Fujian

Fujianis aprovincelocated inSouth China. Fujian is bordered byZhejiangto the north,Jiangxito the west,Guangdongto the south, and theTaiwan Straitto the east. Its capital isFuzhouand its largest prefecture city by population isQuanzhou, with other notable cities including the port city ofXiamenandZhangzhou. Fujian is located on the west coast of theTaiwan Straitas the closest province geographically and culturally toTaiwan. Certain islands such asKinmenare only approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) east ofXiamenin Fujian.
While the population predominantly identifies asHan, it is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse provinces in China. The dialects of the language groupMin Chineseare most commonly spoken within the province, including theFuzhou dialectandEastern Minof Northeastern Fujian province and variousSouthern MinandHokkiendialects of southeastern Fujian. The capital city ofFuzhouand Fu'an ofNingdeprefecture along withCangnancounty-level city ofWenzhouprefecture inZhejiangprovince make up the Min Dong linguistic and cultural region of Northeastern Fujian.Hakka Chineseis also spoken, by theHakka peoplein Fujian. Min dialects, Hakka andStandard Chineseare mutually unintelligible. Due to emigration, a sizable amount of the ethnic Chinese populations of Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines speakSouthern Min(or Hokkien).
With a population of 41.5 million, Fujian ranks15th in populationamong Chinese provinces. In 2022, Fujian's GDP reached CN¥5.31 trillion (US$790 billion by nominal GDP), ranking 4th inEast Chinaregion and8thnationwide in GDP.Fujian's GDP per capita is above the national average, at CN¥126,829 (US$18,856in nominal), the second highestGDP per capita of all Chinese provincesafterJiangsu.It has benefited from its geographical proximity with Taiwan. As a result of theChinese Civil War, a small portion of Historical Fujian is now within theRepublic of China(ROC, Taiwan). TheFujian province of the ROCconsists of three offshore archipelagos, namely theKinmen Islands, theMatsu Islands, and theWuqiu Islands.
Fujian is considered one of China's leading provinces in education and research. As of 2023, two major cities in the province ranked in the top 45 cities in the world (Xiamen 38th and Fuzhou 45th) by scientific research output, as tracked by theNature Index.
The nameFujian(福建) originated from the combination of the city names ofFuzhou(福州) and nearbyJianzhou(建州, or present-dayNanping(南平)).
Recent archaeological discoveries in 2011 demonstrate that Fujian had entered theNeolithic Ageby the middle of the 6th millennium BC.From the Keqiutou site (7450–5590 BP), an early Neolithic site inPingtan Islandlocated about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Fuzhou, numerous tools made of stones,shells,bones,jades, andceramics(including wheel-made ceramics) have been unearthed, together withspinning wheels, which is definitive evidence ofweaving.
The Tanshishan (曇石山) site (5500–4000 BP) in suburban Fuzhou spans the Neolithic andChalcolithicAge where semi-underground circular buildings were found in the lower level. The Huangtulun (黃土崙) site (c.1325 BC), also in suburban Fuzhou, was of theBronze Agein character.
Tianlong Jiao (2013)notes that theNeolithicappeared on the coast of Fujian around 6,000 B.P. During the Neolithic, the coast of Fujian had a low population density, with the population depending on mostly on fishing and hunting, along with limited agriculture.
There were four major Neolithic cultures in coastal Fujian, with the earliest Neolithic cultures originating from the north in coastalZhejiang.
There were two major Neolithic cultures in inland Fujian, which were highly distinct from the coastal Fujian Neolithic cultures.These are the Niubishan culture (牛鼻山文化) from 5000 to 4000 years ago, and the Hulushan culture (葫芦山文化) from 2050 to 1550 BC.
Fujian was also where the kingdom ofMinyuewas located. The word "Mǐnyuè" was derived by combining "Mǐn" (simplified Chinese:闽;traditional Chinese:閩;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:bân), which is perhaps an ethnic name (simplified Chinese:蛮; traditional Chinese:蠻; pinyin:mán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī:bân), and "Yuè", after theState of Yue, aSpring and Autumn periodkingdom inZhejiangto the north. This is because the royal family of Yuè fled to Fujian after its kingdom was annexed by theState of Chuin 306 BC. Mǐn is also the name of themain riverin this area, but the ethnonym is probably older.
