Xianyou County 仙游县

Setting and landscape

Thirty peaks rise above 1,000 metres. The highest, Shigujie (石谷解) at 1,803.3 metres, stands in Qianxi village of Xiyuan (西苑乡) where Xianyou, Dehua and Yongtai (永泰) meet; the county yearbook calls it the top of the Wulei Mountains (五雷山) and the highest peak in central Fujian. The Mulan River rises in Xiyuan and runs 64.5 kilometres through the county, past the seat at Licheng (鲤城). The Yanshou stream (延寿溪) starts in Zhongshan (钟山镇) and flows through Jiuli Lake before entering Chengxiang. Jinzhong Lake (金钟湖), a large reservoir, is the county's only lake and a provincial water scenic area.

History

In 699 the Tang split off the west of Putian County as Qingyuan County (清源县). When Quanzhou was renamed Qingyuan commandery in 742, the county took the name Xianyou (仙游) after the legend of nine He brothers who became immortals at Jiuli Lake. In 978 Chen Hongjin (陈洪进), a native of Fengting (枫亭), handed the Zhang and Quan prefectures and their 14 counties, Xianyou among them, to the Song. In 1563 the general Qi Jiguang (戚继光) fought Japanese pirates here in what is called the Battle of Xianyou.

What to see

Jiuli Lake (九鲤湖), in Zhongshan 31 kilometres from the county town, takes its name from the legend that the nine He immortals rode carp into the sky there. It is a national water scenic area known for its lake, caves, waterfalls and rocks, and the Ming traveller Xu Xiake (徐霞客) ranked it with Mount Wuyi and Yuhua Cave (玉华洞) as Fujian's "three wonders". Other named sights are Caixi Rock (菜溪岩), Maixie Rock (麦斜岩), Tianma Mountain (天马山) and the tomb of Cai Xiang (蔡襄墓).

Food, crafts and customs

Xinghua longan (兴化桂圆) was sent as tribute to successive courts, the Duwei pomelo (度尾文旦柚) is a national geographical-indication product, and Shufeng loquats (书峰枇杷) are prized for crisp, sweet-sour flesh. Local craft firms make classical furniture, Xianyou stone pieces and paintings. The Fengting Lantern Festival parade (枫亭元宵游灯) is on the national intangible heritage list, and people speak Puxian (莆仙语).

Getting oriented

By road the county town is 42 kilometres from central Putian, 85 kilometres from Quanzhou (泉州) and 152 kilometres from Fuzhou (福州). The Fuzhou–Xiamen railway stops at Xianyou station.

Highlights

• Jiuli Lake 九鲤湖: National water scenic area in Zhongshan, ranked by Xu Xiake among Fujian's three wonders.
• Shigujie 石谷解: Peak of 1,803.3 metres in Xiyuan, listed as the highest in central Fujian.
• Duwei pomelo 度尾文旦柚: National geographical-indication product.
• Fengting Lantern Festival parade 枫亭元宵游灯: National intangible heritage custom.