu combines a long, curved sandy beach with a purpose-built seaside resort.
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Volcanic Island Ecological Scenic Area · 火山岛自然生态风景区Volcanic Island Ecological Scenic Area火山岛自然生态风景区
Huoshandao in Zhangpu is a coastal holiday area where dark volcanic rocks meet the sea alongside colourful, purpose-built attractions.
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Zhangzhou Ancient City · 漳州古城Zhangzhou Ancient City漳州古城
Zhangzhou Old City brings together Minnan street architecture, major historic monuments and an inhabited neighbourhood of shops and homes.
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Daimei Old Village · 埭美古村Daimei Old Village埭美古村
Daimei in Longhai is a waterside village whose red-brick houses line up in disciplined rows beneath sweeping swallowtail roof ridges.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Zhangzhou local specialties
漳州市特色美食 · 13 specialties to discover
Zhangzhou four-fruit dessert soup 漳州四果汤AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
The experience alternates between soft beans, chewy or slippery jelly and juicy fruit. Sweetness depends on the syrup, so a colourful bowl can still be very sweet even when much of it looks like fruit.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Zhangzhou Thick-Broth Noodles 卤面AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Zhangzhou alkaline wheat noodles served under a lightly thickened savoury broth with dried seafood and egg.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Maozai Seafood Porridge 猫仔粥
Maozai Seafood Porridge (猫仔粥) is a seafood porridge from Zhangzhou (漳州), Fujian, cooked to order from fresh ingredients.
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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Oyster Omelette 蚵仔煎
Oyster Omelette (蚵仔煎) is a snack of fresh oysters fried with starch and egg, usually eaten with a sour-spicy sauce.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Five-Spice Pork Rolls 五香卷AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Five-Spice Pork Rolls (五香卷) are rolls of five-spice-seasoned filling wrapped in tofu skin and deep-fried, a dish of southern Fujian (闽南).
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Zhangzhou Hand-Held Noodle Cakes 手抓面AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Zhangzhou's cooked noodles pressed into a thin cake and rolled around fried tofu with several sauces.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Soft Tofu with Glass Noodles 豆花粉丝Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Soft Tofu with Glass Noodles (豆花粉丝) is a savoury Zhangzhou (漳州) snack assembled with braised toppings and their cooking liquor.
Read the dish guide →
Photo adjustments
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Fuzhou Wok-Edge Rice-Sheet Soup 锅边糊AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Thin rice-batter sheets cooked against a wok and scraped into a clam-based Fuzhou soup.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →All dish names · 全部菜名 (13)
- Zhangzhou four-fruit dessert soup · 漳州四果汤
- Zhangzhou Thick-Broth Noodles · 卤面
- Maozai Seafood Porridge · 猫仔粥
- Oyster Omelette · 蚵仔煎
- Five-Spice Pork Rolls · 五香卷
- Zhangzhou Hand-Held Noodle Cakes · 手抓面
- Soft Tofu with Glass Noodles · 豆花粉丝
- Fuzhou Wok-Edge Rice-Sheet Soup · 锅边糊
- Zhao'an Seafood Rice Soup · 诏安猫仔粥
- Dongshan Seafood · 东山海鲜
- Pinghe Salt-Cured Duck · 平和咸水鸭
- Yunxiao Pork Meatballs · 云霄水圆仔
- Changtai Thick-Broth Noodles · 长泰卤面
More dishes from across Fujian are in the Fujian food guide.
Counties & districts in Zhangzhou
11 areas belong directly to Zhangzhou.
11 areas
Xiangcheng District 芗城区
Xiangcheng District (simplified Chinese: 芗城区; traditional Chinese: 薌城區; pinyin: Xiāngchéng Qū; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hiang-sêng-khu) is a district and the seat of Zhangzhou, located in the province of Fujian, People's…
Explore the area →DistrictLongwen District 龙文区
Longwen District (simplified Chinese: 龙文区; traditional Chinese: 龍文區; pinyin: Lóngwén Qū; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Liông-bûn-khu) is a district of Zhangzhou, Fujian province, People's Republic of China.