The Qin deposed the King of Minyue, establishing instead a paramilitary province there called Minzhong Commandery. Minyue was ade factokingdom until one of the emperors of theQin dynasty, the first unified imperial Chinese state, abolished its status.
In the aftermath of the Qin dynasty's fall,civil warbroke out between two warlords,Xiang YuandLiu Bang. The Minyue king Wuzhu sent his troops to fight with Liu and his gamble paid off. Liu was victorious and founded theHan dynasty. In 202 BC, he restored Minyue's status as atributaryindependent kingdom. Thus Wuzhu was allowed to construct his fortified city in Fuzhou as well as a few locations in theWuyi Mountains, which have been excavated in recent years. His kingdom extended beyond the borders of contemporary Fujian into eastern Guangdong, easternJiangxi, and southernZhejiang.
After Wuzhu's death, Minyue maintained its militant tradition and launched several expeditions against its neighboring kingdoms inGuangdong,Jiangxi, andZhejiang, primarily in the 2nd century BC. This was stopped by theHan dynastyas itexpanded southward. The Han emperor eventually decided to get rid of the potential threat by launching amilitary campaignagainst Minyue. Large forces approached Minyue simultaneously from four directions via land and sea in 111 BC. The rulers in Fuzhou surrendered to avoid a futile fight and destruction and the first kingdom in Fujian history came to an abrupt end.
Fujian was part of the much largerYang Province(Yangzhou), whose provincial capital was designated in Liyang (歷陽; present-dayHe County, Anhui).
TheHan dynastycollapsed at the end of the 2nd century AD, paving the way for theThree Kingdomsera.Sun Quan, the founder of theKingdom of Wu, spent nearly 20 years subduing the Shan Yue people, the branch of the Yue living in mountains.
The first wave ofimmigrationof the noble class arrived in the province in the early 4th century when theWestern Jin dynastycollapsed and the north was torn apart bycivil warsandrebellions by tribal peoplesfrom the north and west. These immigrants were primarily from eight families incentral China:Chen(陈),Lin(林),Huang(黄),Zheng(郑),Zhan(詹),Qiu(邱),He(何), andHu(胡). To this day, the first four remain the most popular surnames in Fujian.
Nevertheless, isolation from nearby areas owing to rugged terrain contributed to Fujian's relatively undeveloped economy and level of development, despite major population boosts from northern China during the "barbarian" rebellions. The population density in Fujian remained low compared to the rest of China. Only twocommanderiesand sixteen counties were established by the Western Jin dynasty. Like other southern provinces such asGuangdong,Guangxi,Guizhou, andYunnan, Fujian often served as a destination for exiled prisoners and dissidents at that time.
During theSouthern and Northern Dynastiesera, theSouthern Dynasties(Liu Song,Southern Qi,Liang(Western Liang), andChen) reigned south of theYangtze River, including Fujian.
During theSuiandTangeras a large influx of migrants settled in Fujian.
During the Sui dynasty, Fujian was again part ofYang Province.
During the Tang, Fujian was part of the largerJiangnan East Circuit, whose capital was atSuzhou. Modern-day Fujian was composed of around 5 prefectures and 25 counties.
The Tang dynasty (618–907) oversaw the next golden age of China, which contributed to a boom in Fujian's culture and economy. Fuzhou's economic and cultural institutions grew and developed. The later years of the Tang dynasty saw several political upheavals in the Chinese heartland, prompting even larger waves of northerners to immigrate to the northern part of Fujian.
As the Tang dynasty ended, China was torn apart in the period of theFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. During this time, a second major wave of immigration arrived in the safe haven of Fujian, led by Wang Brothers (Wang Chao,Wang Shengui[zh]andWang Shenzhi), who set up an independentKingdom of Minwith its capital in Fuzhou. After the death of the founding king, however, the kingdom suffered from internal strife, and was soon absorbed bySouthern Tang, another southern kingdom.
Parts of northern Fujian were conquered by theWuyueKingdom to the north as well, including the Min capital Fuzhou.
Quanzhoucity was blooming into a seaport under the reign of theMin Kingdom.
Qingyuan Jiedushiwas a military/governance office created in 949 bySouthern Tang's second emperorLi Jingfor the warlordLiu Congxiao, who nominally submitted to him but controlled Quan (泉州, in modernQuanzhou, Fujian) and Zhang (漳州, in modernZhangzhou, Fujian) Prefectures inde factoindependence from the Southern Tang state.(Zhang Prefecture was, at times during the circuit's existence, also known as Nan Prefecture (南州).)Starting in 960, in addition to being nominally submissive to Southern Tang, Qingyuan Circuit was also nominally submissive toSong, which had itself become Southern Tang's nominal overlord.
