Fuzhou (福州)

1. Introduction

Fuzhou City, commonly known as Fuzhou, abbreviated as Fu or Rong, historically called Yecheng, and also known as Mindu or Rongcheng, is the capital of Fujian Province of the People's Republic of China, a national regional central city, and one of the first batch of coastal open cities. Located in the lower reaches of the Min River in eastern Fujian and serving as a central city in the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait, it is the political, economic, cultural, and transportation hub of Fujian Province, as well as a renowned hometown of overseas Chinese in China. Due to its historical role as the capital of five regimes—the Minyue, Min Kingdom, Southern Song, Southern Ming, and the Republic of China—it is honored as the "Ancient Capital of Five Dynasties" and the "Mighty Capital of Eight Min." Additionally, because of its long-standing status as the political center of Fujian, it is referred to as the "Capital of Eight Min."

Fuzhou was established as a city in 306 BCE, with a history spanning over 2,300 years. It is the birthplace and flourishing center of Mindu culture. In 1986, it was designated as one of China's second batch of National Historical and Cultural Cities. Historically, it has long served as the political, economic, cultural, and transportation hub of Fujian. It is a core city of the metropolitan area, one of the central cities in the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait approved by the State Council, and a riverside and coastal ecological garden city. It is also the location of the Army Command of the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army, a key coastal metropolis in southeastern China, a demonstration zone for marine economic development, a gateway of the Maritime Silk Road, and part of the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Additionally, it was one of the earliest five treaty ports opened in modern China.

Since the Qin Dynasty, Fuzhou has consistently served as the seat of commanderies, prefectures, and prefectural governments, as well as the political, military, economic, cultural, and educational center of East China. From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Qing Dynasty, Fuzhou was one of the important starting points of the Maritime Silk Road. Fuzhou was established as a special municipality in the first year of the Republic of China (1933) and officially became a city in the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946). As of 2021, Fuzhou administers 6 districts, 1 county-level city, and 6 counties, with a total land area of 11,968 square kilometers, a sea area of 110,900 square kilometers, and a coastline stretching 1,137 kilometers, accounting for one-third of Fujian Province's total coastline.

Fuzhou has been awarded titles such as "China's Excellent Tourism City," "National Historical and Cultural City," "National Civilized City," and "National Forest City." It is one of the first 14 coastal port cities opened to the outside world during China's reform and opening-up. Fuzhou's Mawei District is the cradle of China's modern navy and the birthplace of China's shipbuilding culture, having produced important naval officers such as Sa Zhenbing, Sa Shijun, Liu Buchan, and Chen Shaokuan.

Fuzhou's customs, culture, traditional arts, and architectural styles are distinctive, reflecting strong regional characteristics. The local population is predominantly of the Fuzhou ethnic group, with the Min dialect Fuzhouhua as their mother tongue. Since the Song Dynasty, Fuzhou's cultural education has been highly developed, with the number of imperial examination scholars, top scholars in civil and military examinations, and members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering ranking among the highest in Chinese cities. Fuzhou is also the ancestral home of over 6 million overseas Chinese, making it a significant hometown of overseas Chinese in China, with Japan and the United States being the primary destinations for emigration.

Due to its location at the mouth of the Min River, Fuzhou enjoys a highly advantageous geographical position. It serves as the central city of the Pan-Min River Estuary Golden Triangle and the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait, as well as a hub city in the Belt and Road Initiative. The Fuzhou Metropolitan Area, comprising Fuzhou City, the entire Putian City, and parts of Ningde City and Nanping City, is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Fujian, China. In 2023, Fuzhou was honored with the inaugural United Nations Global Award for Sustainable Cities.

2. Origin of the Name

The name "Fuzhou" originated in the 13th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (725 AD). It was changed from the former Minzhou Dudufu (Minzhou Military Governor Office) to Fuzhou Dudufu (Fuzhou Military Governor Office) because of a mountain named Fu Mountain located northwest of the prefectural city. However, the exact location of Fu Mountain during the Tang Dynasty remains undetermined to this day. The "Fuzhou Fuzhi" (Gazetteer of Fuzhou Prefecture) printed during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty points out that Dongfeng Mountain in Changle was formerly named Fu Mountain. However, since Dongfeng Mountain is not located northwest of Fuzhou city, some believe Fu Mountain refers to Lotus Mountain (also known as Yongfu Mountain) northwest of Fuzhou, while others suggest it might be Baofu Mountain in the western suburbs of Fuzhou.

2.1 Changes in Name

Historically, especially before the Song Dynasty, the name of Fuzhou underwent multiple changes. Fuzhou was originally the capital of the Minyue Kingdom, established by the ancient Minyue people in 306 BC, called Ye, also known as Dongye.

In the 2nd year of the Shiyuan era of the Western Han Dynasty (85 BC), Ye County was established. In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ye County was changed to Dongye County. Before the 1st year of the Jian'an era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (196 AD), Dongye County was changed to Houguan County.

In the 3rd year of the Taikang era of the Western Jin Dynasty (282 AD), Jin'an Commandery was established, and Yuanfeng County was created from the eastern part of Houguan County to serve as the commandery seat. In the 1st year of the Yongding era of the Chen Dynasty (557 AD), to pacify the separatist Chen Baoying who controlled central Min (Fujian), Minzhou was established, marking the beginning of Fujian having its own separate prefecture. Houguan County and Yuanfeng County served as the prefectural seat. In the 5th year of the Tianjia era (564 AD), the Chen Dynasty eliminated Chen Baoying's separatist forces; in the 6th year (565 AD), Minzhou was abolished. In the 2nd year of the Guangda era (568 AD), the former Minzhou was re-established as Fengzhou, with Houguan and Yuanfeng remaining as the prefectural seat.

In the 9th year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (589 AD), because there was a Quan Mountain within Fengzhou's territory, it was renamed Quanzhou. In the 12th year of the Kaihuang era (592 AD), Yuanfeng County was renamed Min County. In the 2nd year of the Daye era of the Sui Dynasty (606 AD), Quanzhou was renamed Minzhou. In the 3rd year of the Daye era, Minzhou was abolished and renamed Jian'an Commandery, with its seat in Min County.

In the 1st year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD), Jian'an Commandery was changed to Jianzhou. In the 4th year of Wude (621 AD), the seat of Jianzhou was moved to Jian'an County. In the 6th year of Wude (623 AD), part of Jianzhou was separated to establish Quanzhou (present-day Fuzhou), with its seat in Min County. In the 8th year of Wude (625 AD), it was renamed Fengzhou, and the Fengzhou Dudufu (Military Governor Office) was established. In the 1st year of the Zhenguan era (627 AD), Fengzhou was renamed Quanzhou and placed under Lingnan Circuit. In the 2nd year of the Jingyun era (711 AD), Quanzhou (present-day Fuzhou) was changed to Minzhou Dudufu. In the 13th year of the Kaiyuan era (725 AD), because there was a Fu Mountain northwest of the prefecture, Minzhou Dudufu was renamed Fuzhou Dudufu, under Jiangnandong Circuit. The name Fuzhou began from this time. In the 1st year of the Tianbao era (742 AD), it was renamed Changle Commandery. In the 1st year of the Qianyuan era (758 AD), it was again called Fuzhou Dudufu. In the 3rd year of the Kaiping era of the Later Liang Dynasty (909 AD), Wang Shenzhi, the Military Commissioner of the Weiwu Army, was enfeoffed as the King of Min, established the Min Kingdom, made Fuzhou its capital, and elevated Fuzhou to Dadudufu (Grand Military Governor Office). In the 1st year of the Longqi era of the Min Kingdom (933 AD), Wang Yanjun, the King of Min, declared himself emperor and elevated Fuzhou to Changle Fu (Changle Prefecture). In the 3rd year of the Tiande era of the Min Kingdom (945 AD), Emperor Wang Yanzheng of Min designated Fuzhou as the Southern Capital.

In the 1st year of the Jingyan era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1276 AD), Emperor Duanzong Zhao Shi ascended the throne in Fuzhou, elevated Fuzhou to Fu'an Fu, and designated it as the temporary imperial capital (Xingzai). In the 1st year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD), Fuzhou Fu was established. In the 1st year of the Longwu era of the Southern Ming (2nd year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, 1645 AD), Zhu Yujian ascended the throne in Fuzhou, designated Fuzhou as the temporary imperial capital, changed the Fujian and other areas Chengxuan Buzhengshisi (Provincial Administration Commission) to "Fujing," and changed Fuzhou Fu to Tianxing Fu. In the 3rd year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1646 AD), Tianxing Fu was again called Fuzhou Fu.

In the 2nd year of the Republic of China (1913 AD), Fuzhou Fu was abolished. On January 1st of the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946 AD), Fuzhou City was established.

2.2 Transliterations in Western Literature

A map of Fuzhou Bay (Bay von Hocsieu, i.e., the waters of the Min River estuary) drawn by the Dutch in the mid-18th century writes Fuzhou as Hocsieu. Since the late 1980s, countries using the Roman alphabet have commonly used "Fuzhou" as the spelling for the name "福州." This spelling is transliterated from the Hanyu Pinyin "Fúzhōu," which is the pronunciation of "福州" in Standard Mandarin. Prior to this, the name "福州" had various different spellings in Western literature. The 13th-century "The Travels of Marco Polo" writes Fuzhou as Fugiu, a spelling likely derived from the Mandarin of that time. The Dutch in the late Ming Dynasty borrowed the pronunciation from the Fuzhou dialect, spelling "福州" as Hocsieu. This spelling also had variants such as Hockzieuw, Hoksieu, and Hochsieu, while in French it was spelled Hoksyeu. Similarly using the pronunciation from the Fuzhou dialect, English once wrote "福州" as Hokchew, Hockchew, Hokchue, Hokchiu, Hokcheu, etc. Among these, spellings like Hokchew and Hockchew are still used today within Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Some 16th-century Spanish historians (such as González de Mendoza, etc.) spelled Fuzhou in Spanish as Aucheo or Ucheo. Furthermore, after the invention of Fuzhou Bàng-uâ-cê (Fuzhou Romanized) and Southern Min Pe̍h-ōe-jī in the late 19th century, there were also examples of using Hok-ciu to spell "福州." Other English literature spellings for "福州" transliterated from Mandarin pronunciation include Foochow, Fuchow, Fuhchau, Fuhchoo, Fou-chou, Fou-chou-fou, etc. In French, Fou-Tchéou was used, and in German, Futschau was used. In the late 19th century, the usages of Foochow, Fuchow, and Fuhchau coexisted, but Foochow gradually became the mainstream term and continued to be used until China promoted the rule of using Hanyu Pinyin to spell place names (before the 38th year of the Republic of China, postal stamps used by the Fuzhou Post Office often bore the English place names FOOCHOW or FOOCHOWFU).

