Fuzhou

This article is about the capital of Fujian. For the city in Jiangxi, see Fuzhou, Jiangxi. For other uses, see Fuzhou (disambiguation).
Fuzhou
福州市
Prefecture-level city

From top, left to right: Black Pagoda of Fuzhou, White Pagoda of Fuzhou; Xichan Temple, City Skyline of Fuzhou; Gulou District of Fuzhou

Location of Fuzhou City jurisdiction in Fujian
Fuzhou

Location in China

Coordinates: 26°04′34″N 119°18′23″E / 26.07611°N 119.30639°E / 26.07611; 119.30639Coordinates: 26°04′34″N 119°18′23″E / 26.07611°N 119.30639°E / 26.07611; 119.30639
Country China
Province Fujian
Divisions
 - County-level
5 districts, 6 counties,
& 2 County-level cities
Government
 • CPC Ctte Secretary Yang Yue
 • Mayor Yang Yimin
Area
 • Prefecture-level city 12,177 km2 (4,702 sq mi)
 • Water 4,634 km2 (1,790 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Prefecture-level city 7,200,000
 • Urban 4,468,076
 • Rural 2,707,294
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 350000
Area code(s) 591
GDP 2011[1]
 - Total CNY 373.478 billion
USD 59.22 billion
 - Per capita CNY 52,144
USD 8,268
 - Growth Increase 13.0%
License plate prefixes 闽A
Local dialect Fuzhou dialect of the Eastern Min Language
Website Fuzhou.gov.cn
Fuzhou

"Fuzhou" in Chinese characters
Chinese 福州
Postal Foochow
Literal meaning "Blessed Prefecture"

Fuzhou, formerly romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China.[2] Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong (lit. Eastern Fujian) linguistic and cultural area.

Fuzhou's core counties lie on the north (left) bank of the estuary of Fujian's largest river, the Min River. All along its northern border lies Ningde, and Ningde's Gutian County lies upriver. Fuzhou's counties south of the Min border on Putian, Quanzhou, Sanming and Nanping prefectures. Its population was 7,115,370 inhabitants as of the 2010 census, of whom 4,408,076 inhabitants are urban representing around 61.95%, while rural population is at 2,707,294 representing around 38.05 percent.[1]

Names

The Yuanhe Maps and Records of Prefectures and Counties, a Chinese geographical treatise published in the 9th century, says that Fuzhou's name came from Mount Futo, a mountain located northwest of the city. The mountain's name was then combined with -zhou, meaning "settlement" or "prefecture", in a manner similar to many other Chinese cities. During the Warring States period, area of Fuzhou was sometimes referred to as Ye (Chinese: 冶) and Fuzhou was incorporated into China proper during Qin dynasty. The city's name was changed numerous times between the 3rd and 9th centuries before finally settling on Fuzhou in 948.[3] In Chinese, the city is sometimes referred to by the poetic nickname Rongcheng (Chinese: 榕城; Foochow Romanized: Ṳ̀ng-siàng), literally: "The Banyan City".

In older English publications, the name is variously romanized as Foochow, Foo-Chow,[4] Fuchow, Fūtsu, Fuh-Chow, Hock Chew, and Hokchew.

History

Pre-Qin History (before 221 BC)

See also: Yue peoples and Minyue

The remains of two Neolithic cultures—the Huqiutou Culture (虎丘头文化), from around 5000 BC, and the Tanshi Mountain Culture (昙石山文化), from around 3000 BC—have been discovered and excavated in the Fuzhou area. During the Warring States period (c. 475–221 BC), Han Chinese began referring to the modern Fujian area as Min Yue (闽越), suggesting that the native inhabitants of the area were a branch of the Yue peoples, a family of non-Han tribes who once inhabited most of southern China.[5] In 306 BC, the Yue Kingdom (present-day Zhejiang) fell to the state of Chu. Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian wrote that the surviving members of the Yue royal family fled south to what is now Fujian, where they settled alongside the native Yue people, joining Han and Yue culture to create Minyue.[6] Their major centre was not at Fuzhou's modern location, but further up the Min watershed near Wuyishan City.

Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC–206 AD)

The First Emperor of Qin unified ancient China in 221 BC and desired to bring the southern and southeast regions under Chinese rule. The Qin dynasty organized its territory into "Commanderies" (Chinese: 郡; pinyin: jùn)—roughly equivalent to a province or prefecture—and the Fujian area was organized as Minzhong Commandery (闽中郡). The area seems to have continued mostly independent of Chinese control for the next century. The Han dynasty followed the short-lived Qin, and Emperor Gaozu of Han declared both Minyue and neighboring Nanyue to be autonomous vassal kingdoms. In 202 BC, Emperor Gaozu enfeoffed a leader named Wuzhu (无诸; Old Chinese: Matya) as King of Minyue, and a walled city called Ye (冶; Old Chinese: Lya; literally: Beautiful) was built. The founding of Ye in 202 BC has become the traditional founding date of the city of Fuzhou.

In 110 BC, the armies of Emperor Wu of Han defeated the Minyue kingdom's armies during the Han–Minyue War and annexed its territory and people into China.[7] Many Minyue citizens were forcibly relocated into the Jiangnan area, and the Yue ethnic group was mostly assimilated into the Chinese, causing a sharp decline in Ye's inhabitants.[5] The area was eventually re-organized as a county in 85 BC.

Three Kingdoms to Sui dynasty (200–618)

"Fuzhou" calligraphy. "Fuzhou" literally means "Blessed Settlement" or "Blessed Prefecture".

During the Three Kingdoms Period, southeast China was nominally under the control of Eastern Wu, and the Fuzhou area had a shipyard for the coastal and Yangtze River fleets. In 282, during the Jin dynasty, two artificial lakes known simply as the East Lake and West Lake were constructed in Ye, as well as a canal system. The core of modern Fuzhou grew around these three water systems, though the East and West Lakes no longer exist. In 308, during the War of the Eight Princes at the end of the Jin dynasty, the first large-scale migration of Han Chinese immigrants moved to the south and southeast of China began, followed by subsequent waves during later periods of warfare or natural disaster in the Chinese heartland. The administrative and economic center of the Fujian area began to shift to the Ye area during the Sui dynasty (581 - 618).

Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties (618–1368)

Foochow Mosque in Fuzhou.

In 725, the city was formally renamed "Fuzhou". Throughout the mid-Tang dynasty, Fuzhou's economic and cultural institutions grew and developed. The later years of the Tang saw a number of political upheavals in the Chinese heartland, prompting another wave of Chinese to immigrate to the modern-day Fujian and Guangdong areas. In 879, a large part of the city was captured by the army of Huang Chao during their rebellion against the Tang government. In 893, the warlord brothers Wang Chao and Wang Shenzhi captured Fuzhou in a rebellion against the Tang dynasty, successfully gaining control of the entire Fujian Province and eventually proclaiming their founding of an independent kingdom they called the Min Kingdom in 909. The Wang brothers enticed more immigrants from the north, though their kingdom only survived until 945. In 978, Fuzhou was incorporated into the newly founded Song dynasty, though their control of the mountainous regions was tenuous.

Fuzhou prospered during the Tang dynasty. Buddhism was quickly adopted by the citizens who quickly built many Buddhist temples in the area. The Hualin Temple (华林寺, not to be confused with the temple of the same name in Guangzhou), founded in 964, is one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in China. New city walls were built in 282, 901, 905, and 974, so the city had many layers of walls — more so than the Chinese capital. Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty ordered the destruction of all the walls in Fuzhou in 978 but new walls were rebuilt later. The latest was built in 1371. During the Southern Song dynasty, Fuzhou became more prosperous; many scholars came to live and work. Among them were Zhu Xi, the most celebrated Chinese philosopher after Confucius, and Xin Qiji, the greatest composer of the ci form of poetry.