After Liu's death, the circuit was briefly ruled by his biological nephew/adoptive sonLiu Shaozi, who was then overthrown by the officersZhang HansiandChen Hongjin. Zhang then ruled the circuit briefly, before Chen deposed him and took over.In 978, with Song's determination to unify Chinese lands in full order, Chen decided that he could not stayde factoindependent, and offered the control of the circuit to Song'sEmperor Taizong, ending Qingyuan Circuit as ade factoindependent entity.
The area was reorganized into theFujian Circuitin 985, which was the first time the name "Fujian" was used for an administrative region.
Many Chinese migrated from Fujian's major ports to Vietnam'sRed River Delta. The settlers then created Trần port andVân Đồn.Fujian and Guangdong Chinese moved to the Vân Đồn coastal port to engage in commerce.
During theLýandTrần dynasties, many Chinese ethnic groups with the surname Trần (陳) migrated to Vietnam from what is now Fujian or Guangxi. They settled along the coast of Vietnam and the capital's southeastern area.The Vietnamese Trần clan traces their ancestry to Trần Tự Minh (227 BC). He was a Qin General during the Warring state period who belonged to the indigenous Mân, a Baiyue ethnic group of Southern China and Northern Vietnam. Tự Minh also served under KingAn Dương VươngofÂu Lạckingdom in resistingQin's conquest of Âu Lạc. Their genealogy also included Trần Tự Viễn (582 – 637) of Giao Châu and Trần Tự An (1010 - 1077) of Đại Việt. Near the end of the 11th century the descendants of a fisherman named Trần Kinh, whose hometown was in Tức Mạc village in Đại Việt (Modern day Vietnam), would marry the royal Lý clan, which was then founded the Vietnam Tran dynasty in 1225.
In Vietnam, the Trần served as officials. The surnames are found in the Trần and Lý dynasty Imperial exam records.Chinese ethnic groups are recorded in Trần and Lý dynasty records of officials.Clothing, food, and languages were fused with the local Vietnamese inVân Đồndistrict where the Chinese ethnic groups had moved after leaving their home province of what is now Fujian, Guangxi, and Guangdong.
In 1172, Fujian was attacked byPi-she-yepirates fromTaiwanor theVisayas, Philippines.
After the establishment of theYuan dynasty, Fujian became part ofJiangzhe province, whose capital was atHangzhou. From 1357 to 1366 Muslims inQuanzhouparticipated in theIspah Rebellion, advancing northward and even capturing Putian and Fuzhou before the rebellion was crushed by the Yuan. Afterward, Quanzhou city lost foreign interest in trading and its formerly welcoming international image as the foreigners were all massacred or deported.
Yuan dynasty GeneralChen Youding, who had put down the Ispah Rebellion, continued to rule over the Fujian area even after the outbreak of theRed Turban Rebellion. Forces loyal to the eventual Ming dynasty founderZhu Yuanzhang(Hongwu Emperor) defeated Chen in 1367.
After the establishment of theMing dynasty, Fujian became a province, with its capital at Fuzhou. In the early Ming era, Fuzhou Changle was the staging area and supply depot ofZheng He'snaval expeditions. Further development was severely hampered by thesea trade ban, and the area was superseded by nearby ports ofGuangzhou,Hangzhou,NingboandShanghaidespite the lifting of the ban in 1550.Large-scale piracy byWokouwas eventually wiped out by the Chinese military.
An account of the Ming dynasty Fujian was written by No In (Lu Ren鲁认).
ThePisheyaappear in Quanzhou Ming era records.
The late Ming and earlyQing dynastysymbolized an era of a large influx of refugees and another 20 years of sea trade ban under theKangxi Emperor, a measure intended to counter therefuge Ming governmentofKoxingain theisland of Taiwan.
The sea ban implemented by the Qing forced many people to evacuate the coast to deprive Koxinga's Ming loyalists of resources. This has led to the myth that it was because Manchus were "afraid of water".
