Chongwu

Chongwu (崇武 Chóngwǔ) is a small town in Hui'an County, Quanzhou Prefecture, Fujian.

Understand
Located on a sandy peninsula jutting into Taiwan Strait, Chongwu is a popular getaway for residents of Quanzhou. It has pleasant beaches and a scenic old walled town. The Chongwu fortress (the name, 崇武, can be interpreted as "Honoring the warriors"), is one of the numerous fortresses that were built along China's southwestern coast during the reign of the Ming Dynasty's founder, the Hongwu Emperor, in the late 14th century, to defend the nation's coastal regions from the wokou pirates. While some other forts, in various states of decay or repair, can be visited elsewhere (e.g. Pucheng in Cangnan County south of Wenzhou, or Liu'ao in Zhangpu south of Xiamen), Chongwu is one of the most attractive of the lot, due to its scenic setting and the town's traditional stone architecture.

Train
The Hui'an railway station, on the Fuzhou-Xiamen high-speed rail line, is 33 km to the northwest. Direct bus service from the station to Chongwu may be available; failing that, one can travel by bus with a transfer at Hui'an transit center, or take a taxi.

Quanzhou railway station, on the same railway line, is farther away than Hui'an, but more trains stop there. There are direct buses to Chongwu from the open-air bus station outside the rail station.

Bus
Fairly frequent bus service from Quanzhou is available.

See
The walled town, built in the 14th century, has a lot of interesting old architecture. There is a modern sculpture park just outside the walls.

Eat
There is an abundance of restaurants in the modern downtown area.

The farmers' market, with the usual abundance of fresh produce and breakfast foods, is located near the town government and courthouse, a couple of kilometers to the NW of the downtown along the road to Hui'an.

Sleep
There are a number of hotels of various classes, mostly in the modern downtown area outside the old town. As of Nov 2015, prices started from around ¥150 a night. A few cheaper places may be found on the road running toward the northwest, to the city government and Hui'an.