3. History

3.1 Ancient Times to the Northern and Southern Dynasties

According to current archaeological discoveries, Fuzhou's Neolithic culture can be traced back to the Pingtan Keqiutou Culture from 5000 BC and the Minhou Tanshishan Culture from 3000 BC. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the name "Minyue" began to appear in Chinese historical records. The inhabitants of Fuzhou during this period were the ancient Min people or the Minyue people.

In 306 BC, King Wujiang of Yue, the seventh-generation descendant of King Goujian of Yue, fought against King Wei of Chu, was defeated and killed, leading to the decline of the Yue state. Some members of the Yue royal family crossed the sea into Min at this time, settling at Yueqian Mountain (present-day Changle District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province) and establishing the Minyue Kingdom. The fleeing Yue nobles integrated with the ancient Min people, forming the Minyue people, who established Fuzhou's earliest city, "Ye" (also known as Dongye), as the capital of Minyue. In 222 BC, the Qin dynasty established the Minzhong Commandery, with present-day Fuzhou as its seat. In 202 BC, the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Wuzhu was enfeoffed as the King of Minyue and established his capital at Yecheng near present-day Yeshan in Fuzhou, also known as Dongye, marking the beginning of the establishment of Fujian and Fuzhou as cities. In 110 BC, the Han dynasty destroyed the Minyue Kingdom, forcibly relocating the Minyue people to the Jianghuai region, leading to the disappearance of the Minyue ethnicity and the decline of Yecheng. It was not until 85 BC (the second year of the Shiyuan era) that Yexian County was established here. During the Three Kingdoms period, Fuzhou became one of the shipbuilding centers of Eastern Wu. In the Western Jin dynasty, the Jin'an Commandery was established, making the Fuzhou area the political and economic center of central Min; during the Taikang era, Yan Gao, the first governor of Jin'an Commandery, built the Fuzhou Zicheng (Inner City), excavated the East Lake, West Lake, and a canal (today's Jin'an River), laying the foundation for the future shape of Fuzhou city. In 308 AD (the second year of the Yongjia era), during the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians, Jin'an Commandery became an important settlement for Han Chinese migrants from the Central Plains fleeing south. In 548 AD (the second year of the Taiqing era of Emperor Wu of Liang during the Southern Dynasties), the Hou Jing Disturbance occurred, devastating the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, and many refugees sought shelter in Fuzhou. From 550 to 564 AD, Chen Yu and his son Chen Baoying, based in Houguan, established a separatist regime in central Min, during which they established Minzhou.

3.2 Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties Period

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Fuzhou area was the political and economic center of Fujian. In 725 AD (the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan era of Tang), the former Minzhou was renamed Fuzhou, marking the origin of the name Fuzhou. After the mid-Tang period, Fuzhou's economy and cultural education advanced significantly. During the mid to late Tang, when the Central Plains were in turmoil, especially due to the An Lushan Rebellion, soldiers and civilians from the north continuously migrated into Fuzhou. In 879 AD, Fuzhou city was once captured by Huang Chao's army. In 893 AD (the second year of the Jingfu era), the Guangshou Army led by Wang Chao and Wang Shenzhi occupied Fuzhou, quickly unified Fujian, and brought a wave of migrants from the Central Plains, known as the "Eighteen Surnames Following the Wangs." In 909 AD (the third year of the Kaiping era), Wang Shenzhi established the Min Kingdom, becoming Emperor Taizu of Min, with Fuzhou as its capital, and elevated Fuzhou to the status of a Grand Governor's Office. The Gantang Port opened by Wang Shenzhi in Fuzhou was the largest port in Fujian at the time, and he established the Fujian Superintendent of Maritime Trade in Fuzhou, the first such office in Fujian. In 932 AD, Wang Yanjun, King of Min, elevated Fuzhou to Changle Prefecture. In 945 AD, the Min Kingdom was destroyed by Southern Tang, and Fuzhou was held by the warlord Li Renda. In 947 AD, Li Renda submitted to Wuyue. In 978 AD, the Northern Song dynasty annexed Wuyue. Fuzhou city was very prosperous during the Five Dynasties period; the expansion of the city walls enclosed Wu Hill, Yu Hill, and Ping Hill within the city, hence Fuzhou also gained the name "City of Three Hills." Buddhism also developed rapidly in Fuzhou during this time; the main hall of Hualin Temple, the earliest surviving wooden structure in southern China, was built during this period. The Fuzhou ethnic group also gradually formed during the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties periods.

3.3 Song and Yuan Dynasties

The Song dynasty was a golden age in Fuzhou's history, with population, economy, and culture reaching a peak. In 974 and 1069 AD, Prefects Qian Yu and Cheng Shimeng successively expanded the city walls. In 1044 AD, during Cai Xiang's tenure as Prefect of Fuzhou, water conservancy projects were extensively developed, and he also began advocating for planting banyan trees. In 1065 AD, Prefect Zhang Boyu organized a campaign for households to plant banyan trees, resulting in banyans spreading throughout Fuzhou, hence the name "Banyan City." Fuzhou's urban river network system also took shape during the Song dynasty. Fuzhou had a large population and extremely prosperous economy during the Song, being one of the six major cities of the Song dynasty; during the Southern Song, its population exceeded 590,000, with over 100,000 within the city walls. Fuzhou's agriculture was highly developed, and it was also a center of shipbuilding for the Song dynasty; its commodity economy was advanced, and overseas trade developed rapidly. Culturally, during the Northern and Southern Song periods, Fuzhou produced a total of 10 top scholars in the civil imperial examinations, 11 in the military examinations, and 2,247 jinshi (advanced scholars), establishing Fuzhou's leading position in imperial examinations and culture nationwide. In 1276 AD, after Mongol forces captured Lin'an, Zhao Shi, Prince Yi of the Southern Song, declared himself emperor in Fuzhou, becoming Emperor Duanzong of Song, changing the era name to Jingyan, elevating Fuzhou to Fu'an Prefecture as the temporary capital, using Pingshan Pavilion as the temporary palace; in November, Mongol forces captured Fuzhou, and Zhao Shi fled south by sea. During the Yuan dynasty, Fuzhou served as the capital of Fujian for most of the time; from 1359 to 1362 AD towards the end of Yuan, the Isbahi army based in Quanzhou briefly occupied Fuzhou, after which the Yuan-loyal warlord Chen Youding took over. In 1368 AD (the first year of Hongwu), Ming dynasty forces occupied Fuzhou.

3.4 Ming to Mid-Qing Dynasty

From the Ming dynasty onward, Fuzhou remained the capital of Fujian. In the early Ming, Fuzhou had a developed shipbuilding industry and advanced navigation technology. The Fuzhou region had close cultural and commercial exchanges with the Ryukyu Kingdom. In 1396, the Thirty-Six Surnames from Fuzhou began migrating to Ryukyu. Zheng He's fleet chose Taiping Port in Changle County as its anchorage base, supply procurement site, and starting point for voyages to the Western Oceans. Many scholars believe that the treasure ships of Zheng He's fleet were the Fuzhou-built "Fuchuan," and many skilled Fuzhou sailors were active in Zheng He's fleet. Subsequently, Fuzhou's overseas trade gradually recovered, and in 1474 it became the location of the Fujian Superintendent of Maritime Trade. Fuzhou was also a hub for exchanges between China and Ryukyu, with the Rouyuan Post House specifically used to receive Ryukyu envoys and merchants. During the Jiajing era, Fuzhou Prefecture suffered severely from Japanese pirate raids, and Qi Jiguang twice entered Fujian to suppress them. From the late Ming dynasty, European countries such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy increasingly frequented contact with Fuzhou. At the end of 1624, Giulio Aleni introduced Catholicism to Fuzhou. In 1645, Zhu Yujian, the Prince of Tang of the Ming, declared himself emperor in Fuzhou, elevated Fuzhou to Tianxing Prefecture, called the "Temporary Capital of Fujing," and changed the era name to Longwu. In 1646, Qing forces defeated the Longwu regime and captured Fuzhou.

In the early Qing, Zhu Yihai, the Prince of Lu supervising the Southern Ming, attempted to capture Fuzhou; Zheng Chenggong also engaged in a seesaw battle with Qing forces in the Fuzhou area. From 1674 to 1676, Geng Jingzhong, the Prince of Jingnan, proclaimed himself "Grand General Commanding All Forces" and again held Fuzhou in rebellion against the Qing. The turbulent situation led the Qing government to implement maritime prohibitions and coastal evacuation policies, forcing coastal residents of Fuzhou to relocate inland, severely damaging the socio-economy of the Fuzhou coast until the evacuation policy was rescinded in 1684. The relatively stable social environment during the Ming and Qing dynasties allowed Fuzhou city to develop on a large scale. During the early to mid-Qing dynasty, Fuzhou was an important maritime trade center in China, with its main trading partners being Ryukyu and Japan. Many people from Fuzhou Prefecture migrated to Ryukyu and Japan, while a considerable number of Ryukyuans also settled in Fuzhou Prefecture. Economic prosperity also led to a sharp population increase; by the Daoguang era of the 19th century, Europeans estimated that Fuzhou's urban population might have reached 500,000.

3.5 Late Qing Dynasty

After the Opium War, Fuzhou was officially opened as one of the five treaty ports in 1844. Starting with the establishment of the British consulate on Nantai Island in 1845, 17 countries successively set up consulates in Fuzhou. The areas along the river in Taijiang and Shanghang/Xiahang became centers for import and export trade, with Fuzhou's tea exports accounting for 35% of China's total tea exports. Foreign, private, and state-owned banks, enterprises, and firms were successively established in Fuzhou. In 1847, Protestant Christianity began spreading in Fuzhou, subsequently founding many missionary schools and Fuzhou's earliest newspapers and periodicals. After the rise of the Self-Strengthening Movement, in 1866 (the fifth year of Tongzhi), the Qing government established the Fuzhou Navy Yard at Mawei to build modern warships and founded the Fujian Naval Academy to train relevant personnel. The Fujian Fleet was subsequently established. During the Sino-French War in 1884, the Battle of Fuzhou (or Battle of the Pagoda Anchorage) at Mawei Harbor resulted in the near-total destruction of the Fujian Fleet. In 1899, Japan established a concession in Fuzhou. After the Constitutional Movement began, the Fujian Provincial Advisory Council opened in Fuzhou in 1909. On November 8, 1911, the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance instigated an uprising by the Fujian New Army led by Sun Daoren, which defeated Qing forces on the 10th, occupied Fuzhou, and established the Military Government of the Republic of China, Fujian Governor's Office, on the 11th.