Explore the area →DistrictLonghai District 龙海区
Longhai District (simplified Chinese: 龙海区; traditional Chinese: 龍海區; pinyin: Lónghǎi Qū; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Liông-hái-khu / Liông-hái-khi) is a district in Zhangzhou, in the south of Fujian province, China.
Explore the area →DistrictChangtai District 长泰区
Changtai is a district in Zhangzhou in southern Fujian Province in the People's Republic of China. It is located just outside Zhangzhou's central urban area.
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Yunxiao County 云霄县
Yunxiao County (simplified Chinese: 云霄县; traditional Chinese: 雲霄縣; pinyin: Yúnxiāo Xiàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ûn-sio-kōan) is a county of Zhangzhou prefecture level city, in the south of Fujian province, People's…
Explore the area →CountyZhangpu County 漳浦县
Zhangpu County is a county of Zhangzhou prefecture-level city in far southern Fujian province, People's Republic of China with a population of 847,535 (2020 census).
Explore the area →CountyZhao'an County 诏安县
Zhao'an (simplified Chinese: 诏安; traditional Chinese: 詔安; pinyin: Zhào'ān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiàu-an-koān) is a county in the municipal region of Zhangzhou, and the southernmost administrative division of Fujian…
Explore the area →CountyDongshan County 东山县
(simplified Chinese: 东山县; traditional Chinese: 東山縣; pinyin: Dōngshān Xiàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tang-soaⁿ-koān) is a county of far southern Fujian Province, People's Republic of China, located along the Taiwan Strait.
Explore the area →CountyNanjing County 南靖县
Nanjing County (simplified Chinese: 南靖县; traditional Chinese: 南靖縣; pinyin: Nánjìng Xiàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lâm-chiūⁿ-koān) is a county under the administration of Zhangzhou City, in the south of Fujian province…
Explore the area →CountyPinghe County 平和县
Pinghe County (simplified Chinese: 平和县; traditional Chinese: 平和縣; pinyin: Pínghé Xiàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pêng-hô-koān) is a county of the prefecture-level city of Zhangzhou, in southern Fujian province, PRC…
Explore the area →CountyHua'an County 华安县
(simplified Chinese: 华安县; traditional Chinese: 華安縣; pinyin: Huá'ān Xiàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hôa-an-koān) is a county of Zhangzhou City, in the far south of Fujian province, People's Republic of China.
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 漳州市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Zhangzhou and Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster are about 60 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Fujian →More in Fujian
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 漳州市 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 福建土楼列表 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Zhangzhou · Masdggg · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
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Photo: Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster · Gisling · CC BY-SA 3.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Dongshan Island · Windmemories · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Fujian Tulou · Dadi Cluster, Hua'an · Scott Edmunds · CC BY 2.0. Wikimedia thumbnail; fitted to the ranking-card frame.
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Photo: Zhangzhou Museum · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Yundongyan Scenic Area · rheins · CC BY 3.0. The exact downloaded source bytes are separately retained and hashed. Prepared JPEG is proportionally reduced to a maximum 720-pixel long edge; full frame retained, no subject alteration. Final website rendition: full frame retained, proportionally resized to at most 720 pixels and converted to WebP. No additional retouching or subject alteration. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Temple of the Emperor Guantai of Dongshan · Windmemories · Windmemories — 20230203_Temple_of_Guan_Yu,_Dongshan_01.jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Nanjing Yunshuiyao Tulou Area · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Nanmen Bay · Thyj · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Dongshan Tongling Ancient Town and Wind-Moving Rock · gdczjkk · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Maluan Bay · H2v5o68z · CC0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Dadi Tulou Cluster · rheins · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Yunshuiyao Village with Hegui and Huaiyuan Tulou · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Hekeng Tulou Cluster · 张元柏 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
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Photo: Lingtong Mountain · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Liu'ao Feicui Bay · liuzr99 · CC BY-SA 2.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
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Photo: Volcanic Island Ecological Scenic Area · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Zhangzhou Ancient City · Zhangzhugang · CC BY-SA 3.0. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Daimei Old Village · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
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