Fujian Tong'an county old quarters.

On reaching Tong'an town,the best place to get down from the public bus is Tong'an bus station as noted in red wording 'Tong'an Zhi Ze Xi Zhan' located along Chengnan Lu(Road).

In fact each of the bus stop were about 2km apart and before each stops will be annouced via a speaker saying "Next stop"(Xia Yi Zhan)

Show you body language and the conductor will know your intention. At Chengnan (城南) stop ,count to the third stop and then get off.

There were two bus station in the vicinity across the road .The first one is the Nan(South) route especially the long distance buses and it's inside the building.

The other one has minibuses within the municipality.

 Public buses outside Xiamen Island have bus numbers starting with the following: Tong'an 6, Xiangan 7, Haicang 8 and Jimei 9.

Walking straight after the traffic light junction is Xiqiao Lu which will lead to this Xi'an Qiao(Bridge) into the old quarters of Tong'an

 The old quarters have a mixed of modern skyscrapers and old ancient buildings and temples.

 Motor vehicles were allowed in this part of the county and you won't see any traffic congestions.

Modern auto tricycle battery operated rickshaw is also seen in Tong'an similar to the 'tuk-tuk' of Thailand,Laos and Cambodia,'bajaj' in Jakarta,Indonesia and the Filipino traysikel.


China is very particular about green environment to check on vehicle pollutants compared to other Asian countries where such auto rickshaw emit toxic carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.








Old traditional shoplots in the heart of Tong'an old quarters Datong area having distinct similarities seen in Yaowarat in Bangkok and Thonburi,Hanoi Old Quarters,Penang Island,Medan in Sumatera,Indonesia as well as Singapore's Niu Che Shui.




Tong'an District in divided into 2 subdistricts: Datong (大同街道) and Xiangping(祥平街道) Major Towns are: Hongtang (洪塘镇), Tingxi (汀溪镇), Lianhua (莲花镇), Xinmin (新民镇), Wuxian (五显镇), Xike (西柯镇)


Shophouses like these in Singapore and Malaysia are known as pre-war houses and are preserved as heritage buildings.

 Moving east of Tong'an county is Xiang'an District with only one subdistrict called Dadeng(大嶝街道) Major Towns in Xiang'an are: Xindian (新店镇), Xinxu (新圩镇), Maxiang (马巷镇), Neicuo (内厝镇).



This type of building design architecture has been brought along by the Chinese ancestors who migrated to Southeast Asia.

Telok Ayer and Joo Chiat's neighbourhood in Singapore is one typical example with many of these Anglo-Straits Eclectric style.

In Malacca at Kampong Pantai,these type of buildings has been refurbished to become backpackers hostel.



Building with a blend of Anglo-Chinese architecture.







Wooden planks slots being used to cover the shop frontage.

 The door consisted of two bigger wooden planks which are quite heavy and will be slotted in after having completed the other panel slots.

Hanging a red door plaque and banner is an old Chinese custom, a ritual blessing to ensure that only good things come in.



Market street in the Datong prefecture of Tong'an is the businness centre with many shops selling different kind of products.






 Guan Yin Tang(Temple)in Tong'an,Fujian Province is similar to The Goddess of Mercy Temple in Penang George Town.

Located at the juncture where China Street meets Jalan Kapitan Keling (formerly known as Pitt Street).The locals called it as 'Kuan Yin Teng' in Hokkien dialect.

 In Malacca,the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple also has the Guan Yin deity, goddess of mercy and protector.

Singapore's Guan Yin Tang is at Waterloo Street and also the famous Hokkien Temple Thian Hock Keng at Telok Ayer Street.

In Indonesia is the Vihara Bahtra Sasana(天后宫)in Bintan Island,off Sumatera Island with the deity Kwan Im or Dewi Kwan Im .

In Thailand,Wat Mangkon Kamalawa in China Town Bangkok is on Charoen Road. The Chinese name is Leng Noei Yi Temple with the Prah Mae Kuan Eim deity.

The Kheng Hock Keong， 庆福宫 (Qing Fu Gong) in Yangon,Myanmar Chinatown.