3.6 Republican Period

In 1913, after the failure of the Second Revolution in Fujian, Fuzhou experienced warlord power struggles and political instability, with various factional warlords successively entering Fuzhou to control Fujian's administrative power. In 1919, public demonstrations against Japanese goods occurred in Fuzhou. Li Houji, the Military Governor of the Fujian Military Government, and Eguchi Zenkai, the chief of police at the Japanese consulate in Fuzhou, harmed innocent students and civilians. Because of this, the event is now commonly referred to as the "Fuzhou Massacre" or the "Taijiang Incident." It was not until December 13, 1926, when the Northern Expeditionary Army occupied Fuzhou, that the rule of the Beiyang warlords in Fuzhou ended, although local warlords still existed.

After the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan in 1937, Japan first occupied Fuzhou from April 21 to September 3, 1941, establishing the Fuzhou Peace Preservation Committee; on May 2, the Fuqing County Peace Preservation Committee was established; on May 3, the Changle County Peace Preservation Committee was established; the Lianjiang County Peace Preservation Committee was also established in May. In April 1942, the Fuzhou Municipal Preparatory Office was established. From October 4, 1944, to May 18, 1945, Japan occupied Fuzhou for the second time; on December 8, the Fuzhou Municipal Committee (also known as the Fuzhou Preparatory Committee, Fuzhou Municipal Preparatory Committee) was established, with Wang Zhigang as chairman and Chen Hong and eight others as committee members; in early January 1945, the Changle County Administration Committee and Lianjiang County Administration Committee were established; on January 20, the Minhou County Administration Committee was established.In 1946, Fuzhou was established.

3.7 Republican Era

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the Fuzhou Municipal People's Government began implementing large-scale social reforms. A significant number of private and missionary schools in Fuzhou were abolished, many religious organizations were disbanded, private enterprises were gradually nationalized, and multiple political campaigns were carried out. On March 30, 1980, the State Council approved Fuzhou as a coastal open city, and in 1985, it further approved the establishment of the Fuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone in Mawei. During the 1990s, Fuzhou's economy experienced rapid growth. In May 2009, the State Council Executive Meeting discussed and approved in principle the "Several Opinions on Supporting Fujian Province to Accelerate the Development of the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait." In March 2011, the State Council officially approved the "Development Plan for the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait."

4. Geography

4.1 Geology and Topography

Fuzhou is located in southeastern mainland China, in the Min River estuary area of eastern Fujian Province. Geographically, Fuzhou's topography is typical of an estuarine basin, surrounded by mountains and lofty ridges, with elevations mostly ranging between 600-1000 meters.

Fuzhou faces northern Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait to the east, borders Quanzhou City and Putian City to the south, Sanming City to the west, and Nanping City and Ningde City to the north. The overall terrain slopes from high in the west to low in the east, transitioning from the Jiufeng Mountain-Daiyun Mountain range in the west to the Taiwan Strait in the east. The landforms evolve from central mountains to low hills, then to higher hills, followed by terraced plains, and finally to the sea. Mountainous and hilly areas account for 72.68% of the total area. The Min River is the largest river within the territory, cutting through the mountains from northwest to southeast to form a narrow and deep canyon along its course. The river valley gradually widens below the Anrenxi estuary, where the flow slows, forming the largest plain in Fuzhou, the Fuzhou Plain, within the Fuzhou Basin in the lower reaches. The highest peak in Fuzhou is Donghujian in the southwest of Yongtai County, with an elevation of 1682 meters. The coastline is long and winding, stretching 1137 kilometers from Jingshui in Luoyuan County in the north to Xincuo Town in Fuqing City in the south. It is predominantly a bedrock coastline, with a mainland coastline of 920 kilometers and an island coastline of 390 kilometers. There are 18 bays in total, with deep-water bays including Luoyuan Bay, Fuqing Bay, and Xinghua Bay. The total sea area is 110,900 square kilometers, containing 545 islands. The largest island is Haitan Island, covering an area of 274.33 square kilometers. Fuzhou's forest coverage rate is approximately 54.8%. Mineral resources are mainly non-metallic, such as pyrophyllite, granite, and silica sand. Shoushan stone is also an important mineral resource. The total geothermal reserve in the urban area is 9,800 cubic meters, making it home to the largest urban hot spring in China. The urban hot spring belt is located in the northeastern part of the city, covering an area of 5 square kilometers, with other hot springs distributed in adjacent areas.

Fuzhou has a maritime subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by warmth and humidity, with an annual relative humidity of about 77%. In 2007, the annual rainfall was 1367.5 mm. The annual average temperature ranges from 16 to 20°C. The coldest months, January and February, have average temperatures of 6–10°C, while the hottest months, July and August, see average temperatures of 24–29°C. Due to the increasingly pronounced urban heat island effect and the basin topography, summer noon temperatures often exceed 36°C. From 1981 to 2010, the annual average number of high-temperature days was 32.6, ranking first among all provincial capitals in China. From 1951 to 2013, there were 3 days with maximum temperatures ≥40°C: 41.7°C (July 26, 2003), 41.1°C (July 15, 2003), and 40.6°C (August 8, 2013). During China's extreme heatwave event in 2022, Fuzhou was severely affected, reaching 41.9°C on July 24, breaking the historical record. Winters are relatively warm, but occasional low temperatures occur, with 15 days having minimum temperatures <0°C. The extreme minimum temperature was -1.9°C (January 25, 2016). Fuzhou has a frost-free period of 326 days and an annual average sunshine duration of 1700–1980 hours. Rainfall is influenced by topography, with coastal peninsulas and islands receiving less than inland mountainous areas. In winter, Fuzhou is dominated by northeast or east winds, but the Fuzhou Basin is influenced by the Min River's flow, prevailing northwest winds. In summer, southerly or southeasterly winds dominate, while spring and autumn are transitional periods. The daily wind direction change from northwest winds in the morning to southeast winds in the afternoon is most pronounced in summer. Fuzhou is strongly affected by typhoons every year, with July to September being the typhoon activity period. The average annual number of direct typhoon landfalls is two. Fuzhou's warm and humid climate is suitable for tree and crop growth, with a forest coverage rate of 54.8%. It is also the northern geographical limit for lychee growth along China's eastern coast. | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|------|------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|----------| | Record high °C | 27.3 | 29.9 | 32.6 | 35.7 | 37.5 | 38.7 | 41.7 | 40.6 | 39.6 | 37.1 | 33.2 | 29.6 | 41.7 | | Record high °F | 81.1 | 85.8 | 90.7 | 96.3 | 99.5 | 101.7 | 107.1 | 105.1 | 103.3 | 98.8 | 91.8 | 85.3 | 107.1 | | Average high °C | 15.5 | 16.3 | 19.1 | 23.8 | 27.4 | 31.1 | 34.6 | 33.8 | 30.7 | 26.7 | 22.5 | 17.9 | 24.9 | | Average high °F | 59.9 | 61.3 | 66.4 | 74.8 | 81.3 | 88 | 94.3 | 92.8 | 87.3 | 80.1 | 72.5 | 64.2 | 76.9 | | Daily mean °C | 11.2 | 11.9 | 14.2 | 18.7 | 22.7 | 26.5 | 29.4 | 28.8 | 26.4 | 22.4 | 18.4 | 13.5 | 20.3 | | Daily mean °F | 52.2 | 53.4 | 57.6 | 65.7 | 72.9 | 79.7 | 84.9 | 83.8 | 79.5 | 72.3 | 65.1 | 56.3 | 68.6 | | Average low °C | 8.6 | 9.1 | 11.1 | 15.4 | 19.7 | 23.5 | 26 | 25.6 | 23.5 | 19.5 | 15.5 | 10.6 | 17.3 | | Average low °F | 47.5 | 48.4 | 52 | 59.7 | 67.5 | 74.3 | 78.8 | 78.1 | 74.3 | 67.1 | 59.9 | 51.1 | 63.2 | | Record low °C | −1.9 | −0.8 | 1.1 | 5.2 | 11.1 | 15.4 | 20.1 | 20.4 | 15 | 9.6 | 3.1 | −1.7 | −1.9 | | Record low °F | 28.6 | 30.6 | 34 | 41.4 | 52 | 59.7 | 68.2 | 68.7 | 59 | 49.3 | 37.6 | 28.9 | 28.6 | | Average precipitation mm | 51.8 | 80.6 | 130.1 | 145.8 | 203.8 | 204.9 | 130.1 | 190.3 | 148 | 48 | 52.5 | 43.5 | 1,429.40 | | Average precipitation inches | 2.04 | 3.17 | 5.12 | 5.74 | 8.02 | 8.07 | 5.12 | 7.49 | 5.83 | 1.89 | 2.07 | 1.71 | 56.27 | | Average precipitation days | 9.7 | 13.6 | 16.2 | 16 | 17.5 | 15.2 | 10.3 | 12.7 | 11.3 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 144.3 | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 73 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 78 | 80 | 74 | 75 | 73 | 68 | 70 | 70 | 74 | | Monthly Sunshine Hours | 95.5 | 78.9 | 96 | 110.4 | 116.6 | 135.1 | 219.7 | 186.5 | 139.5 | 142.3 | 108.8 | 111.5 | 1,540.80 |

4.2 Hydrology

Fuzhou City is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Min River, with a well-developed river system and extensive water areas within its territory. The Min River flows from northwest to southeast through the central and northern parts of Fujian Province. Near Huaian on Nantai Island in Fuzhou, it splits into two branches (the northern branch is still called the Min River or Bailong River, and the southern branch is called the Wulong River). They converge again at Luoxing Pagoda, then turn northeast. Near Tingjiang in Mawei District, the river divides again (into the Changmen Waterway and Meihua Waterway) and flows around Langqi Island into the Taiwan Strait. Tributaries include the Youxi River, Gutianxi River, and Dazhangxi River. The upstream main and tributary streams generally follow or cut across geological structural lines, often intersecting at right angles to form a grid-like water system. The Min River basin receives abundant precipitation, with a water volume similar to that of the Yellow River basin, ranking seventh in the country.

