The downtown section of Fuzhou city has kept its original flavor, just as it
was centuries ago, despite the rest of the city seeing an explosion in
skyscrapers, dotting the city's skyline.

Sanfang Qixiang" or "three lanes and seven alleys" encloses a neighborhood of
some 160 well-preserved ancient residencies, covering an area equal to 56
football pitches. Now two new museums have been opened to the public in the old
dwellings, encouraging passer-by to explore history.

One museum is focused on displaying China's traditional musical instruments
and porcelain. Over 300 antiques provide a detailed summary of porcelain dating
from two thousand years ago to the early 20th century.

The other newly-opened museum is dedicated to rarely-seen ancient furniture
made with a kind of precious wood only grown in China known as "Phoebe bournei".
The natural material is widely used in furniture because its density, special
fragrance and the hidden lines which look like golden thread when viewed in
strong sunshine.