Incoming refugees did not translate into a major labor force, owing to their re-migration into prosperous regions ofGuangdong. In 1683, the Qing dynasty conquered Taiwan in theBattle of Penghuand annexed it into Fujian province, asTaiwan Prefecture. Many moreHan Chinesethen settled in Taiwan. Today, most Taiwanese are descendants ofHokkien peoplefrom Southern Fujian. Fujian and Taiwan were originally treated as one province (Fujian-Taiwan-Province), but starting in 1885, they split into two separate provinces.
In the 1890s, the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan via theTreaty of Shimonosekiafter theFirst Sino-Japanese War. In 1905–1907 Japan made overtures to enlarge its sphere of influence to include Fujian. Japan was trying to obtain French loans and also avoid theOpen Door Policy. Paris provided loans on condition that Japan respects the Open Door principles and does not violate China's territorial integrity.
TheXinhai revolutionoverthrew the Qing dynasty and brought the province into the rule of theRepublic of China.
TheanarchistConstitution Protection Region of Southern Fujianwas established byChen Jiongmingfrom 1918 to 1920.
Fujian briefly established the independentFujian People's Governmentin 1933. It was re-controlled by theRepublic of Chinain 1934.
Fujian came under a Japanese sea blockade duringWorld War II.
After theChinese Civil War, thePeople's Republic of Chinaunified the country and took over most of Fujian, excluding theQuemoyandMatsu Islands.
In its early days, Fujian's development was relatively slow in comparison to other coastal provinces due to potential conflicts with Kuomintang-controlled Taiwan. Today, the province has the highest forest coverage rate while enjoying a high growth rate in the economy. The GDP per capita in Fujian is ranked 4-6th place among provinces of China in recent years.
Development has been accompanied by a large influx of population from the overpopulated areas to Fujian's north and west, and much of the farmland and forest, as well as cultural heritage sites such as the temples of king Wuzhu, have given way to ubiquitous high-rise buildings. Fujian faces challenges to sustain developmentwhile at the same time preserving Fujian's natural and cultural heritage.
In 2023, theCentral Committee of the Chinese Communist Partyand theState Council of Chinajointly proposed making Fujian ademonstration zoneincross-strait integrationbetween Taiwan and mainland China. Under the plan, the Chinese government would boost economic and transportation cooperation with Taiwan and make it easier for Taiwanese people to live, buy property, access social services and study in Fujian.
The province is mostly mountainous and is traditionally said to be "eight parts mountain, one part water, and one part farmland" (八山一水一分田). The northwest is higher in altitude, with theWuyi Mountainsforming the border between Fujian andJiangxi. It is the most forested provincial-level administrative region in China, with a 62.96% forest coverage rate in 2009.Fujian's highest point isMount Huanggangin the Wuyi Mountains, with an altitude of 2,157 metres (1.340 mi).
Fujian facesEast China Seato the east,South China Seato the south, and theTaiwan Straitto the southeast. The coastline is rugged and has many bays and islands. Major islands includeQuemoy(also known as Kinmen, controlled by the Republic of China),Haitan Island, andNanri Island.Meizhou Islandoccupies a central place in the cult of the goddessMatsu, the patron deity of Chinese sailors.
TheMin Riverand its tributaries cut through much of northern and central Fujian. Other rivers include theJinand theJiulong. Due to its uneven topography, Fujian has many cliffs and rapids.
Fujian is separated from Taiwan by the 180 kilometres (110 mi)-wide Taiwan Strait. Some of the small islands in the Taiwan Strait are also part of the province. The islands ofKinmenandMatsuare under the administration of the Republic of China.
Fujian contains severalfaults, the result of a collision between theAsiatic Plateand thePhilippine Sea Plate. The Changle-Naoao and Longan-Jinjiang fault zones in this area have annual displacement rates of 3–5 mm. They could cause major earthquakes in the future.
Fujian has asubtropical climate, with mild winters. In January, the coastal regions average around 7–10 °C (45–50 °F) while the hills average 6–8 °C (43–46 °F). In the summer, temperatures are high, and the province is threatened bytyphoonscoming in from thePacific. Average annualprecipitationis 1,400–2,000 millimetres (55–79 in).
As of 2012, there are 54,876 kilometres (34,098 miles) of highways in Fujian, including 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) of expressways. The top infrastructure projects in recent years have been the Zhangzhou-Zhaoan Expressway (US$624 million) and the Sanmingshi-Fuzhou expressway (US$1.40 billion). The12th Five-Year Plan, covering the period from 2011 to 2015, aims to double the length of the province's expressways to 5,500 kilometres (3,400 mi).