5. Administrative Divisions

Currently, Fuzhou City administers 6 municipal districts, 1 county-level city, and 6 counties.

• Municipal Districts: Gulou District, Taijiang District, Cangshan District, Mawei District, Jin'an District, Changle District
• County-level City: Fuqing City
• Counties: Minhou County, Pingtan County, Lianjiang County, Luoyuan County, Minqing County, Yongtai County

Additionally, Fuzhou City has established the following administrative management zones: Fuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone (National-level), Fuzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone (National-level), and Fuzhou New Area (National-level).

By administrative division, Fuzhou City comprises 6 municipal districts, 1 county-level city, and 6 counties. Historically referred to as "Five Districts and Eight Counties," it is now commonly called "Six Districts and Six Counties" (Pingtan is actually under direct provincial administration but nominally remains under Fuzhou's jurisdiction). In a narrow sense, Fuzhou City refers to the 5 municipal districts (excluding Changle District), namely Gulou District, Taijiang District, Cangshan District, Jin'an District, and Mawei District. In a broad sense, Fuzhou can refer to the ten counties under the jurisdiction of the former Fuzhou Prefecture during the Qing Dynasty. Besides the entire present-day Fuzhou City, this scope also includes Gutian and Pingnan counties, which are currently under Ningde City's administration, predominantly inhabited by the Fuzhou ethnic group and where the Fuzhou dialect is spoken.

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Including: Ethnic Townships | |-------------------|-------------------|----------------------------|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|--------------------------------| | 350100 | Fuzhou City | Hók-ciŭ Chê | 12,250.72 | 8,291,268 | Gulou District | 350000 | 45 | 97 | 39 | 2 | | 350102 | Gulou District | Gū-làu Kṳ̆ | 35.43 | 669,090 | Dongjie Subdistrict | 350000 | 9 | 1 | | | | 350103 | Taijiang District | Dài-gĕ̤ng Kṳ̆ | 17.09 | 411,819 | Houzhou Subdistrict | 350000 | 10 | | | | | 350104 | Cangshan District | Chŏng-săng Kṳ̆ | 146.24 | 1,142,991 | Jinshan Subdistrict | 350000 | 8 | 5 | | | | 350105 | Mawei District | Mā-muōi Kṳ̆ | 275.58 | 290,554 | Luoxing Subdistrict | 350000 | 1 | 3 | | | | 350111 | Jin'an District | Céng-ăng Kṳ̆ | 551.69 | 789,775 | Yuefeng Town | 350000 | 3 | 4 | 2 | | | 350112 | Changle District | Diòng-lŏ̤h Kṳ̆ | 728.29 | 790,262 | Wenwusha Subdistrict| 350200 | 5 | 11 | 2 | | | 350121 | Minhou County | Mìng-âu Ngâing | 2,126.24 | 988,200 | Ganzhe Subdistrict | 350100 | 1 | 8 | 6 | | | 350122 | Lianjiang County | Lièng-gŏng Ngâing | 1,254.69 | 639,498 | Fengcheng Town | 350500 | | 19 | 4 | 1 | | 350123 | Luoyuan County | Lò̤-nguòng Ngâing | 1,100.26 | 255,214 | Fengshan Town | 350600 | | 6 | 5 | 1 | | 350124 | Minqing County | Mìng-chiăng Ngâing | 1,494.34 | 256,181 | Meicheng Town | 350800 | | 11 | 5 | | | 350125 | Yongtai County | Īng-tái Ngâing | 2,229.02 | 281,216 | Zhangcheng Town | 350700 | | 9 | 12 | | | 350128 | Pingtan County | Bìng-tàng Ngâing | 392.92 | 385,981 | Haitan Subdistrict | 350400 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | 350181 | Fuqing City | Hók-chiăng Chê | 1,898.93 | 1,390,487 | Yuping Subdistrict | 350300 | 7 | 17 | | |

6. Economy

6.1 Overview

Before the mid-20th century, Fuzhou's economy was primarily agricultural. In the latter half of the 20th century, industry gradually surpassed agriculture to become the largest sector. Starting from the 1980s, Fuzhou's economy entered a period of rapid development. In 2008, the primary industry accounted for 10.3% of Fuzhou's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the secondary industry for 47.4%, and the tertiary industry for 42.3%. In 2009, the proportion of the tertiary industry exceeded that of the secondary industry for the first time. Fuzhou's economy is currently in a growth phase. In 2015, the GDP was 561.8 billion yuan, with an annual growth rate of 9.6%. The per capita GDP was 75,300 yuan, and the officially announced urban unemployment rate was 2.4%. Fuzhou's economy focuses on six key pillar industries: aquatic products, light and textile industries, machinery industry, electronic information industry, real estate and construction materials industry, and tourism. Due to a large number of overseas emigrants, remittances and private finance in Fuzhou are very prosperous. With substantial injections of overseas remittances and capital, small and medium-sized private enterprises in Fuzhou are relatively developed, mainly concentrated in Changle and Fuqing, with textiles and steel being the pillar industries of these private enterprises. After the State Council of China issued a resolution in 2009 supporting the development of the West Coast Economic Zone of the Taiwan Strait, it further stimulated Fuzhou's economic development and heated up the real estate market.

6.2 Agriculture

From ancient times to the modern era, agriculture was long the economic pillar of Fuzhou. Although Fuzhou's warm and humid climate is suitable for crop growth, the large population and limited arable land have always been a major challenge for its agriculture. By the latter half of the 20th century, as Fuzhou's economy transformed, although the output value of the primary industry continued to rise, its share in the GDP consistently declined. In 2012, Fuzhou's agricultural output value was 62.49 billion yuan, accounting for 8.7% of the city's GDP. Fuzhou's marine fisheries and aquaculture are quite developed, constituting the absolute pillar of its agriculture, accounting for 56% of the city's total agricultural output value in 2012. Fuzhou is also Asia's largest breeding base for mudskippers and an important production area for large yellow croaker and eel, with local Japanese eel production accounting for one-fifth of the world's total. Sideline agricultural production is also significant; jasmine, edible fungi, olives, tangerines, ornamental flowers, and tea are among Fuzhou's most important agricultural by-products. Jasmine tea, originally produced in Fuzhou, is an important agricultural product, but it has faced decline since the 21st century. The Fuzhou Jasmine and Tea Culture System has been designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. Fuzhou is the largest goldfish breeding base in China, producing about 80% of the country's high-end goldfish annually, earning it the title "Goldfish Capital of China."

Fuzhou's animal husbandry mainly focuses on pigs and poultry. In 2001, the total production of pork, poultry meat, and eggs in Fuzhou accounted for about 89% of livestock and poultry products. In 2016, the city had a stock of 1.0095 million pigs and 9.9438 million poultry. Fuzhou originally had local pig breeds, the Fuzhou Black Pig and Pingtan Black Pig, but both are now extinct.

6.3 Industry

Industry now dominates Fuzhou's economy. In 2012, the industrial output value was 635.325 billion yuan, accounting for 45.5% of the city's GDP. Fuzhou's modern industry began in the late Qing Dynasty. In 1866, the Qing government introduced Western hardware, technology, and talent to build the Mawei Shipyard in Fuzhou's Mawei Port, the first professional machine shipyard in modern China and one of the most advanced shipyards in the Far East at the time. However, by the Republican era, Fuzhou's industrial foundation had become weak. At the founding of the People's Republic of China, industry accounted for only 13.6% of Fuzhou's GDP. From the 1950s to the late 1970s, Fuzhou's industry developed slowly, primarily managed through a planned economy. It began large-scale development after the 1980s. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Fuzhou's industry had formed a structure with light and textile, electronics, machinery, and chemicals as its pillar industries. Currently, Fuzhou's industrial output value ranks second in Fujian Province. It is home to large enterprises such as Soueast Motor, TPV Technology, Star-net Ruijie, Newland Group, and Fuyao Glass, making it one of the most important display production bases in China and Asia. Regionally, Fuzhou's urban area and the coastal regions of Fuqing and Changle are more economically developed than other parts of Fuzhou. High-tech industries are mainly concentrated in areas like the Fuzhou Software Park in the urban area, while automotive and machinery industries are located in Minhou, Fuqing, etc. Key industrial zones and investment zones under construction in the early 21st century include the Jinshan Industrial Zone and Software Park in Fuzhou's urban area; the Jiangyin Industrial Zone and Yuanhong Investment Zone in Fuqing; the Qingkou Investment Zone in Minhou; the Binhai Industrial Zone in Changle; and the Luoyuan Bay Industrial Zone in Luoyuan and Lianjiang.

Since the reform and opening-up, Fuzhou's electronics industry long held a dominant position until it lost its sole dominance around 2007 after entering a downturn. Its output value accounted for 18.4% of Fuzhou's total industrial output in 2008. Fuzhou is one of China's important production bases for large-screen liquid crystal displays. In recent years, companies like TPV Technology and Chunghwa Picture Tubes in Fuzhou have been adjusting their industrial structure to accelerate the development of LCDs. In 2004, TPV Technology surpassed Samsung Electronics to become the world's largest display manufacturer. Private enterprises in places like Changle play an important role in the light and textile industry, with the United States, the European Union, and Southeast Asia being major export destinations. The emerging metallurgical industry, dominated by private enterprises, has also become a major leading sector. Recently, Fuzhou has launched a number of key industrial projects, including the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant, Daimler Automotive, Desheng Nickel Industry, Huadong Shipbuilding, Qingkou Magnesium Alloy, Chalco Ruimin High-Precision Aluminum Strip, and TPV Technology's LCD TV production line.

As Fujian Province has no oil or natural gas reserves, scarce coal, but relatively abundant hydropower resources, Fuzhou's electricity supply has long been dominated by hydropower, and power shortages have been severe. Thermal power plants began construction in the 1980s, while wind and tidal power generation were also developed. Currently, thermal power accounts for over 60% of Fuzhou's electricity consumption. Energy shortages due to economic development remain serious, and energy still relies on imports from other provinces. Therefore, Fuzhou is building power plants on a large scale, planning to form an energy base with complementary sources including thermal, hydro, wind, liquefied natural gas, and nuclear power. The Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant, which started construction on November 21, 2008, began operation on December 22, 2014.

