Fujian (福建)

···Hakka··· by Caro. Sourced via Flickr under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License.

Fújiàn (福建) is a province on the coast of southeast China. It is a mountainous region. The province's coastal position has made it a centre for national and international trade throughout it's long history. Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the islands of Japan have had long standing trade with Fujian and each has influenced the others. As a result, the area is culturaly and linguisticly diverse. It was in Fujian that the international trading centre of Amoy (modern day Xiamen)  is located. Fujian is the closest province to the island of Tiawan and traditionally there have been strong links between the island and Fujian.

North of Fujian is the Chinese province of Zhejiang. To the east is the East China sea and the straights of Taiwan. To the southeast lies the south China sea. South of Fujian is the province of Guandong and in the west is the province of Jiangxi. The majority of the people of Fujian are ethnic Han. However, these Han people have their own languages and cultures. The largest subgroup of Han people in Fujian are the Min people. They can be subdivided into seven or eight subsets each with their own dialect of the Min language. Much of the Han population in the southwest of Fujian are Hakka who have their own language and a distinct architectural style of round fortress like buildings. In the southeast there are the Hui'an people, another Han subset. Populations of the She ethnic group live in the north of the province.

Tourist Attractions

Below is a list of tourist attractions in Fujian:

Xiamen Gulangyu Scenic Tourist Attractions (厦门市鼓浪屿风景名胜区; xiàmén gǔlàngyǔ lǚyóuqū), Gulangyu, Xiamen, Fujian, China (厦门, 福建). Accessed by ferry from the south west of Xiamen city. Tel: 0592 2066821, 2060777 Official Web site. A small island, just of the coast of of Xiamen city. This used to be the International port known to the world as Amoy. Now a major tourist attaction for it Entry is free though the return ferry back to Xiamen costs 8 yuan. Within the island many parks and museums have their own entry fees. This site is rated AAAAA on China' national tourism scale.

Wuyi Mountain Scenic Tourist Attractions (南平市武夷山风景名胜区; Wǔ Yíshān fēngjǐngmíngshèng qū), This site is rated AAAAA on China' national tourism scale. The UNESCO World Heritage Site lists this as a site of oustanding natural and cultural heritage.

Yongding Hakka Folk Culture Village (永定客家土楼民俗文化村; yǒngdìng kè jiā tǔ lóu mínsú wénhuà cūn), Yongding County, Fujian, China. (福建省永定县凤城镇河滨路1号.). Tel: 0597-5839390 Official Web site. In the south of Fujian province of China can be found people of the Hakka ethnic minority. They have distinctive traditions for food, clothing, music and language. However, they have become most famous for their unique building architecture. Large communial buildings of rectangular but often of round design are the distinctive sight. These buildings attract a large number of tourists to the area every year. Entry to each building varies from 30 to 50 yuan per person. This site is rated AAAA on China' national tourism scale.

History

Recent archaeological discoveries have been made in the norhtern coastal region near Fuzhou that date to the Neolithic Age. On the island of Pingtan, at a site known as Keqiutou, they have found tools made of stones, shells, bones, jades and ceramics. These include wheel made ceramics. They have also found evidence of spinning wheels for yarn and weaving. These artifacts date to between 7450 and 5590 years ago. Another site known as Tanshishan (昙石山) dates to between 5500 and 4000 years ago and is located in the suburbs of Fuzhou. In the lowerlevels of Tanshishan they found semi-circular buildings. Also in another Fuzhou suburb is the Huangtulun site (黄土崙). This is a bronze age site of around 1325 BC.

During the Waring States period, Fujian was the location of the kingdom of Minyue. The word "Mǐnyuè" was derived by combining "Mǐn" (闽), perhaps an ethnic name and associated with the Chinese word for barbarians (蛮; pinyin: mán), and "Yue", after the State of Yue of the Spring and Autumn Period. It is thought that the royal family of Yuè fled to Fujian after their kingdom was annexed by the State of Chu in 306 BC.

Minyue was a de facto independant kingdom until the emperor of Qin Dynasty, the first unified imperial Chinese state, abolished the status. In the aftermath of the fall of the Qin Dynasty, civil war broke out between two warlords, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang. The Minyue king Wuzhu sent his troops to fight alongside Liu Bang, and his gamble paid off. Liu Bang was victorious, and founded the Han Dynasty in 202 BC. Liu restored Minyue's status as a tributary independent kingdom. Thus Wuzhu was allowed to construct his fortified city in Fuzhou as well as a few locations in the Wuyi Mountains. The remains of these have been excavated in recent years. Wuzhu's kingdom extended beyond the borders of contemporary Fujian into eastern Guangdong, eastern Jiangxi, and southern Zhejiang.

After the death of Wuzhu, Minyue maintained its militant tradition and launched several expeditions against the neighboring kingdoms in Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, mostly in the 2nd century BC, only to be stopped by the Han Dynasty. In 111 BC, the Han emperor eventually decided to get rid of the potential threat by sending in large forces simultaneously from four directions via land and sea. The rulers in Fuzhou surrendered to avoid a futile fight and destruction. Thus the first kingdom in Fujian history came to an abrupt end. The people of northern Fujian still erect temples in memory of their first kings.