Due to Fujian's mountainous terrain and traditional reliance on maritime transportation, railways came to the province comparatively late. The first rail links to neighboringJiangxi,Guangdong, andZhejiangProvince, opened respectively, in 1959, 2000, and 2009. As of October 2013, Fujian has four rail links with Jiangxi to the northwest: theYingtan–Xiamen Railway(opened 1957), theHengfeng–Nanping Railway(1998),Ganzhou–Longyan Railway(2005) and the high-speedXiangtang–Putian Railway(2013). Fujian's lone rail link to Guangdong to the west, theZhangping–Longchuan Railway(2000), will be joined with the high-speedXiamen–Shenzhen Railway (Xiashen Line)in late 2013. The Xiashen Line forms the southernmost section of China'sSoutheast Coast High-Speed Rail Corridor. TheWenzhou–FuzhouandFuzhou–Xiamensections of this corridor entered operation in 2009 and link Fujian with Zhejiang with trains running at speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph).
Within Fujian, coastal and interior cities are linked by theNanping–Fuzhou(1959),Zhangping–Quanzhou–Xiaocuo(2007) andLongyan–Xiamen Railways, (2012). To attract Taiwanese investment, the province intends to increase its rail length by 50 percent to 2,500 km (1,553 mi).
The major airports areFuzhou Changle International Airport,Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport,Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport,Nanping Wuyishan Airport,Longyan Guanzhishan AirportandSanming Shaxian Airport. Xiamen is capable of handling 15.75 million passengers as of 2011. Fuzhou is capable of handling 6.5 million passengers annually with a cargo capacity of more than 200,000 tons. The airport offers direct links to 45 destinations including international routes to Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
ThePeople's Republic of Chinacontrols most of the province and divides it into nineprefecture-level divisions: allprefecture-level cities(including asub-provincial city):
All of the prefecture-level cities except Nanping, Sanming, and Longyan are found along the coast.
These nine prefecture-level cities are subdivided into 84county-level divisions(31districts, 11county-level cities, and 42counties). Those are in turn divided into 1,102township-level divisions(653towns, 233townships, 19ethnic townships, and 195subdistricts).
ThePeople's Republic of Chinaclaims five of the six townships ofKinmen County, Republic of China (Taiwan) as a county of the prefecture-level city ofQuanzhou.
The PRC claimsWuqiu Township, Kinmen County, Republic of China (Taiwan) as part ofXiuyu Districtof the prefecture-level city ofPutian.
Finally, the PRC claimsLienchiang County(Matsu Islands), Republic of China (Taiwan) as a township of itsLianjiang County, which is part of the prefecture-level city ofFuzhou.
Together, these three groups of islands make up theRepublic of China's Fujian province.
Fujian is one of the more affluent provinces in China, with many industries spanning tea production, clothing, and sports manufacturers such asAnta,361 Degrees,Xtep,Peak Sport ProductsandSeptwolves. Fujian was one of the first provinces in China authorized by the central government to receive foreign investments.Many foreign firms have operations in Fujian. They include Boeing, Dell, GE, Kodak, Nokia, Siemens, Swire, TDK, and Panasonic.Within Fujian, the city of Xiamen was one of China's firstspecial economic zones("SEZs").
In 2022, Fujian's GDP was CN¥5.31 trillion (US$790 billion in nominal),ranking 8th in GDPnationwide and appearing in the world's top 20largest sub-national economies.Along with its coastal neighboursZhejiangand Guangdong, Fujian's GDP per capita is above the national average, at CN¥126,829 (US$18,856in nominal), the second highestGDP per capita of all Chinese provincesafterJiangsu.The primary, secondary and tertiary economy respectively contributed to ¥307 billion ($45.7 billion), ¥2.51 trillion ($372.8 billion), and ¥2.50 trillion ($371 billion) to Fujian's economy.
In terms of agricultural land, Fujian is hilly and farmland is sparse.Riceis the main crop, supplemented bysweet potatoesandwheatandbarley.Cash crops includesugar caneandrapeseed. Fujian leads the provinces of China inlonganproduction, and is also a major producer oflycheesandtea. Seafood is another important product, withshellfishproduction especially prominent.
Because of its geographic location with Taiwan, Fujian has been considered the battlefield frontline in a potential war between mainland China and Taiwan. Hence, it received much less investment from the Chinese central government and developed much slower than the rest of China before 1978. Since 1978, when China opened to the world, Fujian has received significant investment from overseas Fujianese around the world, Taiwanese and foreign investment.