6.4 Commerce

Fuzhou's main commercial areas include Dongjiekou in Gulou District and Zhongting Street in Taijiang District, which are traditional commercial hubs. In recent years, the MixC Plaza and Baolong City Plaza area near the intersection of West Second Ring South Road and Gongye Road has emerged as the Baolong commercial circle, along with the Wusi Road commercial and financial center in the northern part of the city. In the established commercial district of Taijiang, local development has begun on the Taixi Central Business District (CBD), planning to create a financial street and landmark buildings. Xinhua Du Shopping Plaza, under the Xinhua Du Industrial Group owned by Fujian's richest person, Chen Fashu, has multiple stores locally. The local large department store group, Dongbai Group, owns commercial projects such as Dongbai Center, Dongbai Aegean Sea Store, Dongbai Youpincheng Yuanhong Store, Dongbai City Yongjia Tiandi Store, and Dongbai Sports Life City.

The local Yonghui Supermarket rose to prominence around 2000,顺应ing the wave of "transforming wet markets into supermarkets." It has nearly 100 branches in Fuzhou and has developed in recent years into a typical case of fresh food supermarkets in China, with outlets spread across multiple provinces and cities. Foreign-funded supermarkets in Fuzhou mainly include Walmart, Sam's Club, IKEA, and Metro, which focuses on bulk wholesale. In the catering industry, Juchunyuan, Lao Fuzhou, Antai Lou, and Wangda Snack Shop serve relatively authentic Fuzhou cuisine. Dalijia City is Fuzhou's main market for electronic consumer products.

6.5 Tourism

Fuzhou has designated tourism as a pillar industry for development. In 2012, total tourism revenue was 55.012 billion yuan, accounting for 13.0% of Fuzhou's GDP that year (421.829 billion yuan). It received 31.074 million domestic tourists and 851,000 international tourists, with tourism foreign exchange income reaching $1.3 billion, ranking 10th among Chinese cities. Fuzhou was listed in the second batch of National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities in 1986. Its tourism resources mainly lie in the cultural landscapes derived from its profound historical and cultural积淀 and the natural landscapes brought by its geography of mountains meeting the sea, such as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Drum Mountain, and the Longwangtou Beach on Pingtan Haitan Island.

7. Transportation

In ancient times, due to Fuzhou being surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea to the east, land transportation to the Central Plains was extremely difficult. Therefore, the common route was to travel upstream along the Min River within the territory and then proceed by land to the Central Plains, while the eastern sea route was relatively unobstructed.

7.1 Aviation

There are currently three airports within Fuzhou: Fuzhou Yixu Airport, Fuzhou Changle International Airport, and Fuzhou Fuqing Longtian Airport. Yixu Airport is located on Nantai Island in Cangshan District. After Changle International Airport became operational, it was retained solely for military use. Fuzhou Changle International Airport is located 45 kilometers from the city center on the eastern coastline of Changle District. It was the first airport in China funded entirely by local government resources and serves as a hub for Fuzhou Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and Chengdu Airlines. Fuzhou Fuqing Longtian Airport is situated in Longtian Town, Fuqing City, approximately 4.3 kilometers southeast of the town center. Construction began in March 1955, and it was completed in April the following year. The runway is made of reinforced concrete, and the airport is equipped with communication, navigation, and other support facilities. It covers an area of 3,413 mu, totaling 2.2754 million square meters. Located on a coastal promontory, Longtian Airport was one of the mainland's forward airfields closest to Taiwan, serving as an outpost airbase shielding Fuzhou. After the Air Force aviation units entered Fujian in 1958, rotating combat units were stationed there and engaged in multiple air battles with the Kuomintang Air Force. The airport is currently decommissioned. Additionally, there is one airport runway in Langqi Town, Mawei District, Fuzhou City.

7.2 Railway

Fuzhou is one of the 19 national comprehensive railway hubs announced in the "Medium and Long-term Railway Network Plan" revised by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2016. Its main stations consist of Fuzhou Station and Fuzhou South Station. Currently, these two stations are key stops on several railway lines, including the China State Railway Group (CR) Fengfu Railway, CR Fuma Railway, CR Wenfu Railway, and CR Fuxia Railway. The CR Changfu Railway, opened in September 2013, also connects to the Fuzhou hub via the Yongpu Railway branching from Yongtai Station, i.e., the Fuzhou Connection Line of the Changfu Railway.

The CR Hefei-Fuzhou Passenger Dedicated Line, part of the CR Beijing-Fuzhou High-Speed Railway, also commenced operation in the summer of 2015. Additionally, the CR Fuzhou-Xiamen Passenger Dedicated Line opened for service in September 2023.

7.3 Highway

As of the end of 2021, the total highway mileage in Fuzhou City was 11,570 kilometers, including 764 kilometers of expressways. The highway density is 104.9 kilometers per hundred square kilometers. The operational highways include:

7.3.1 National Expressways

• G3 Beijing–Taipei Expressway
• G15 Shenyang–Haikou Expressway
• G1505 Fuzhou Ring Expressway (Northwest Section, Southeast Section)
• G1517 Putian–Yanping Expressway
• G1523 Ningbo–Dongguan Expressway
• G70 Fuzhou–Yinchuan Expressway

7.3.2 Provincial Expressways

• S11 Fuzhou–Xiamen Expressway
• S51 Fuzhou Connection Line
• S52 Fuzhou South Connection Line
• S53 Yuping Expressway
• S81 Fuzhou Airport Expressway

7.3.3 National Highways

• G104
• G228
• G316, G324, G355
• G534, G639

7.3.4 Provincial Highways

• S207, S209, S211, S213
• S308, S310
• S501, S502

7.3.5 Urban Expressways

Second Ring Road, Third Ring Road

7.4 Shipping

Regarding maritime transport, Fuzhou Port now primarily consists of the Luoyuan Bay Port Area, the Minjiang Estuary Inner Port Area, the Changle Songxia Port Area, and the Fuqing Jiangyin Port Area. Among these, the Minjiang Estuary Inner Port Area, comprising the Taijiang Port Area and the Mawei Port Area, is an inland river port, while the other three are seaports. Fuzhou Port currently operates 17 international shipping routes, connecting with over 40 countries and regions including Europe, America, Japan, and Singapore. It has regular cargo liner services to Japan and Hong Kong, and regular passenger liner services to Shanghai, Putuoshan, and Hong Kong. Additionally, it operates four direct passenger routes across the Taiwan Strait within controlled zones: the "Two Ma" route (Mawei Langqi – Matsu Fu'ao), Lianjiang Huangqi – Matsu Baisha, Pingtan – Taipei, and Pingtan – Taichung.

7.5 Public Transportation

7.5.1 Bus

As of the end of 2021, urban bus services in Fuzhou City are operated by three companies: Fuzhou Public Transport, Kangchi New Bus, and Minyun Fuzhou Public Transport. The fleet comprises 6,383 buses operating on 523 routes, with public transportation accounting for 45.09% of travel share. Fuzhou Public Transport Group also operates several minibus routes within the city known as "Urban-Rural Buses," while Minyun Bus operates routes throughout all counties, cities, and districts of Fuzhou.

7.5.2 Metro

On June 3, 2009, the Fuzhou Metro plan was approved, outlining the construction of multiple urban rail transit lines. On May 18, 2016, the southern section of Fuzhou Metro Line 1 Phase I (Sanchajie to Fuzhou South Railway Station) opened for operation, becoming the first urban rail transit line in Fujian Province. As of September 2023, Fuzhou Metro has opened 5 urban rail transit lines with an operational mileage of 143.5 kilometers.

The contactless IC card named "Rongcheng Tong" is widely used on all public buses and rail transit in Fuzhou, offering fare discounts and transfer concessions.

7.5.3 Taxi

In Fuzhou's urban area, the taxi flag-fall fare is 10 yuan for the first 3 kilometers, after which the fare is 2 yuan per kilometer. When waiting or traveling at speeds below 12 km/h, an additional 2 yuan is charged every 5 minutes. For one-way trips exceeding 8 kilometers, an extra 1 yuan per kilometer is added as a deadhead fee. During nighttime hours (23:00–05:00), an additional 0.40 yuan per kilometer is charged as a night subsidy. Toll fees for bridges, highways, and other facilities passed during the journey are borne by the passenger.

7.5.4 Bridges

Currently, there are 26 river-crossing bridges in Fuzhou's urban area. Among them, 14 span the Min River, listed from west to east as:

• Huaian Bridge, Hongshan Bridge, Jinshan Bridge, Youxizhou Bridge, Sanxianzhou Bridge, Jiefang Bridge, Minjiang Bridge, Kuipu Bridge, Fuping Railway Minjiang Bridge, Fuxia Railway Minjiang Bridge, Sanjiangkou Bridge, Qingzhou Bridge. Twelve bridges span the Wulong River, listed from west to east as:
• Hongtang Bridge, Juyuanzhou Bridge, Pushang Bridge, Wanbian Bridge, Luozhou Bridge, Fuxia Railway Wulongjiang Bridge, Fuping Railway Wulongjiang Bridge, Fuzhou-Xiamen Passenger Dedicated Line Wulongjiang Bridge, Wulongjiang Bridge, Wulongjiang Bridge Duplicate Line Bridge, Wulongjiang Bridge, Daoqingzhou Bridge.

8. Education

Fuzhou's cultural education began to flourish in the mid-Tang Dynasty during the 8th century. Promoted by the Min Kingdom during the Five Dynasties period, it reached its peak in the Song Dynasty, with Confucianism and the imperial examination system highly developed, a prosperity that endured thereafter. Throughout successive dynasties, Fuzhou produced over 4,100 jinshi (the highest number nationwide) and more than 40 top scholars in both civil and military examinations (counting by Fuzhou Prefecture, the total ranks second nationally after Suzhou Prefecture, while the per capita number is first in the country). In the late Qing Dynasty, Fuzhou became a key center for Western-style schools established by European and American missionaries and for new-style schools founded by the Qing government. Transforming from a major imperial examination hub into a stronghold of modern education, it emerged as a crucial location for the development of new technologies and ideas in modern China, producing a large number of renowned scholars, officials, naval commanders, and others. This educational vitality continued through the Republic of China era to the present day. By 2022, Fuzhou natives who are academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering numbered as many as 74. Consequently, Fuzhou is one of the most culturally and educationally advanced cities in China.

