Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast AT#990 - Travel to Southeastern China (Xiamen, Fujian, and Guangzhou)
Apr 4, 2026
Jonty Crane, travel blogger and photographer who seeks off-the-beaten-path places, recounts a week exploring Xiamen, Fujian tulou clusters, and Guangzhou. He describes island charm and colonial architecture, immersive tulou villages and their Hakka history, bustling modern Guangzhou with markets and skyscrapers, and the transport, payment and navigation quirks travelers should know.
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Tourism Curation Trumps Authenticity At Sites
- China curates many heritage sites for photogenic appeal, sometimes using fake props to perfect the visitor photo.
- Jonty found fake persimmons and plastic rice fields used to create ideal images in restored tulou sites.
Guangzhou Combines Big City Scale And Colonial Islands
- Guangzhou is a massive, modern metropolis (≈18 million) with both historic foreign-settlement islands and huge new skyscraper districts.
- Jonty found little preconception of Guangzhou but noted Canton Tower and Shamian Island's colonial-era buildings.
Reserve Museum Tickets Online Before You Go
- Book free museum tickets online in advance because many Chinese museums require online reservations.
- Jonty enjoyed the Guangzhou museum's jade carvings and temporary lacquerware exhibit but had to prebook entry.