The Seng Guan Temple at Narra Street,Tondo in downtown Manila,Phillipines is the most beautiful temple.

 In Vietnamese, the deitys name is Quán Âm or Quán Thế Âm. Guan Yin, 观音, or Avalokiteśvara is one of the most popular and well known female goddess in Asia and probably in the world.

Guan Yin is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism and also worshiped by Taoists.



Zhongshan Yu(travellers) Quan(hotel) is a budget hotel(rates about 60 Yuan) in the busy Zhongshan Lu where there were many shops,restaurants and food stalls.

Cheap budget hotels can be found in many of the main streets.






A new walking street at Tong Xin Lu(near Zhongsan Lu) is near completion and will be the latest nightlife attraction in Tong'an.










Traditional cobbler's sewing gadgets.

Judging from the two spool of nylon thread,this roadside cobbler specialised in sewing leather products.












Typical ancestral house of overseas Chinese.
They are mostly single storey with the walls and foundation built from granite rocks.













Very well maintained ancestral house in the prime land area.Sooner or later this building might have to go when development take place in this area.













The roof of this house has the shape of a chinese temple.












One section of these old ancestral houses have been neglected by the current generations who have left for economic reasons.

 In one of the alleys,there were young chicks luring customers for a 100 Yuan fees. The wording on the wall is one of the contacts.

Tong'an County Tourist Area,Fujian Province

Tong'an Tourist Area is in the northern part of Xiamen Island and faces the sea in the southeast and is surrounded by the mountain on three sides.

 The area has a history of 1,700 years and is the largest administrative district today.

The Han Dynasty collapsed at the end of the 2nd century AD, paving the way for the Three Kingdoms era.

The first wave of immigration of the noble class arrived in the province in the early 4th century AD when the Western Jin Dynasty collapsed and the north was torn apart by invasions by nomadic peoples from the north, as well as civil war.

These immigrants were primarily from eight families in central China: Lin (林), Huang (黄), Chen (陈), Zheng, Zhan (詹), Qiu (邱), He (何), and Hu (胡).

The first four remain as the major surnames of modern Fujian. Population density in Fujian remained low compared to the rest of China.

Like other southern provinces such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan, Fujian often served as a destination for exiled prisoners and dissidents at that time.

Tong'an is rich in natural and cultural tourist resources and boasts 51 provincial and county cultural sites under the protection.  
 

Places to Visit:

1) Tong'an Movie and TV City(pinyin:Tong'an Yingshi Cheng) lies on both banks of Dongxi River in Wuxian Town, Tong' an District,bordering the ancient Fantian Temple.
Visitors can enjoy the demonstration of customs and culture of south Fujian Province and acrobatic performances, and participate in other recreational activities such as acting as an emperor, riding horse, shooting and forest exploration.
 Also tourists can buy handicrafts, paintings, calli- graphic works, jewelry and Taiwan products at the Ming-Qing Street and try various kinds of Xiamen local and special dishes and snacks at the Douyichu Restaurant.

Transport,:Taking the public bus Nos. 67, 79, 601,606, 610, 612, 617, 621 and 625

Opening hours: 08:00-18:00 Admission: RMB 30 yuan/person  

2) Dalun Mountain and Fantian Temple The Dalun (Great Wheel) Mountain is located in east Tong' an City and is the main peak in Tong' an District.

It has undulating physical landscapes for several kilometers like a big wheel, so that's where it got its name.
It has attracted many scholars and celebrities who left many poems, calligraphic works and cliff inscriptions here.
The Fantian Temple is located on the southern foot of the Dalun Mountain. It was first built in 581 or the first year of the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Fujian Province.
Behind the temple stands the Wengong Academy, or Ziyang Academy. It was the earliest one by the Quanzhou Prefecture. It houses the valuable stone statue of Zhu Xi.
The buildings in the temple are in an irregular arrangement and paths winds around buildings. With many trees and bamboos, the temple is quiet enough for cultivation and reading books.
 Opening hours: 06:00-19:00
Admission: Free

 3) Dragon Pools on North Mountain(Beichen Shan)
The North Mountain indicates the Beichen Mountain in Tong'an and the Dragon Pools indicate the 12- pool waterfalls to the north of Beichen Mountain, at its foot. The rushing down water produces a one-kilometer-long valley and makes 1,000- meter-long waterfalls and 12 water pools.
They are one of the 20 famous scenic spots in Xiamen.
 This 122km2 Area is in Wuxianzhen , about 12km from Tong'an.