8.1 Ancient Education

Ancient Fuzhou's government-run educational institutions operated at two levels: prefectural schools (or state schools) and county schools. In addition, there were numerous academies (shuyuan), as well as village schools, charitable schools, tutorial halls, and private schools. The Fuzhou Prefectural School was established during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty and, since the Taiping Xingguo period of the Northern Song Dynasty, has been located within the Fuzhou Confucian Temple. During the golden age of the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi visited Fuzhou ten times to lecture and founded academies. At that time, Fuzhou's academies included Sanshan Academy, Zhuozhai Academy, Lianjiang Academy, Zhulin Academy, and others. In the Ming Dynasty, Fuzhou Prefecture had 20 academies, which increased to 23 by the Qing Dynasty. The four most influential academies in Qing Dynasty Fuzhou were Aofeng Academy, Fengchi Academy, Zhengyi Academy, and Zhiyong Academy, collectively known as the Four Great Academies of Fuzhou.

8.2 Modern Education

The main building of today's Fujian Normal University, formerly the site of Hwa Nan College After Fuzhou became a treaty port in the late Qing Dynasty, it became one of the earliest cities in China to establish modern education. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions established an affiliated school at the church on Baofu Mountain (i.e., Jixiang Mountain) in 1848, which was Fuzhou's earliest new-style school. Subsequently, church-affiliated middle schools such as Wenshan Girls' School, Tao Shu Girls' School, Hwa Nan Girls' Middle School, and Ho Ling Ying Hua College were established one after another, their influence growing daily. They provided educational opportunities for a large number of women in Fuzhou, and the student demographics of these missionary schools evolved from being primarily from the middle and lower social strata in the early days to predominantly from the middle and upper classes during the Republic of China era. In 1866, the government established the Foochow Arsenal Academy in Fuzhou. Additionally, various government-run new-style primary and secondary schools, as well as specialized schools, were successively established. Privately-run foreign language tutorial schools also emerged in response to the times, and kindergartens appeared in Fuzhou during the late Qing Dynasty. Many famous modern and contemporary scholars, officials, and public figures graduated from Fuzhou's missionary schools or government-run new-style schools. The new-style education posed a significant challenge to the old-style schools, but the latter still retained some influence until the end of the Qing Dynasty. Higher education in Fuzhou began with the establishment of the Quanmin College in 1902. By 1911, on the eve of the Qing Dynasty's end, Fuzhou had five institutions of higher learning, including missionary universities: Quanmin Higher College, Fujian Advanced Normal School, Fujian Government-run School of Law and Politics, Hua Ying Girls' College, and the Private Fujian School of Law and Politics. During the Republic of China period, Fuzhou had a total of seven higher education institutions: Fukien Christian University, Hwa Nan College, Private Fujian College, Fujian Provincial Medical College, Fujian Provincial Agricultural College, Fujian National College of Music, and Fujian Provincial Normal College.

8.3 Contemporary Education

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, from 1950 to 1952, Fuzhou's secondary schools and institutions of higher education underwent mergers and adjustments, with private schools and missionary schools being abolished. Ho Ling Ying Hua Middle School, Private Hwa Nan Girls' High School, and Tao Shu Girls' School merged to form Fuzhou No. 2 Middle School, later renamed the Affiliated High School of Fujian Normal University; Wenshan Girls' School merged into Fuzhou No. 8 Middle School; and Gezhi Middle School merged into Fuzhou No. 5 Middle School. In 1951, Hwa Nan College, Private Fukien Christian University, and other institutions merged to form Fuzhou University. In 1953, it was renamed Fujian Normal College, and after resuming operations in 1972, it was renamed Fujian Normal University. Fuzhou University was founded in Fuzhou in 1958. Fujian Agricultural College moved back to Fuzhou in 1983 and merged with Fujian Forestry College in 2000 to form Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University. "Fu, Shi, Nong" (Fuzhou University, Fujian Normal University, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University) are collectively known as Fuzhou's three major universities.

According to statistics from the early 21st century, Fuzhou City had a total of 31 institutions of higher education, with a combined student enrollment of 135,239. Currently, famous middle schools in Fuzhou include Fuzhou No. 1 Middle School, Fuzhou No. 2 Middle School, Fuzhou No. 3 Middle School, Fuzhou No. 4 Middle School, Fuzhou Gezhi Middle School, Fuzhou No. 8 Middle School, the Affiliated High School of Fujian Normal University, and Fuzhou Senior High School. Fuzhou currently hosts a branch campus of a key university directly under the Ministry of Education—Tianjin University Fuzhou International Joint College. Local important universities include Fuzhou University, Fujian Normal University, Fujian Medical University, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Technology, Minjiang University, and others. The Fuzhou University Town on the south bank of the Wulong River was built in the early 21st century, with the main campuses of several Fuzhou universities located within it.

9. Population

As of the end of 2021, Fuzhou had a permanent resident population of 8.42 million, with an urbanization rate of 73%; the registered household population at year-end was 7.2336 million; and the permanent resident population in the urban districts was 4.156 million. In 2021, the number of births was 63,000, with a birth rate of 8.82‰; the number of deaths was 35,000, with a death rate of 4.88‰; resulting in a natural growth rate of 3.94‰. Throughout the year, 147,700 new urban jobs were created. A total of 5,075 people with employment difficulties found re-employment, and 40,485 unemployed persons were re-employed. The year-end urban registered unemployment rate was 3.16%, an increase of 0.16 percentage points from the end of the previous year. The annual consumer price index for residents rose by 0.6% compared to the previous year.

As of the end of 2022, Fuzhou's permanent resident population was 8.448 million, an increase of 28,000 from the end of the previous year. Among them, the urban permanent resident population was 6.19 million, accounting for 73.27% of the total population (the urbanization rate of the permanent resident population), an increase of 0.27 percentage points from the end of the previous year. The annual population birth rate was 7.38‰, the death rate was 3.39‰, and the natural growth rate was 3.99‰. The registered household population at year-end was 7.2884 million, an increase of 54,800 from the end of the previous year. Throughout the year, 144,500 new urban jobs were created. A total of 4,877 people with employment difficulties found re-employment, and 42,776 unemployed persons were re-employed.

The local residents of Fuzhou are primarily the Fuzhou ethnic group, which also includes the Fuzhou Tanka people officially recognized as Han Chinese, as well as ethnic minorities such as the She and Manchu peoples. According to official statistics, the overseas population of Fuzhou origin exceeds 3 million, and there are also 800,000 people of Fuzhou ethnicity distributed in Taiwan.

Since the late 20th century, Fuzhou's rapid economic development has generated substantial labor demand, leading to a large influx of migrant workers from other parts of Fujian Province and other provinces coming to Fuzhou for employment. In the early 21st century, Fuzhou's migrant population was 447,400, primarily concentrated in the urban districts, accounting for about 7% of the total population. Most were laborers who came to Fuzhou for work, with roughly half from within Fujian Province and half from other provinces. Migrant laborers from other provinces mainly came from Sichuan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, Zhejiang, and Guizhou. Over 60% of migrant laborers were engaged in industries such as manufacturing and construction. The migrant population has filled the labor demand generated by Fuzhou's economic development and has played a positive role in promoting the economy.

9.1. Ethnic Groups

The population of Fuzhou is predominantly Han Chinese (mainly consisting of the Fuzhou Min people, along with Southern Min and Xinghua Min subgroups). Ethnic minorities include the She, Manchu, Hui, and others. The Han Chinese in Fuzhou are mostly indigenous Fuzhou people, belonging to one branch of the Min people. Their native language is the Fuzhou dialect, part of the Eastern Min subgroup of the Min language, and they possess their own unique culture and customs. The Fuzhou Tanka people are considered part of the Han Chinese in China's ethnic identification, but they traditionally lived their entire lives on boats and were historically discriminated against by land-dwelling Han Chinese. They began moving ashore in large numbers since the Republican era, and by the 21st century, the vast majority have settled on land. The She people are the most numerous and primary ethnic minority in Fuzhou, mainly distributed in the mountainous areas of Luoyuan and Lianjiang counties, with the most concentrated populations in Huokou She Ethnic Township in Luoyuan and Xiaocang She Ethnic Township in Lianjiang. The distinctive attire of She women in Fuzhou includes the "phoenix head bun" and "phoenix crown." The phoenix head bun involves wrapping red yarn around braids coiled on the head, while the phoenix crown is often made of silver and is now rarely seen. The Manchu people in Fuzhou are mostly descendants of Manchu soldiers stationed in Fuzhou during the Qing Dynasty. Qinqiang Village in Changle District is the only Manchu ethnic village in Fuzhou.

10. Religion

The residents of Fuzhou practice a diverse range of religions, including Buddhism, Taoism, Protestantism and Catholicism of Christianity, Islam, and others. Among these, Buddhism and Taoism have the largest number of adherents. Influenced by traditional Confucian thought, ancestor worship and worship of the Earth Deity (foundation deity) are very common among Fuzhou people, with many households maintaining ancestral and Earth Deity tablets.

Taoism and Buddhism are the two most widely practiced religions in Fuzhou, with most locals adhering to both. This is especially true given the prevalence of various local deities across different regions of Fuzhou. Mazu and Lin Shui Furen (Lady Linshui) are the most important deities in Fuzhou. Other local deities, such as Wuyi Wang, Minyue Wang, Baima Wang, Kaimin Wang, Weiwu Wang, Dong Zhenjun, Xu Zhenjun, Koubing Zushi, Fazhu Zhenjun, Wufu Wangye, Yide Furen, Pei Zhenjun, and Zhaotian Jun, which have evolved since the Minyue era, are also highly revered in Fuzhou. Taoism in Fuzhou began in the 3rd century AD. During the Five Dynasties period in the 10th century, Fuzhou became the center of the Lüshan sect, leading to a significant flourishing of Taoism. Originating in the area from Fuzhou to Gutian (which historically belonged to the ten counties of Fuzhou), Lüshan Taoism integrates ancient Minyue shamanism with Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian elements introduced to Fuzhou since the Sui and Tang dynasties, forming a unique Taoist school that remains influential both domestically and internationally. Although Taoism was suppressed by the imperial court during the Qing dynasty, it continued to thrive in Fuzhou by blending with folk religions. The variety of deities in folk beliefs is extensive, with many communities and villages having their own unique local gods. It is estimated that there are over a hundred different deities worshipped across Fuzhou, including the typical banyan tree worship, such as that of Zhaotian Jun.

Buddhism also holds a significant position in Fuzhou. It was introduced during the Wei and Jin dynasties, and by the Tang dynasty, notable Chan (Zen) masters like Baizhang Huaihai and Huangbo Xiyun had emerged in Fuzhou. Buddhism flourished greatly in Fuzhou during the Song dynasty, declined briefly in the late Ming dynasty, and revived during the Qing dynasty, spreading from Fuzhou to Japan and Southeast Asia. Fuzhou’s Yongquan Temple and Xichan Temple have branch monasteries in Southeast Asia, while Japan’s Ōbaku school of Zen Buddhism originated from Wanfu Temple on Huangbo Mountain in Fuqing.

