Getting Oriented

With thousands of miles of coastline, the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian are the rounded belly section of China's east coast. Indeed, their shores front the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Zhejiang Province's primary ports of call are the cities of Ningbo and Hangzhou, both of which are within two hours of Shanghai by bus. Hangzhou is also famous as the southernmost city of the Grand Canal. Directly south of Zhejiang is the lush and mountainous province of Fujian. With its proximity to the Taiwan Straight, the wealthy coastal cities of Fujian are convenient to each other, but the province's mountainous interior make them a long train trip away from the rest of the region.