Once the most affluent neighbourhood in Fuzhou, Sanfang Qixiang, which translates to Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, holds an important place in Chinese history as the home of politicians, industrialists, ideologists and great literary writers. Now, it’s a Fuzhou tourist attraction with Ming and Qing dynasty buildings that have been lovingly preserved and house handsome teahouses, mini-museums and hotels.

Just a 20-minute train ride from downtown Fuzhou, this impressive Taoist temple grips to the peaceful Shizhushan mountain. You’ll need to hike three-quarters of the way up the mountain, catching your breath at the various viewpoints, temples and pagodas, before climbing 3,000-stairs to reach the religious site.

There’s nothing better than the mineral-rich waters of a natural hot spring, which are not only relaxing but also offer therapeutic and medicinal benefits too. In Fuzhou, they’re often channeled into man-made swimming pools, which can be accessed through hotels and guesthouses, or you can visit the Fuzhou Hotspring Park to soak amid the greenery.

More than 400-years-old, Min Opera is a folkloric drama based on ancient legends about wars and romance sung in the Fuzhou dialect and accompanied by traditional flutes, drums, gongs and chime stones. Buy tickets to a show at the Fujian Fuzhou Great Theatre, and support a local art form.

This sprawling garden was built over 1700 years ago in the Jin Dynasty, although many of its pagodas and buildings around the lake were added later. Wander around the neatly groomed peach trees, willows and landscaped flower beds to see why West Lake Park has been a source of inspiration for poets and painters for centuries.

Southwest of the city is the Qi Shan Mountain Forest Park, where two granite peaks: the Qishan Mount and Drum Hill face each other. They’re both coated with ancient trees — at their most beautiful in the Autumn — and rushing waterfalls. Hike through the mountains, where wooden boardwalks, bridges and steep steps take you to breathtaking viewpoints and relaxing hot springs.

A Fuzhou holiday wouldn’t be complete without visiting the city’s White Pagoda (Bai Ta) and Black Pagoda (Wu Ta). Bai Ta stands on the western slope of Yu Hill, and at 41 meters high, is the tallest ancient building in Fuzhou, while Wu Ta on the southern slope of Wu Hill is constructed from a dramatic dark-gray granite. Both pagodas, however, boast epic views over the city.

Bodiless lacquerware has more than 1,000 years of history - a delicate art form developed in Fuzhou that’s considered to be one of the "three treasures" of traditional Chinese crafts with Beijing cloisonné and Jingdezhen porcelain. It’s made using linen, gold and silver and often involves several different processes to create the finished product.

Fuzhou cuisine is famous for its light but flavourful plates of food that place emphasis on umami flavours, called xianwei in Chinese cooking, all served with a bowl of soup. But it’s the region’s street food and snacks — Fuzhou fish balls, dumplings, oyster cakes and pork floss — that are commonly the best just outside of the city.