Lin Zexu Memorial Hall
林则徐纪念馆（林文忠公祠） Lin Zexu Memorial Hall · Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
At the Lin Zexu Memorial Hall next to Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, learn about the life of this Fuzhou native, from banning opium to frontier exile.
Know before you go
- Do not make loud noise in the main hall of the memorial temple
- do not climb the stele pavilions or stone carvings
- do not touch the calligraphy, paintings and artifacts on display
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Lin Zexu Memorial Hall is housed in the Lin Wenzhong Ancestral Temple at 16 Aomen Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou; built in the 31st year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty (1905), it is a temple dedicated to Lin Zexu. Lin Zexu was a native of Fuzhou, famous for overseeing the destruction of opium at Humen, and in his later years he also built irrigation works in Xinjiang. The temple is a garden-style ancestral temple in late-Qing Fuzhou style, with buildings including a memorial archway gate, a ceremonial gate, an imperial stele pavilion and Shude Hall. The memorial hall was established in 1982 and opened to the public the following year; it displays the life and deeds of Lin Zexu and has an anti-drug education exhibition. The Lin Wenzhong Ancestral Temple was listed as a Fujian Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Site in 1985 and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2013.
Local customs
- The memorial hall is right next to Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, and many visitors see both on the same day. The visit follows the layout of an ancestral hall, unfolding from the stele pavilion in the front courtyard to the central halls and the rear exhibition halls
- the exhibits are mainly pictures, text and artifacts, and the anti-drug exhibition hall is often visited by school groups.
Religion & beliefs
This is a memorial hall enshrining the spirit tablet and statue of Lin Zexu, and some people lay flowers in tribute. Please keep silent in the main hall, do not lean on the shrine or sit astride the thresholds and step railings, and do not make mocking gestures at the statue when taking photos.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Don’t DON'T
- Do not make loud noise in the main hall of the memorial temple
- do not climb the stele pavilions or stone carvings
- do not touch the calligraphy, paintings and artifacts on display
- do not photograph the anti-drug exhibition and post misleading content out of context
- do not break off flowers or branches in the courtyard for photos
- do not bring food into the galleries or the main hall
Locals appreciate DO
- Read the stele in the Imperial Stele Pavilion before entering the halls
- in the life exhibition, learn about the destruction of opium at Humen and his water conservancy works in Xinjiang
- combine it with Three Lanes and Seven Alleys for a half-day walk
- admire the fire-sealing walls of old Fuzhou houses in the ancestral hall courtyard
- in the anti-drug exhibition, learn about the historical background and present-day significance of Lin Zexu's ban on opium
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Allow about 1 hour. The memorial hall is on Aomen Road
- take Fuzhou Metro Line 1 or 2 to Nanmendou Station and walk about 10 minutes, and it is also close on foot from the south entrance of Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. The memorial hall is generally free
- whether reservation is needed, opening hours and closing days are subject to its notices, and it gets crowded on holidays. Combine with Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Zhuzifang and Wushan Hill: Three Lanes and Seven Alleys in the morning, the memorial hall after lunch, then climb Wushan Hill to see the cliff inscriptions, making a walking route through old Fuzhou. Exhibits are mainly text and images, so reading up on Lin Zexu's life and the history around the Opium War beforehand will help you grasp the key points. The shrine architecture itself is worth a close look: the firewalls, the paifang gate and the imperial stele pavilion reflect the layout of a late-Qing Fuzhou ancestral shrine.
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