Quanzhou

Quanzhou 泉州 Chôan-chiu
—  Prefecture-level city  —
Chinese transcription(s)
- Simplified	泉州
- Traditional
- Pinyin	Quánzhōu
- POJ	Chôan-chiu
Country	China
Province	Fujian
Area
- Total	11,015 km2 (4,252.9 sq mi)
Population
- Total	7,520,000
- Density	682.7/km2 (1,768.2/sq mi)
Time zone	China Standard (UTC+8)
Area code(s)	595
Website	http://www.fjqz.gov.cn/

Quanzhou (Chinese: 泉州; pinyin: Quánzhōu; Wade-Giles: Ch'üan²-chou¹; Min Nan (Hokkien): Chôan-chiu) is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two (Ningde and Nanping) and faces the Taiwan Strait. In older English works, its name may appear as Chinchew or Chinchu.

The People's Republic of China claims Jinmen County, more widely known as Quemoy, as part of Quanzhou, but the territory is currently under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China.

History

Quanzhou was established in 718 during the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907). In those days, Guangzhou was China's greatest seaport, but this status would be surpassed later by Quanzhou. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), Quanzhou was one of the world's largest seaports, hosting a large community of foreign-born inhabitants from across the Eurasian world. Due to its reputation, Quanzhou has been called the starting point of the Silk Road via the sea. In The Travels of Marco Polo, Quanzhou (called Zayton, T'swan-Chau or Chin-Cheu) was listed as the departure point for Marco Polo's expedition to escort the 17-year-old Mongol princess bride Kököchin to her new husband in the Persian Ilkhanate.

Quanzhou is also a migration source of many Overseas Chinese living in South East Asia and to Taiwan during the last couple of centuries.

Geography

Quanzhou is a coastal prefecture bordered by Xiamen sub-provincial city to the south west. It also forms another border with Zhangzhou and Longyan prefecture level city towards the west. Putian and Fuzhou forms Quanzhou's north east border and Sanming from the north.

Quanzhou is mountainous and has many rivers and tributaries originating from the interior.

Dialect

Quanzhou Minnan is the origin of the various sub-minnan dialect, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1TAJQY979c, variant such as Malaysian and Singapore Hokkien, Xiamen Amoy, Taiwanese and Chiuchow Teochew.

Administrative divisions

The prefecture-level city of Quanzhou administers 4 districts, 3 county-level cities and 5 counties.

• Licheng District (鲤城区)
• Fengze District (丰泽区)
• Luojiang District (洛江区)
• Quangang District (泉港区)
• Shishi City (石狮市)
• Jinjiang City (晋江市)
• Nan'an City (南安市)
• Hui'an County (惠安县)
• Anxi County (安溪县)
• Yongchun County (永春县)
• Dehua County (德化县)
• Jinmen County (金门县) - disputed

Economy

Quanzhou is a major exporter of agricultural products such as tea, banana, lychee and rice. It is also a major producer of quarry granite and ceramics. Other industries include textiles, footwear, fashion and apparel, packaging, machinery, paper and petrochemicals.^[1]

Quanzhou is the biggest automotive market in Fujian, it has the highest number of private automobile possession. ^[2]

Transport

Quanzhou is an important transport hub within south eastern Fujian province. Many export industries in the Fujian interior cities will transport goods to Quanzhou ports. Quanzhou Port was one of the most prosperous port in Tang Dynasty while now still an important one for exporting. Quanzhou is also connected by major roads from Fuzhou to the north and Xiamen to the south. Jinjiang Domestic Airport is Quanzhou's airport servicing flights within Fujian province and other destinations.

Colleges and universities

• Huaqiao University (national)
• Quanzhou Normal College (public)
• Quanzhou Medical College (public)
• Yang-en University (private)

Culture

Quanzhou is one of the twenty-four famous historic cultural cities first approved by the Chinese Government.

• Liyuan Opera （梨园戯)
• Puppet Show (提线木偶戏）
• Gaojia Opera （高甲戯）
• Dacheng Opera （打城戯）

Famous products

• Dehua Porcelain （德化瓷器）
• Huian Stoneware （惠安石刻）
• Anxi Tieguanyin （安溪铁观音）
• Quanzhou Martial Arts (泉州五祖拳)
• Yongchun Martial Arts (永春白鹤拳)

The city hosted the Sixth National Peasants' Games in 2008.

References

• Brown, Bill (2004). Mystic Quanzhou: City of Light. Xiamen, China: Xiamen University Press.

External links

• Government website of Quanzhou (in Simplified Chinese)

v • d • e Fujian Province History · Politics · Economy · Music Sub-provincial cities Xiamen Prefecture-level cities Fuzhou · Longyan · Nanping · Ningde · Putian · Quanzhou · Sanming · Zhangzhou See also: List of Fujian County-level divisions

Coordinates: 24°55′N 118°35′E / 24.917°N 118.583°E / 24.917; 118.583