Fujian is a province located in southeast coastal area with the capital city is Fuzhou and the short name is Min (闽，mǐn). In China, it is one of the earliest open provinces for foreign trade. The name Fujian came from the combination of two cities in Fujian (Fuzhou and Jianzhou) during the Tang Dynasty (618–907).
Fujian Province covers a land region area of 121,400 square kilometers (46,873 sq. mi.) and a maritime space area of 136,300 square kilometers (52,626 sq. mi.). Hence, island tours is one of the highlights in Fujian Province, such as Gulangyu Island and Meizhou Island. Gulangyu Island is honored as "the garden on the sea", "architecture exhibition of ten thousand nations", "hometown of music" and "island of piano".
Fujian Province is regarded as "a green treasury in south" with forest coverage of 60.5%. As a good nature harbor, it was the starting point of "silk road on the sea" and an important harbor to Zheng He's voyage, which brought Fujian Province foreign cultures and products. The three main religions (Christianity, Buddism and Moslem) are all popular in Fujian Province. Of course, Fujian Province has its characteristic culture: Mazu culture (Mazu, also named Sea Godness, is the God of boatmen, seamen, fishermen, travelers and businessmen).
Location
Fujian is a province located in southeast coastal area. Facing to the island province of Taiwan, Fujian Province borders Zhejiang Province to the north, Jiangxi Province to the west, and Guangdong Province to the south. The province is mostly mountainous, as the traditionally description goes: "If we divided Fujian into ten parts, then eight parts are mountains, one part is water, and one part is farmland".
History and Culture
Fujian Province has a long history, there were ancestors living in Fujian 5,000 years before. Those ancestors created Tanshishan Culture (The Neolithic culture in the lower reaches area of Min River, 闽江 in Chinese). During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) and Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), Quanzhou had become one of the largest commercial ports in the world, having trade relations with more than 100 countries and regions, became the starting point of the famous "silk road on the sea".
Fujian Province is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese in China. The number of Fujianese residing abroad is near 11 million, most of which reside in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Due to the mountainous nature and the numerous waves of migration from central China in Chinese history, Fujian Province is one of the linguistically diverse places in all Han Chinese areas of China. As the saying goes "if you drive five miles in Fujian the culture changes, and if you drive ten miles, the language does". Because Minnan dialect (闽南方言) kept the most ancient Chinese, it was honored as "the living fossil in language".
Fujian Province is a region with many folk activities. Xiamen International Marathon is held at the first Saturday every January since 2003 in Xiamen, one of the beautiful islands of China. Fujian Province is the cradle and hometown of Mazu. Mazu Festival is annually celebrated on Aril 25 and October 4 with marketing activities of handicraft arts, worshiping Mazu, performing unique folk songs and dance and relishing Fujian cuisine.
Oolong tea, Anxi Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) tea, Longjing green tea, root carving and minor stone-carving of Shoushan are very famous, if you have a chance to visit Fujian Province, you would better not miss them. More introduction on Chinese Tea.
Attractions
Fujian's Hakka Earthen Buildings (Tulou) are some of the province's most popular attractions.Besides the seaside tourism, travelers also can visit some historical sites and beautiful nature scenic spots.
Mount Wuyi is a famous travel destination in Fujian Province. It was list on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. Mount Wuyi is known for its crystal water, typical Danxia landform, and the profound culture. See Chinese World Heritage.
Hakka Roundhouses in Yongding were inscribed by UNESCO as one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites in 2008. The miraculous round building reflect the unity and friendship of kejia nationality from generation to generation from generation to generation.
