Topography: Mountains and hilly areas constitute over 80 percent of Fujian's land area. Plains are concentrated in its southeast coastal areas.
Climate: Fujian has a subtropical humid monsoon climate, with annual temperature averaging between 17-210C. The average temperatures in the coldest month (January) are 10-130C in the southeast coastal parts and 5-80C in the inland mountainous areas. In the hottest month (July) the temperature averages 26-290C. The average annual precipitation is 1,000 mm and frost-free period lasts 240 to 330 days a year.
Natural resources: Fujian possesses 86 kinds of minerals with verified reserves, including 34 kinds of metallic minerals and 47 nonmetallic minerals. Among those with considerable reserves are gold, silver, lead, zinc, manganese, kaolin, limestone, granite, alunite, pyrophyllite and sulfur. Its reserve of quartz-sandstone ranks among the national tops in both quantity and quality.
Forests cover 52.4 percent of Fujian's total land area, a c rate ranking first in China. Plant species are abundant. There are 1,943 kinds of woody plants, including 400 species of timber tree and 140 varieties of bamboo. Fujian has 400 million cubic meters of timber reserved, its timber production ranking third in China.
Incomplete statistics show that there are several thousand species of terrestrial wild animals in Fujian, including 100 species of beasts, 540 species of birds, 115 species of reptiles and 44 species of amphibians. There are also more than 5,000 kinds of insects. The Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve is abundant in wildlife resources. It is also a world-renowned specimen base for new species of vertebrates and insects. The Meihua Mountain Nature Reserve in Longyan City is home to large numbers of birds and animals.
Fujian has five big fishing grounds which abounds in marine resources. Among the more than 3,000 species of marine organisms, 750 are fishes, accounting for 50 percent of the country's total marine fish species.
Water Resources: Fujian is rich in water resources, and its annual rainfalls totals 201.1 billion cubic meters. More than 500 rivers in the province have their drainage area of over 50 square kilometers each. The total volume of river runoff stands at 115 billion cubic meters a year on average. The province's theoretical waterpower reserves total 10.46 million kw which can generate 91.6 billion kwh of power annually. There are 1,000 places suitable for building a hydropower station with a generating capacity of over 500 kw. Their combined generating capacity can reach 7.05 million kw and their annual power generation, 32 billion kwh, both ranking first in eastern China. The existing generating capacity accounts for only 30 percent of the province's total potential, leaving big room for development. Fujian also has rich underground water resources. More than 100 hot springs have been discovered, their water temperatures ranging from 400C to 600C.
Tourist resources: Fujian is rich in tourism resources, abounding with numerous places of historical and cultural interest, and beautiful scenic spots.
Fujian preserves many cultural sites from the Qin (221-207 BC), Han (206 BC-AD 220), Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. There are numerous ancient temples, pagodas, bridges and castles, as well as former residences of celebrities. Fujian has a wide variety of navigation relics and religious legacies thanks to its long history of navigation and frequent contacts with the outside world.
There are many beautiful mountains in the province. The famous seaside resorts include Wuyi Mountain, Gushan (Drum Hill) in Fuzhou, Tailao Mountain in east Fujian and Wanshiyan in Xiamen. The province also has many beautiful beaches, such as the bathing beach on Gulangyu Islet of Xiamen, the Luanwan Beach on Dongshan Island, the Longwangtou Beach at Pingtan and Meizhou Island at Putian. Its numerous rivers offer many picturesque water spots, including the Jiuqu (Nine-Bend) Stream in Wuyi Mountain and Jinhu Lake, the largest artificial lake in Fujian. Northwest Fujian is noted for danxia and karst landforms, with countless grotesque rocks and fantastic caves. The Wuyi and Meihua mountain nature reserves preserve vast expanses of virgin forests, with rich fauna and flora resources. These reserves and other scenic resorts are ideal places for enjoying the charms of nature, making holidays and conducting scientific explorations. In addition, Fujian has a host of gardens, parks and hot springs of different types.
Colorful ethnic customs, unique local cultures and rich products also add attraction to the province's tourism resources.
Currently, Fujian encompasses two national tourist holiday resorts, nine national scenic spots, four national nature reserves (forest parks), four national-level famous historic and cultural cities, 29 key cultural sites under state protection, 19 provincial-level scenic spots, six provincial tourist economic develop areas, and 204 cultural sites under provincial protection.
Environment and current issues:
Its environment as a whole is improving. Water quality of rivers is generally good, but pollution is serious in certain sections and in rivers and lakes in urban areas. Some reservoirs are suffering from eutrophication and most parts of offshore waters are being polluted by nutrient salts. Air quality is generally fine; smoke from burning coal remains as the dominant pollutant. Noise pollution from traffic and construction is still serious. Radiation environment is generally fine though "white pollution" has yet to be brought under effective control and the danger of pollution from hazardous wastes exists.