The Han Dynasty collapsed at the end of the 2nd century AD, paving the way for the Three Kingdoms era. Sun Quan, the founder of the Kingdom of Wu, spent nearly twenty years subduing the Shan Yue people, a branch of the Yue people living in mountains of Fujian.

The first wave of immigration of the noble class arrived in the province in the early 4th century AD when the Western Jin Dynasty collapsed and the north of China was torn apart by invasions by nomadic peoples, as well as civil war. These immigrants were primarily from eight families from central China: Lin (林), Huang (黄), Chen (陈), Zheng (郑), Zhan (詹), Qiu (邱), Ho (何), and Hu (胡). The first four remain as the common surnames of modern Fujian people.

Isolation from nearby areas due to the rugged terrain, contributed to Fujian's relatively backward economy and level of development. Despite the major population boost from northern China during the "barbarian" invasions, population density in Fujian remained low compared to the rest of China. Only two commanderies and sixteen counties were established by the Western Jin Dynasty. Like other southern provinces, Fujian often served as a destination for exiled prisoners and dissidents.

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties era, the Southern Dynasties reigned south of the Yangtze River, including Fujian.

The Tang Dynasty (618–907) oversaw the next golden age of China. As the Tang Dynasty ended, China was torn apart in the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. During this time, a second major wave of immigration arrived in the safe haven of Fujian, led by general Wang, who set up an independent Kingdom of Min. This kingdom had its capital in Fuzhou. After the death of the founding king, however, the kingdom suffered from internal strife and was soon swallowed up by Southern Tang.

Quanzhou bloomed into a seaport under the reign of the Min Kingdom. It may have been the largest contemporary seaport in the eastern hemisphere. In the early Ming dynasty, Quanzhou was the staging area and supply depot of Zheng He's naval expeditions. From here Zheng He set out on voyages to India, Arabia, Africa and some say he may even have gone east to America. Further development was severely hampered when the Ming Emperor imposed a ban on sea trade. Despite the lifting of the ban in 1550, the area was later superseded by nearby ports of Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai. Large scale piracy by Wokou (Japanese pirates) in the area was eventually wiped out by Chinese military and Japanese authority of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Late Ming and early Qing Dynasty saw another era of large influxes of refugees and another 20 year sea trade ban under the Kangxi Emperor. The ban was a measure intended to counter the refuge Ming government at Koxinga in Taiwan. Incoming refugees, however, did not translate into a major labor force resulting in their re-migration unto prosperous regions of Guangdong province. In 1689, the Qing dynasty officially incorporated Taiwan into Fujian province. Settlement of Taiwan by Han Chinese followed, and the majority of people in Taiwan are descendants of emigrants from Southern Fujian. After Taiwan was separated into its own province in 1885 and ceded to Japan in 1895, Fujian arrived at its present extent. It was substantially influenced by the Japanese after the Treaty of Shimonoseki of 1895 until the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) of WWII.

Owing to the mountainous landscape, Fujian was the most secluded province of eastern China. It lacked  rail and had underdeveloped  roads networks, few of which were paved before the 1950s. The first railway to the province was completed in mid-1950s connecting Xiamen to the rest of the mainland. Despite its secluded location, Fujian has had a strong academic tradition since the Southern Song Dynasty.

Since the late 1970s, the economy of Fujian along the coast has greatly benefited from its geographic and cultural proximity to Taiwan. In 2003, Xiamen ranked number eight GDP per capita among 659 Chinese cities, ahead of Shanghai and Beijing, while Fuzhou ranked no. 21 (number 4 among 30 provincial capitals). The development has been accompanied by a large influx of population from the over-populated areas in the north and west.

People and Culture

Han Chinese make up most of the population. In the north of Fujian are populations of She people. They are scattered over the mountainous region and make up the largest non-Han ethnic group in Fujian. Various Fujianese of Min people make up the largest Han subgroup in Fujian. This includes the Hoklo people, Foochow people, Teochew people and Putian people. They have their own languages and are distributed widely across the province. Hakka, another Han subgroup people with its own distinct identity, live in the southwestern parts of the province. The Hakka are famed for their unique building style. They construct large round or sometimes square, communial dewellings. These are a cross between houses and forts and served to protect the people from bandits. In the southeast of Fujian are the Hui'an, also a Han branch with their distinct culture and fashion. They populate Fujian's coastline near Chongwu in Hui'an County. The She, scattered over mountainous regions in the north, is the largest minority ethnic group of the province.

Many ethnic Chinese around the world, especially Southeast Asia, trace their ancestry to Fujian. Descendants of Fujian emigrants make up the majority of the ethnic Chinese populations of Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Fujian, especially Fuzhou, is also the major source of illegal Chinese immigrants in the United States.