Minnan Golden Triangle, which includesXiamen,Quanzhou, andZhangzhou, accounts for 40 percent of the GDP of Fujian province.
Fujian province will be the major economic beneficiary of the opening up ofdirect transportwith Taiwan, which commenced on December 15, 2008. This includes direct flights from Taiwan to major Fujian cities such as Xiamen and Fuzhou. In addition, ports in Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Fuzhou will upgrade their port infrastructure for increased economic trade with Taiwan.
Fujian is the host ofChina International Fair for Investment and Tradeannually. It is held in Xiamen to promote foreign investment for all of China.
As of 1832, the province was described as having an estimated "population of fourteen millions."In 2021, Fujian's population was estimated to be 41.87 million, with an urbanization rate of 69.7%.
Fujianese who are legally classified as Han Chinese make up 98% of the population. VariousMin Chinese speakersmake up the largest subgroups classified as Han Chinese in Fujian, such asHoklo people,Fuzhounese people,Putian peopleandFuzhou Tanka.
TheHakka, aHan Chinesepeople with their own distinct identity, live in the central and southwestern parts of Fujian. TheShe, an ethnic group scattered over mountainous regions in the north, is the largestminority ethnic groupof the province.
Many ethnic Chinese around the world (especially inSoutheast Asia) trace their ancestries to the Fujianese branches of theHokloandTeochewpeoples. Descendants ofSouthern Min-speaking emigrants make up the majorities of ethnic-Chinese populations inTaiwan,Singapore,Australia,Brunei,Thailand,Indonesia, andPhilippines.Eastern Min-speaking people (especiallyFuzhounese people) are one of the major sources of Chinese immigrants to the United States since the 1990s.
The predominant religions in Fujian areChinese folk religions,Taoist traditions, andChinese Buddhism. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, just over 30% of the population believes and is involved inChinese ancestral religion; 3.5% of the population identifies asChristian.The reports did not give figures for other religions; 65.19% of the population may beirreligiousor involved inChinese folk religion, Buddhism,Confucianism, Taoism,Chinese salvationist religions, orIslam. Notably, Fujian is one of the only places in the world whereManichaeismmay still be practiced.
In 2010, there were reportedly just under 116,000Muslimsin Fujian.
Because of its mountainous nature and waves of migration from central China and assimilation of numerous foreign ethnic groups such as maritime traders in the course of history, Fujian is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse places in China. Local dialects can become unintelligible within 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), and the regional cultures and ethnic composition can be completely different from each other as well. This is reflected in the expression that "if you drive five miles in Fujian the culture changes, and if you drive ten miles, the language does".Most varieties spoken in Fujian are assigned to a broadMincategory. Recent classifications subdivide Min into
The seventh subdivision of Min,Qiong Wen, is not spoken in Fujian.Hakka, another subdivision of spoken Chinese, is spoken aroundLongyanby theHakka peoplewho live there.
As is true of other provinces, the official language in Fujian isMandarin, which is used for communication between people of different localities,although native Fujian peoples still converse in their native languages and dialects respectively.
Several regions of Fujian have their own form ofChinese opera.Min operais popular aroundFuzhou;GaojiaxiaroundJinjiangandQuanzhou;XiangjuaroundZhangzhou;Fujian Nanquthroughout the south, andPuxianxiaroundPutianandXianyou County.
Fujian cuisine, with an emphasis onseafood, is one of the eight great traditions ofChinese cuisine. It is composed of traditions from various regions, includingFuzhou cuisineandMin Nan cuisine. The most prestigious dish is Fotiaoqiang (literally "Buddha jumps over the wall"), a complex dish making use of many ingredients, includingsharkfin,sea cucumber,abaloneandShaoxing wine(a type ofChinese alcoholic beverage).
Many well-knownteasoriginate from Fujian, includingoolong,Wuyi Yancha,Lapsang souchongandFuzhou jasmine tea. Indeed, thetea processingtechniques for three major classes of tea, namely, oolong,white tea, andblack teawere all developed in the province.Fujian tea ceremonyis an elaborate way of preparing and serving tea. The English word "tea" is borrowed from Hokkien.MandarinandCantonesepronounce the wordchá.
Nanyin is a popular form ofmusic of Fujian.