 4) Tong'an Plum Mountain Temple (Meishan Si )

 Very Scenic. Add: Meishan Lu, Meishan Liansi
Tel: 7026  

5) Wild Valley Ecopark

Famous as "the Lesser Jiuzhai of south Fujian," this Wild Valley Ecopark is on the No. 206 provincial highway, at the one kilometer to the Longmen Tunnel on the highway from Tong'an to Anxi.
This ecopark is composed of five sections: Yongcheng Mountain, Da'annei, Shuangxikou, Caijin Brook and Caiyin Brook.
It covers an area of 415 hectares and is an important part of the Lotus National Forest Park. In three phases, it will be built into a comprehensive tourist area for tourism, amusement, exploration, ecological farming, scientific popularization and inspection, school training and teamwork training.
Opening hours: 08:00-20:00
Admission:
1. A route tour: RMB 50 yuan/person
2. B route tour: RMB 80 yuan/person
3. C route tour: RMB 90 yuan/person
Tel: 86-592-5865371/5865351  

6) Former Residence of Su Song (1020-1101)
Former Residence of Su Song, or Lushan Hall, is located in Yongfeng Township in northwest part of Tong' an City.
It covers an area of 1,700 square meters and stands against the Hulu Hill and faces the Ximo Pool.
The hall houses a model of the first astronomical clock in the world invented by Su Song.
Tel (Science and Technology Hall): 86-592-7025044  

7) Tong'an Confucius Temple (Tong'an Museum)

By Dongxi Stream, the Tong'an Confucius Temple was first constructed in the Five Dynasties (907- 960) and was rebuilt in the 18th year of the Jiaqing reign ( 1813) of the Qing Dynasty, with an area of 1,050 square meters.
Opening hours: 08:00-11:30,15:00-17:30
 Admission: RMB 2 yuan/person  

8) West Mountain Peak Scenic Area (Xishanyan Jingqu )

At 324m above sea level, this is the place to escape to on hot summer days. The peak's White Cloud Crag Temple (Baiyunyan Miao ) was built over 1100 years ago.
Facing the temple is Purple Cloud Cave (Ziyun Dong ). In back are two "Holy Wells" said to never lack sweet water. To the left is a Ming Dynasty cliff inscription.
In back are 18 trees that represent Buddha's 18 disciples, the Arhats (Luohan).
Add: Xinmin Zhen Yili Cun about 20km outside of Tong'an
Tel (Mid-Mountain): 7200516
Tel (Peak ): 7200776

9) Tong'an's Little Plain Provincial Forest Park (Xiaoping Senlin Gongyuan )

25km north of Tong'an, 45 km north of Xiamen, covers about 400, 000 acres, includes tourism facilities, aquatic sports facilities, forestry research facilities,
Tel: 7053878
Bus: Take Daping mini-bus , get off at Xiaoping.  

10) Three Hero Islands (Yingxiong Sandao )

The "3 Hero Islands" of "Big Deng" (Dadeng ), Little Deng (Xiaodeng ) and Horn Islet (Jiaoyu ), lie only 1.8km from Taiwan controlled Jinmen Island.

11) Tong'an Butterfly Valley (Tong'an Hudiegu )

Locals call butterfly valley "Stone Ship Pit "(Shichuan Keng ).

12) Tingxi Kiln Site(Tingxi Yaozhi)

While building the Tingxi reservoir in 1956, workers discovered this kiln, earthenware, kiln equipment, etc. In the excavated dirt were found bowls, plates, trays, pots,daily utensils, the foundation had kiln bricks.
One of the largest of Song Dynasty kilns, produced the pearlescent porcelain (Zhuguangci ) popular in Japan.
This turned out to be invaluable in researching ancient Fujian's economy and foreign trade.  