Culture

Because of its mountainous nature and the numerous waves of migration from central China in the course of history, Fujian is one of the most linguistically diverse places in all Han Chinese areas of China. Local dialects can become unintelligible within 10 km. 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". Classification of these various dialects have confounded linguists. In general, most dialects of Fujian are put into a broad Min category, then subdivided into Min Bei, Min Dong, Min Zhong, Min Nan, Pu Xian, and Shao Jiang. (The seventh subdivision of Min, Qiong Wen, is not spoken in Fujian.) The Fuzhou dialect is part of Min Dong, but some linguists classified it as Min Bei; the Amoy language is part of Min Nan. Hakka, another subdivision of spoken Chinese, is spoken around Longyan by the Hakka people who live there.

As is true of other provinces, the official language in Fujian is Standard Mandarin, which is used for communication between people of different localities.

Several regions of Fujian have their own form of Chinese opera. Minju (Fujian Opera) is popular around Fuzhou; Gaojiaxi around Jinjiang and Quanzhou; Xiangju around Zhangzhou; Fujian Nanqu throughout the south, and Puxianxi around Putian and Xianyou County.

Fujian cuisine, with an emphasis on seafood, is one of the eight great traditions of Chinese cuisine. It is composed of traditions from various regions, including Fuzhou cuisine and Min Nan cuisine. The most prestigious dish is Fotiaoqiang (literally "Buddha jumps over the wall"), a complex dish making use of many ingredients, including shark fin, sea cucumber, abalone, and Shaoxing wine (a form of "Chinese alcoholic beverage").

Many famous teas originate from Fujian, including oolong, Wuyi Yancha, and Fuzhou jasmine tea. Fujian tea ceremony is an elaborate way of preparing and serving tea. In fact, the English word "tea" is borrowed from Min nan language. (Standard Mandarin and Standard Cantonese pronounce the word as chá.)

Fuzhou bodiless lacquer ware, a famous type of lacquer ware, is noted for using a body of clay and/or plaster to form its shape; the body later removed. Fuzhou is also famous for Shoushan stone carvings.

Industry

Fujian is hilly and farmland is sparse. Rice is the main crop, supplemented by sweet potatoes and wheat and barley. Cash crops include sugar cane and rapeseed. Fujian leads the provinces of China in longan production, and is also a major producer of lychees and tea. Seafood is another important product, with shellfish production especially prominent.

Because of the geographic location with Taiwan,Fujian has been considered the frontline of battlefield of potential war between Mainland China and Taiwan.Hence, it received much less investment from 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.Today,although Fujian is one of the wealthier provinces of China,its gdp per capita is the lowest among China's coastal administrative. divisions.

See also List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP per capita

Minnan Golden Triangle which includes Xiamen,Quanzhou and Zhangzhou account for 40 percent gdp of Fujian province.

Fujian province will be the major economic beneficiary of the opening up of direct transport with 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 of China International Fair for Investment and Trade annually. It is held in Xiamen to promote foreign investment for all of China.

In 2008, Fujian's nominal GDP was 1.0823 trillion yuan (ca.US$155 billion), a rise of 13% from the previous year. It's GDP per capita was 30,123 yuan (ca.US$4,320).

Geography

The province is mostly mountainous, and is traditionally described 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 the Wuyi Mountains forming the border between Fujian and Jiangxi. The highest point of Fujian is Huanggang Peak in the Wuyi Mountains, with an altitude of 2157 m.

The Fujian province faces East China Sea to the east, South China Sea to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the southeast. The coastline is rugged and has many bays and islands. Major islands include Quemoy (controlled by the Republic of China), Haitan Island, and Nanri Island.

The River Min Jiang and its tributaries cut through much of northern and central Fujian. Other rivers include the Jinjiang River and the Jiulong River. Due to its uneven topography, Fujian has many cliffs and rapids.

Fujian is separated from Taiwan by the 180-km-wide Taiwan Strait. Some of the small islands in the Taiwan Strait are also part of the province. Small parts of the province, namely the islands of Quemoy and Matsu, are under the administration of the Republic of China.

Fujian has a subtropical climate, with warm winters. In January the coastal regions average around 7–10 °C while the hills average 6–8 °C. In the summer, temperatures are high, and the province is threatened by typhoons coming in from the Pacific. Average annual precipitation is 1400–2000 mm.

The People's Republic of China controls most of the province, and divides it into nine prefecture-level divisions, all of them prefecture-level cities:

Map	#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Type
	1	Fuzhou	福州市	Fúzhōu Shì	Prefecture-level city
	2	Xiamen	厦门市	Xiàmén Shì	Sub-provincial city
	3	Longyan	龙岩市	Lóngyán Shì	Prefecture-level city
	4	Nanping	南平市	Nánpíng Shì	Prefecture-level city
	5	Ningde	宁德市	Nánpíng Shì	Prefecture-level city
	6	Putian	莆田市	Pútián Shì	Prefecture-level city
	7	Quanzhou	泉州市	Quánzhōu Shì	Prefecture-level city
	8	Sanming	三明市	Sānmíng Shì	Prefecture-level city
	9	Zhangzhou	漳州市	Zhāngzhōu Shì	Prefecture-level city