Fuzhou bodiless lacquer ware, a noted type oflacquer ware, is noted for using a body ofclayand/orplasterto form its shape; the body later removed.Fuzhouis also known forShoushan stone carvings.
Fujian is home to several tourist attractions, including four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, one of the highest in China.
TheFujian Tulouare Chinese rural dwellings unique to the Hakka in southwest Fujian. These 46 buildingswere listed by theUNESCOas one of theWorld Heritage Sitesin 2008.
Gulangyu Island, Xiamen, is notable for its beaches, winding lanes, and rich architecture. The island is on China's list of National Scenic Spots and is classified as a5A tourist attractionby theChina National Tourism Administration(CNTA). It was listed by theUNESCOas one of theWorld Heritage Sitein 2017. Also in Xiamen is theSouth Putuo Temple.
TheGuanghua Templeis a Buddhist temple inPutian. It was built in the penultimate year of theSouthern Chen dynasty. Located in the northern half of the mouth of Meizhou Bay, it is about 1.8 nautical miles from the mainland and faces the Strait of Taiwan to the southeast. Covering an area of six square miles, the island is swathed in luxuriant green foliage. The coastline is indented with over 12 miles of the beach area. Another Buddhist temple,Nanshan Templeis located inZhangzhou.
TheKaiyuan Templeis aBuddhist templein West Street,Quanzhou, the largest in Fujian province, with an area of 78,000 square metres (840,000 square feet).Although it is known as both a Hindu and Buddhist temple, on account of added Tamil-Hindu influences, the main statue in the most important hall is that of Vairocana Buddha, the main Buddha according toHuayan Buddhism.
In the capital of Fuzhou is theYongquan Temple, aBuddhist templebuilt during theTang dynasty.
TheChongwu Army Templehonors twenty-seven fallen soldiers of thePeople's Liberation Armywho died during an attack by Nationalist forces in 1949, including five who died shielding a teenage girl during the attack.The site is frequented by locals and tourists.
Around Meizhou Islands is theMatsupilgrimage.
Mount Taimuis a mountain and a scenic resort inFuding. It offers a grand view of mountains and sea and is famous for its natural scenery including granite caves, odd-shaped stones, cliffs, clear streams, cascading waterfalls, and cultural attractions such as ancient temples and cliff Inscriptions.
TheDanxia landforminTainingwas listed by theUNESCOas one of theWorld Heritage Sitesin 2010. It is a unique type ofpetrographicgeomorphologyfound inChina. Danxialandformis formed from red-colouredsandstonesandconglomeratesof largelyCretaceousage. The landforms look very much likekarsttopography that forms in areas underlain bylimestones, but since the rocks that form danxia are sandstones and conglomerates, they have been called "pseudo-karst" landforms. They were formed by endogenous forces (includinguplift) and exogenous forces (includingweatheringanderosion).
TheWuyi Mountainswas the first location in Fujian to be listed byUNESCOas one of theWorld Heritage Sitesin 1999. They are a mountain range in the prefecture ofNanpingand contain the highest peak in Fujian,Mount Huanggang. It is famous as a natural landscape garden and a summer resort in China.
The province and its diaspora abroad also have a tradition of educational achievement and have produced many important scholars, statesmen, and other notable people. These include people whose ancestral home (祖籍) is Fujian (their ancestors originated from Fujian). In addition to the below list, many notable individuals of Han Chinese descent in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere have ancestry that can be traced to Fujian.
Some notable individuals include (in rough chronological order):
Han, Tang, and Song dynasties
Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties
20th-21st century
Fujian includes professional sports teams in both theChinese Basketball Associationand theChinese League One.
The representative of the province in theChinese Basketball Associationis theFujian Sturgeons, who are based inJinjiang, Quanzhou. The Fujian Sturgeons made their debut in the 2004–2005 season, and finished in seventh and last place in the South Division, out of the playoffs. In the 2005–2006 season, they tied for fifth, just one win away from making theplayoffs.
TheXiamen Blue Lionsformerly represented Fujian in theChinese Super League, before the team's closure in 2007. Today the province is represented byFujian Tianxin F.C., who play in theChina League Two, and theFujian Broncos.
Fujian is considered one of China's leading provinces in education and research. As of 2023, two major cities in the province ranked in the top 45 cities in the world (Xiamen 38th and Fuzhou 45th) by scientific research output, as tracked by theNature Index.