Regarding Christianity, Roman Catholicism is referred to as "Fengjiao" by Fuzhou locals. Official statistics from 1994 indicate that there were over 200,000 Catholics in Fuzhou. Catholicism was introduced to Fuzhou by Jesuit missionary Giulio Aleni in late 1624. However, during the prohibition period from 1720 to 1842, Catholicism in Fuzhou was forced underground until its restoration in 1846. Before 1949, the clergy in Fuzhou were predominantly Spanish.

Protestantism was introduced to Fuzhou in 1847 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), followed by the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church. This made Fuzhou a key center for Protestantism in China. From the late Qing dynasty to the Republic of China era, Protestant churches in Fuzhou established many modern schools and hospitals, developed the Romanized Fuzhou dialect script (Bàng-uâ-cê), and promoted it in missionary schools. After the Chinese Communist Party took control of Fuzhou, Protestant churches were significantly impacted by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Later, house church activities became more prevalent. According to incomplete statistics, there are approximately 750,000 to 800,000 Protestant Christians in Fuzhou.

Islam has historically had a smaller presence in Fuzhou. Legend has it that the first mosque in Fuzhou, said to have been built in 628 (though this date is unreliable), fell into disrepair and was not rebuilt until 1474, becoming today’s Fuzhou Mosque. Due to the small Muslim population, Islam in Fuzhou was sustained during the Qing dynasty by Muslim officials from other provinces. Currently, most Muslims in Fuzhou also originate from outside the province.

11. Culture

Mindū culture, as a branch of Min culture, possesses strong ethnic and regional characteristics. While inheriting the broad framework of traditional Chinese culture and customs, it has also developed its own unique language, customs, festivals, architecture, art, and collective cultural character. Since the Jin Dynasty, especially following significant migrations from the north during the late Tang period, ancient and medieval Central Plains culture was brought to Fuzhou. This merged with the partially assimilated indigenous Minyue culture, which had been marginalized. The combination of these two, developing under relatively isolated natural and historical geographical conditions, gave rise to the distinctly ethnic Mindū culture. It shares certain commonalities and intermingles with other branch cultures of the Min ethnic group, yet simultaneously possesses its own unique regional cultural system.

11.1 Traditional Opera and Music

Fuzhou boasts a variety of local theatrical genres, narrative singing forms, and folk music styles. Their circulation is primarily within the Fuzhou Ten Counties region, predominantly inhabited by the Fuzhou ethnic group, as well as in overseas Fuzhou communities. More influential genres like Min Opera have also spread to some surrounding areas. Min Opera is the most prominent local theater in Fuzhou, also known as Fuzhou Opera. It is a theatrical form sung and recited in the Fuzhou dialect, popular in the Mindong region centered around Fuzhou City. The music and vocal melodies of Min Opera consist of six parts: "Dòu Qiāng", "Jiānghú", "Yánggē", "Xiǎodiào", "Luóluo", and "Bǎngē", collectively known as "Róng Qiāng" (sometimes also called "Mǐn Qiāng" or "Mǐn Yīn"). The traditional orchestra comprises seven musicians, commonly called the "Seven Chairs". Main wind and string instruments include the hengxiao (horizontal flute), suona, touguan, erhu, and yehu (coconut shell fiddle). Percussion instruments include the qinggu, zhangu (war drum), large and small gongs, large and small cymbals, and qing (sonorous stone). In modern times, Min Opera roles are categorized into the "Twelve Roles": young male (xiaosheng), old male (laosheng), martial male (wusheng), young female (qingyi), flower female (huadan), old female (laodan), painted face (dahua), second painted face (erhua), third painted face (sanhua), supporting female (tie), supporting male (mo), and miscellaneous (za). Ten Fan Music is a typical Fuzhou traditional folk music, emerging during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty and popular in the Fuzhou region as well as parts of Ningde and Nanping. Ten Fan Music uses 13 types of instruments and has over 100 musical pieces. Performance forms are divided into seated, marching, and dance performances; by performance space, they are categorized into indoor and outdoor, with indoor further divided into the front hall dominated by metal and leather instruments and the rear hall dominated by silk and bamboo instruments. Ten Fan Music is also listed among the first batch of China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Pinghua is a storytelling form using the Fuzhou dialect, popular in the Fuzhou Ten Counties area. It formed in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, with Liu Jingting considered its founding master. Before the mid-20th century, it was often performed in Pinghua halls, and the earliest traditional Fuzhou dialect scripts date back to the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty. Cháyi is a Fuzhou folk narrative singing art focused on vocal performance, earlier called cháchàng. It originated from the variety performances of the Tang and Song dynasties, formed approximately 400 years ago, and is popular in the Fuzhou Ten Counties region. Its instruments are primarily string and wind, with the hexagonal fiddle (liujiaohu) as the main string. Its vocal style is similar to Min Opera, but the lyrics and melodies are more通俗 (colloquial). The Fuzhou Tanka people have also developed their own unique folk songs—Fuzhou Tanka Fishermen's Songs, sung in the Fuzhou dialect, broadly divided into two forms: "Pán Shī" (poetry dialogue) and "Chàng Hènián Gē" (singing New Year greetings). The former is a male-female antiphonal singing, while the latter are New Year songs sung by the Tanka when they come ashore during the first lunar month to ask for rice cakes (guo). Fuzhou Tanka Fishermen's Songs have, to some extent, influenced Fuzhou folk ballads and are also a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage of Fujian Province. The traditional narrative folk art of the Fuzhou She ethnic group is She Songs. The long narrative songs within She Songs cover the history of the She people themselves as well as Han Chinese history. The She people also have a folk song antiphonal singing tradition called "Pán Shī". In contemporary times, Fuzhou's traditional opera and music face severe challenges such as declining audiences and a lack of succession between generations. Fuzhou's artistic community and local government are striving to implement rescue efforts through various means. In 2007, the Fuzhou Pinghua "Gan Guobao" was adapted into an anime format to attract younger viewers, promoted on various occasions, achieving a certain degree of success.

11.2 Arts and Crafts

Fuzhou's arts and crafts also possess strong regional characteristics. Bodiless lacquerware, Shoushan stone carving, cork painting, horn combs, and oil-paper umbrellas are all Fuzhou specialty crafts. Fuzhou Bodiless Lacquerware is one of China's Geographical Indication products. Along with Beijing cloisonné and Jiangxi Jingdezhen porcelain, it is known as one of the "Three Treasures" of Chinese traditional crafts. Bodiless lacquerware was invented by Shen Shao'an during the Qing Dynasty, building upon the Han and Tang dynasty jiazhu (lacquer-cloth) technique. Its production methods are divided into two types: bodiless, using clay, plaster, or wooden molds as the base, and wood-bodied, using hardwoods like nan, camphor, or zelkova as the material. It features bright colors and a sturdy yet lightweight texture. During the late Qing and early Republic of China periods, Shen family lacquerware repeatedly won gold medals at international expositions. Shoushan Stone Carving is a craft product carved from Shoushan stone found around Shoushan Village in Shoushan Township, north of Fuzhou. It is categorized into three major types—field pit, water pit, and mountain pit—with over 100 varieties. Its history can be traced back at least to the Southern Dynasties period in the 5th century AD. Shoushan stone exhibits bright colors ranging from white to multi-colored, with a rich luster. Carving themes encompass figures, animals, landscapes, flowers and fruits, and antique-style vessels. It is one of Fuzhou's most important and regionally distinctive crafts, also a treasure among Chinese stone carvings. Works carved from Furong stone, a type of Shoushan stone, are considered the finest among stone carvings. Fuzhou Horn Combs are made from water buffalo horn, cattle horn, or sheep horn. Their origin dates no later than the Song Dynasty. They are daily-use items for Fuzhou people, while some exquisitely carved horn combs are also important craft items. Fuzhou Oil-paper Umbrellas are made from bamboo, persimmon oil, tung oil, cotton paper, and paint. Historically widespread in the Fuzhou region, they are beautifully shaped and involve over 80 steps in their production. However, in recent years, the local market for paper umbrellas has sharply declined; currently, almost all Fuzhou paper umbrellas are exported to Japan. Due to the complex manufacturing process and a lack of succession among umbrella-making artisans, Fuzhou paper umbrellas also face the threat of being lost.

11.3 Customs and Practices

11.3.1 Clan Concepts and Ancestor Worship

Due to the long-term influence of Confucianism, clan concepts run deep in Fuzhou, with numerous ancestral halls. Statistics suggest there are over 2,000 ancestral halls in Fuzhou. Ancestor worship also holds significant importance in Fuzhou's social life. Ancestor worship is generally conducted in the main hall of a home or in clan ancestral halls. Ritual details vary among families, as do the frequency and dates of worship each year. More common occasions include the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao), the Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan), and the Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) on the lunar calendar. The "Bànduàn" (mid-festival) activities after the Ghost Festival often accompany ancestor worship and banquets. Clan concepts are also reflected in the spatial arrangement of traditional Fuzhou residences. Within a residential compound, the main rooms of the central hall are occupied by the elders.

11.3.2 Life Rituals

Fuzhou marriage customs require the groom's family to first send betrothal gifts, while the bride's family prepares the dowry. A chamber pot, dressing case, and large foot-washing basin are essential dowry items. Before the formal engagement and the wedding procession, the groom's family must send gifts to the bride's family, who then provide specific return gifts. After the bride is brought to the groom's home, she must kowtow to meet the elders of the groom's family, who in turn give her见面礼 (meeting gifts). In earlier times, brides were often accompanied by a "Bànfáng Mā" (bridal attendant), many of whom were Tanka women. When the first child is born in a family, "Tàipíng Miàn" (noodles of peace) or red-dyed eggs are distributed to relatives and neighbors. The maternal grandparents' family is responsible for preparing baby supplies and gifts. Families often hold banquets when the child reaches one month and one year old. Some families also have the one-year-old child participate in "Zhuāzhōu" (抓周), a ceremony where the child selects from various objects to predict their future. On birthdays, the Fuzhou ethnic group eats "Tàipíng Miàn". Celebrating birthdays with longevity rituals ("做寿") begins from the 50th birthday (according to nominal age). Funerals in the Fuzhou region often require descendants to wear mourning attire: male descendants wear hempen clothes and straw hats, female descendants wear coarse hempen garments, while other relatives wear white cloth around their waists. Traditional funerals also emphasize "Zuò Qī" (doing the sevens), meaning the funeral rites span seven periods of seven days each (49 days total). Buddhists or Taoists often hold rituals at home or invite monks to chant scriptures.

