On July 25, 2021, with the sound of the hammer falling at the deliberation site of the 44th World
Heritage Conference, “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China” officially became the 56th
World Heritage Site in China.
In the world maritime trade network from the 10th to 14th century AD, Quanzhou was one of the highly
prosperous emporiums. As one of the most important windows for the exchanges between China and
the world during the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou demonstrated China’s complete maritime
trade system, advanced economic level, and diversified and inclusive cultural attitude. Filled with the memory
of the sea and carrying a long history, the connotations of the 22 heritage sites are still brimming with
vibrancy. Today, nearly a thousand years later, it is still displaying the unique charm of the ancient oriental
seaport.
West Street, a thousand-year-old street, has been the traffic artery of Quanzhou City since ancient
times. The East and West Twin Pagodas, the “spiritual beacon” of Quanzhou people, stand in the thousandyear-old Kaiyuan Temple. Zhu Xi, a great Confucianist in the Song Dynasty (960- 1279), said in his poem,
“As a land bathed under Buddhism from ancient times, saints are surrounding on the street. ” When Kaiyuan
Temple was rebuilt in the 14th year of the Republic of China, this antithetical couplet was re-calligraphed
by Hongyi, the master who lived here, and hung above the monastery gate of Kaiyuan Temple, which is a
devout testimony of Quanzhou’s long-standing Buddhist beliefs.
Within the square inch of the ancient city, Qingjing Mosque, Confucius Temple, Guanyue Temple, and
Tianhou Temple are all within easy reach. Farther away, at the foot of Jiuri Mountain in Fengzhou,
Nan’an, King Tongyuan, the “God of the Sea” worshiped by the ancient Quanzhou people, once sheltered
merchant ships sailing here; Cao’an Temple in Jinjiang is the only Manichaeism site in the world.
Quanzhou earns itself the name “Museum of World Religions” not only because of its multiculturalism, but
also because of the city’s openness and inclusiveness.
Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the active maritime trade has promoted the rapid
development of Quanzhou City. Bridges, piers, and beacon towers weave a complete water and land
transportation network. From Luoyang Bridge, known as “the earliest stone beam bridge in China”, to Anping
Bridge, known as “the longest bridge in the world” , they are all the witnesses of Quanzhou’s water and land
transshipment system driven by maritime trade. Estuary Docks and Shihu Dock represent the precious relics
of the Inner Harbor and Outer Harbor Wharf respectively, and were once part of the transportation network
of the Emporium of the World. For thousands of years, the glory still goes as usual.
The prosperity of Quanzhou Port relies more on its vast and far-reaching hinterland, as well as its
strong manufacturing capacity. Dehua Kilns and Cizao Kilns have produced countless highquality porcelains that were sold overseas, making Dehua the ceramic capital of the world and making the
reputation of “China White” famous overseas. At Xiacaopu Iron Production Site of Qingyang Village, there are
still vestiges of the bustling scene of the metallurgical yards in the Song Dynasty.
The 22 world heritage sites may be just a microcosm of Quanzhou City in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.
The charm of Quanzhou lies in the fact that in she is still unfading and long-lasting spite of being through
ups and downs for thousands of years. “The customs from the Song and Yuan Dynasties” in this city’s is
still brimming with vibrancy, with the city breathing, with the incense lingering over the ancient city, and
with people’s impregnable spiritual beliefs, which builds the spiritual order of the city. The city keeps
growing and expect you for further exploration.
PREFACE
Viewing Quanzhou from the Perspective of Song-Yuan China
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