Reimagining the Urban Hinterland: Fuzhou's Fudao

I spent my Chinese New Year visiting my grandmother in Fuzhou. Fuzhou is often described as "city within mountains, mountains within city," capturing its unique urban topography. However, in many conventional urban design philosophies, mountains are viewed as obstacles to development, inaccessible hinterlands that have poor land value.

Historically, this was not always the case. Indeed, looking out from my hotel window, I can see the white Pagoda and shrines of Yu Mountain; traditionally, Chinese scholars would carve calligraphy onto the rocks, transforming mountains into cultural landscapes. Last week, I was able to experience a modern attempt to integrate nature with urbanity — the Fudao, an elevated walkway that winds 19 km through the Jinniu Mountains, linking Fuzhou's West Lake with the banks of the Min River (Stevens).

The Fudao winding through the mountains — note the rest stop and gentle gradient (photo by author)

I walked the Fudao with my family on the first day of the New Year. The bustling crowds suggested this was a popular New Year ritual for locals — indeed, it was fitting given that Fudao directly translates into "auspicious path." This also points to another success of the Fudao: its 10 entrances provide seamless integration with surrounding neighborhoods, parks, and sports complexes. I could see the architects' vision of activating a once inaccessible part of the city, embedding it into the urban environment.

The design of the walkway was also full of fascinating details. Its porous steel decks eliminate the need for cumbersome drainage infrastructure, while also allowing sunlight to reach plants on the forest floor. Furthermore, elevating the walkway presents many benefits — its large spans reduced the number of pillars required, thus minimizing the construction footprint and impact on vegetation. At the same time, architects utilized modular designs to traverse complicated topography while maintaining a gentle gradient that makes the walkway accessible to everyone, from young children in strollers to elders in wheelchairs. This barrier-free philosophy protects everyone's right to enjoy urban infrastructure. I'm inspired by how the human-orientated design of the Fudao promotes inclusivity and social justice.

The porous steel decks of the Fudao with a pavilion in the background (photo by author)

Designing urban spaces with inclusivity in mind opens boundless possibilities. I've always been curious about the concept of "third spaces" in cities — think of it as the living room of a city, places where people of different backgrounds can interact. The Fudao is a testament to the power of these spaces — children played games under the many pavilions and rest stops, and tourists and locals alike took in the view of the various vistas sprinkled along the walkway.

Fuzhou has always been a mountain city. The Fudao, by bridging infrastructure with nature, unlocks the potential of urban hinterlands. Cities are continually expanding — these pockets of nature don't have to become residential complexes or industrial zones to gain value. They are inherently valuable, and it takes good urban design to express their value in a way that all citizens can appreciate.

Bibliography

Stevens, Philip. ‘Fuzhou Forest Walkway by LOOK Architects Offers Access to Nature in Southeastern China’. Designboom | Architecture & Design Magazine, 16 July 2020, https://www.designboom.com/architecture/fuzhou-forest-walkway-look-architects-nature-southeastern-china-07-16-2020/.