11.3.3 Welcoming and Parading Deities

Fuzhou's folk beliefs have a long history. Closely integrated with Taoism, they have profoundly influenced Fuzhou's social culture and permeated folk customs. Fuzhou has a vast number of various folk deities, and many communities and villages have their own local gods. Every year, grand-scale deity welcoming and parading activities are held throughout Fuzhou. Welcoming and parading deities is an important custom during the lunar New Year period in Fuzhou, often taking place between the 10th and 15th days of the first lunar month. Activities are usually organized by villages or communities, sometimes with several communities jointly welcoming a deity. The specific ritual involves placing the deity's statue into a large sedan chair, which is then carried by people in a procession through the community's streets. Local residents often line the streets to welcome or watch, while devotees burn incense, set off firecrackers, and set out offerings at their doorsteps, hoping the procession will linger longer at their homes. The deity welcoming is often one of the most lively events in a community's year. Besides the New Year period, specific deities have their own unique anniversary days for welcoming. Additionally, some deity welcoming processions also take place before the Ghost Festival.

11.3.4 "Golden Soup" Culture

A hot spring belt is distributed in downtown Fuzhou, and Fuzhou people have a long history of developing the city's hot spring resources, forming a hot spring bathhouse culture known as "Golden Soup Culture". During the Jiayou period of the Northern Song Dynasty, over 40 "official baths" and "public baths" had already been built in Fuzhou. Some place names in Fuzhou city also derive from hot springs, such as "Gǔ Sān Zuò" (Ancient Three Seats) in Gulou District, named after three hot springs built there during the Five Dynasties period. Bathhouses are called "汤池店" (Tŏng-diè-dáing in Fuzhou dialect) by Fuzhou people. Fuzhou people use hot springs for bathing, health preservation, and treating illnesses, while also using hot spring bathhouses as social venues. Thus, bathhouses have become one of the important leisure activities in the lives of Fuzhou people, especially the older generation.### 11.4 Diet Fuzhou cuisine is representative of Min cuisine, one of the eight major Chinese culinary traditions. In terms of ingredient selection, influenced by the subtropical maritime climate, the staple food for Fuzhou people is primarily rice, with a diet rich in fish, shellfish, fruits, and vegetables. In the late 16th century, Chen Zhenlong from Changle smuggled sweet potatoes from Luzon in the Philippines into Fujian, after which sweet potatoes also became an important component of the Fuzhou diet. In terms of flavor, Fuzhou cuisine emphasizes freshness, sourness, sweetness, saltiness, and aroma, with particular attention to the balance of sweet, sour, salty, and mild tastes. Fuzhou cuisine places special importance on soup preparation, renowned for its "one soup, ten variations." Common cooking methods include quick-frying, steaming, stir-frying, stewing, and braising. Distinctive seasonings in Fuzhou cuisine include shrimp oil, shrimp paste, and fermented rice wine lees. Traditional Fuzhou dishes rarely use salt or soy sauce, often substituting them with shrimp oil. Due to its light and umami-focused characteristics, Fuzhou cuisine seldom employs spicy seasonings like chili peppers. Famous dishes in Fuzhou cuisine include Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Red Fermented Rice Wine Chicken, Light Fermented Rice Wine Conch Slices, and Sea Clam in Chicken Soup. The Juchunyuan Restaurant, founded in Fuzhou in 1865, is an important birthplace of modern Fuzhou cuisine. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was first created by Zheng Chunfa, the head chef of Juchunyuan. To this day, Juchunyuan maintains its reputation for authentic Min cuisine. Fuzhou also boasts a wide variety of local snacks, with widely popular and highly esteemed typical Fuzhou snacks including fish balls, flat meat wontons (Bian Rou Yan), Dingbianhu (a type of rice noodle soup), thread noodles, Guangbing (a type of baked cake), pork floss, Ma'er (a fried pastry), Madan (a sweet pastry), peanut soup, and taro paste. Many of these have a long history; for example, Dingbianhu was already prevalent in Fuzhou as early as the early Qing Dynasty. With the overseas migration of Fuzhou people, Fuzhou cuisine has spread to Taiwan, Southeast Asia, the United States, and other regions. In Sitiawan, Malaysia, where many Fuzhou people reside, one can enjoy Guangbing and fish balls, while in New York's Chinatown, snacks like fish balls, flat meat wontons, Dingbianhu, and oyster cakes have been brought by Fuzhou immigrants to street shops.

11.5 Literature and Publishing

Fuzhou literature initially flourished in the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods, with early works focusing primarily on poetry, lyrics, and prose. During the Song Dynasty, renowned poets such as Zhang Yuangan and Zheng Sixiao emerged. In the Ming Dynasty, nine of the "Ten Masters of Minzhong" were from the Fuzhou Prefecture, and notable officials like Zhang Jing and Ye Xianggao also left behind excellent literary works. The local gazetteer Sanshan Zhi (Chronicle of the Three Mountains), compiled by Liang Kejia during the Southern Song Dynasty, is the earliest surviving local gazetteer in Fujian. Its elegant writing style set a standard for early local chronicles. Wang Yingshan's Mindu Ji (Records of the Min Capital) from the Ming Dynasty is a classic Fujian local gazetteer, providing detailed accounts of Fuzhou's history, culture, geography, and customs. In the Ming Dynasty, novels began to appear in Fuzhou. Xu Teng from Min County created classical Chinese historical novels such as The Tale of the Eighteenth Lady and The Tale of Chen Jinfeng, with the latter being the only novel depicting the court of the Min Kingdom in Fuzhou during the Five Dynasties period. During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, the Fuzhou poetess Li Guiyu wrote The Dream of Pomegranate Flowers, the longest tanci (storytelling through singing) novel in Chinese history to date. From the late Qing Dynasty to the modern era, Fuzhou produced both traditional writers like Lin Shu, who used classical Chinese, and modern writers such as Bing Xin, Lu Yin, and Hu Yepin.

Local Fuzhou dialect literature thrived during the Qing Dynasty. In the Qianlong period of the 18th century, an author using the pen name "Liren Heqiu" completed the novel Mindu Bieji (Unofficial Records of the Min Capital), which extensively employs the Fuzhou dialect and records numerous folk tales, unofficial histories of Fujian, customs, and local proverbs. It is one of the most important local literary works in Fuzhou's history. Subsequently, with the spread of Christianity in Fuzhou, many Fuzhou dialect Bibles (such as The Fuzhou Dialect Old and New Testaments) and hymns (e.g., Rongqiang Shengshi or Fuzhou Dialect Hymns) written in Chinese characters appeared. After the invention of the Foochow Romanized script (Pinghua-zi) in the mid-to-late 19th century, Fuzhou dialect Bibles and other Christian-related works written in this script also emerged. Another form of Fuzhou dialect literature is drama, such as Min opera scripts, which are all written in the Fuzhou dialect (using Chinese characters or local Fuzhou vernacular characters). After 1949, the publication of Fuzhou dialect books written in Chinese characters or Foochow Romanized ceased, but the writing of Min opera scripts continued.

The earliest known Fuzhou dialect rhyme dictionary is Qi Canjiang Bayin Ziyi Bianlan from the late Ming Dynasty, later compiled into Qi Lin Bayin during the Qing Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty, Jiading Meiquan Bayin also appeared. After the invention of Foochow Romanized, Christian churches in Fuzhou compiled dictionaries such as Dictionary of the Foochow Dialect and An English-Chinese Dictionary of the Foochow Dialect. During the period of the People's Republic of China, dictionaries like Fuzhou Fangyan Cidian (Fuzhou Dialect Dictionary) edited by Li Rulong and Fuzhou Fangyan Cidian—Xiandai Hanyu Fangyan Da Cidian·Fenjuan (Fuzhou Dialect Dictionary—Volume of the Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects) edited by Feng Aizhen have been published.

11.6 National Intangible Cultural Heritage of China

The following from Fuzhou City have been included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List: Chating Shifan Music, Min Opera, Fuzhou Pinghua (storytelling), Fuzhou Cheyi (folk performing art), Shoushan Stone Carving, Fuzhou Bodiless Lacquerware Decoration Technique, Cork Painting, Juchunyuan Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Making Technique, the Mawei-Matsu Lantern Festival Customs from Mawei District, the Chen Jinggu Belief Customs from Cangshan District, the Liujing Jingluo Gutong Yao (a traditional medicinal preparation) Making Craft from Luoyuan County, and She Ethnic Clothing.

12. Sister Cities

As of June 2022, Fuzhou has established 19 pairs of international sister city relationships with 16 countries.

Changle District of Fuzhou has become a sister city with Des Moines, Washington, USA. Gulou District, Fuqing City, and Minqing County have established friendly exchange city relationships with Sibu, Malaysia. | Country/Region | Sister City | Date Established | |--------------------|-------------------------------|----------------------| | Japan | Nagasaki Prefecture・Nagasaki City | 10/20/80 | | Japan | Okinawa Prefecture・Naha City | 6/20/81 | | USA | New York State・Syracuse City | 8/25/91 | | USA | Washington State・Tacoma City | 11/16/94 | | Brazil | São Paulo State・Campinas City | 11/8/96 | | Australia | New South Wales・Shoalhaven City | 10/15/03 | | Guyana | Georgetown City | 5/17/06 | | Poland | West Pomeranian Voivodeship・Koszalin City | 5/19/07 | | Kenya | Mombasa County | 5/19/08 | | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province・Río Gallegos City | 11/12/14 | | Russia | Omsk Oblast・Omsk City | 5/18/15 | | Indonesia | Central Java Province・Semarang City | 6/2/16 | | Australia | Tasmania・Hobart City | 1/4/17 | | Philippines | Manila City | 12/1/17 | | Belgium | Liège Province・Liège City | 3/1/18 | | Mauritania | Dakhlet Nouadhibou・Nouadhibou | 9/8/18 | | Cambodia | Siem Reap Province・Siem Reap City | 5/18/19 | | Vietnam | Quảng Ninh Province・Hạ Long City | 7/18/21 | | USA | Hawaii・Honolulu City | 10/21/21 |

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No. 96 Wushan Road, Gulou District

Fuqing City

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Banyan tree

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