13) Matang Village —Xiamen's #1 Village About 7km to the east of Tong'an, Matang Village is in a remote valley and covers 1.8km2, with 64 families and 275 people, 435 acres of cultivated land, 944 acres of hilly land.
In 1985 Matang started their break from poverty with the labor-intensive Xinghua canning factory. In 1990 they undertook a Sino-foreign joint venture with Xiamen Tongmao Foodstuffs Canning Company, Ltd., and over the years invested 80 million Yuan improving the technology 3 times.
By 1996, the village's production had reached 122.5 million Yuan, per capital had reached 5250 Yuan (from 170 Yuan—an increase of 1071%).
 Today the workers live in modern apartments and villas, with beautiful gardens and lawns.  

14) Tong'an Lotus Flower Mountain Scenic Area (Lianhua Zhen Houpu Cun )

About 10km from Tong'an with many ancient trees, ancient temples, and the "Holy Spring"—all the things you find on just about any mountain top that has had Chinese for 5, 018 years.

Bus Route Map starts at Yanwu Road near Xiamen University to Tong'an town.
Bus fare is 2 Yuan aircond bus No:657 or 659.
If you were to embark near the starting point,seats were available otherwise you have to stand throughout the journey.

Speech by President Aquino III in Fujian Province

TRANSCRIPT:
Speech of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the Philippines

After planting a tree in his ancestral Hongjian Village in Fujian Province [Delivered in Hongjian Village, Zhangzhou municipality, Fujian Province, China on September 3, 2011]


Today, a seed planted by your forefathers far away has come back to sit in the shade of the ancestral tree. It is an honor to see the Ancestral Hall of the family Xu and to see the tree my mother planted 23 years ago.

 I cannot help but recall the gracious words of Premier Wen: the tree your mother planted has flourished and put in deep roots. I am grateful to all of you for the honor you continue to give to my mother. I was particularly happy to hear that the soon-to-be finished Sino-Philippines Friendship Memorial Hall in this park will be dedicated to her memory.

We are in a place steeped in memory and tradition, and rich in legends that continue to tie us together across the seas. Before I arrived here, I was told that years ago, on its own, this tree split in two.

Nature has its own laws and surely this natural phenomenon was not a prophecy—for I never aspired to reach the same heights and achieve the same success as my mother. And yet, by the will of my people, I stand here in the same position she occupied—as President of the Philippines—bearing the same responsibility she had, to change peoples’ lives for the better.

In Beijing and Shanghai, whenever I was asked how I felt about coming here, I said that I wanted to see the land where so many successful Filipino Chinese came from. I wanted to see the landscape that gave birth to so many who braved long journeys, to settle in a foreign land, to build families, homes, and successful enterprises. Their success brought not only prosperity, but honor to their kinsmen, whether in the Philippines or China.

Ours, then, are not only ties of family and blood, they are ties of shared virtues: of hard work, study, loyalty, dedication, and empathy. Our ties are relationships that have transcended kilometers, generations, and borders because they are built on shared principles. What we want to do now is to make these relationships even stronger, and to fulfill our duty to make certain that our friendly relations are built on the shared principle that our efforts ultimately improve the lives of our respective peoples.

This is a collective task. Together with me, hundreds of businessmen from the Philippines went to Beijing to meet your country’s political and economic leaders. And at this very moment, those who accompanied me on this trip are meeting with their counterparts from Fujian to discuss opportunities to further expand the economic exchange between our countries.

In my country we have a saying: that if one is to move forward, one must know how to look back. So I would like to thank the people of Hongjian—all my distant cousins, aunts, and uncles—for their warm welcome, and for being among the many who give me the strength to carry on and succeed.

Hong jian de běn jiārén, zhong xīnyǎn di xiè xiè nǐmen.

Allow me to give you a parting gift—memorabilia from my mother as a reminder to all of us, as well as future generations, of the ties of history that bind us together; of the strong and centuries-old relationship between the Philippines, Hongjian village, and Fujian province.

I leave to your care this tree that I have planted. May its roots also be deep, and may our kinsmen one day, enjoy rest under the shade of what we have planted, as you and I have enjoyed the shade of what my mother planted in her time. Thank you and good day.