Marco Polo, an Italian guest of the Emperor Kubilai, transcribed, after the conventions of Italian orthography, the place name as Fugiu. This was not the local Min pronunciation but that of the mandarin administrative class.

Ming dynasty

Between 1405 and 1433, a fleet of the Ming Imperial navy under Admiral Zheng He sailed from Fuzhou to the Indian Ocean seven times; on three occasions the fleet landed on the east coast of Africa. Before the last sailing, Zheng erected a stele dedicated to the goddess Tian-Fei (Matsu) near the seaport.

The Ming government gave a monopoly over Philippine trade to Fuzhou, which at times was shared with Quanzhou.[8]

Galeote Pereira, a Portuguese soldier and trader, was taken prisoner during the pirate extermination campaign of 1549 and imprisoned in Fuzhou. Later transferred to a form of internal exile elsewhere in the province, Pereira escaped to Langbaijiao in 1553. The record of his experiences in the Ming Empire, logged by the Jesuits at Goa in 1561, was the first non-clerical account of China to reach the West since Marco Polo.[9]

The Ryukyu Kingdom established an embassy in Fuzhou.

Qing dynasty

In 1839, Lin Zexu, who himself was a Fuzhou native, was appointed by the Daoguang Emperor to enforce the imperial ban on the opium trade in Canton. His unsuccessful actions, however, precipitated the disastrous First Opium War with Great Britain, and Lin, who had become a scapegoat for China's failure in war, was exiled to the northwestern section of the empire. The Treaty of Nanjing (1842), which put an end to the conflict, made Fuzhou (then known to Westerners as Foochow) one of five Chinese treaty ports, and it became completely open to Western merchants and missionaries.

Fuzhou was one of the most important Protestant mission fields in China. On January 2, 1846, the first Protestant missionary, Rev. Stephen Johnson (missionary) from ABCFM (美国公理会差会), entered the city and soon set up the first missionary station there. ABCFM was followed by the Methodist Episcopal Missionary Society that was led by Revs. M. C. White and J. D. Collins, who reached Fuzhou in early September 1847. The Church Missionary Society also arrived in the city in May 1850. These three Protestant agencies remained in Fuzhou until the communist revolution in China in the 1950s, leaving a rich heritage in Fuzhou's Protestant culture.

On August 23, 1884, the Battle of Fuzhou broke out between the French Far East Fleet and the Fujian Fleet of the Qing dynasty. As the result, the Fujian Fleet, one of the four Chinese regional fleets, was destroyed completely in Mawei Harbor.

Republic of China

On November 8, 1911, revolutionaries staged an uprising in Fuzhou. After an overnight street battle, the Qing army surrendered.

Revolutionary Republic

On November 22, 1933, Eugene Chen and the leaders of the National Revolutionary Army's 19th Army set up the short-lived People's Revolutionary Government of Republican China.[10] Blockaded by Chiang Kai-shek and left to twist in the wind by the nearby Soviet Republic of China, the PRGRC collapsed within two months.[11]

Japanese occupation

With the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, hostilities commenced in Fujian Province. Xiamen (Amoy) fell to a Japanese landing force on May 13, 1938. The fall of Amoy instantly threatened the security of Foochow. On May 23, Japanese ships bombarded Mei-hua, Huang-chi and Pei-chiao while Japanese planes continued to harass the Chinese forces. Between May 31 and June 1, Chinese gunboats Fu-ning, Chen-ning and Suming defending the blockade line in the estuary of the Min River were successively bombed and sunk. Meanwhile, the Chinese ship Chu-tai berthed at Nan-tai was damaged. The Chinese Navy's Harbor Command School, barracks, shipyard, hospital and marine barracks at Ma-wei were successively bombed.[12] Fuzhou is recorded as having fallen to Japanese forces in 1938.[13]

The extent of Japanese command and control of the city of Fuzhou itself as opposed to the port at Mawei and the Min River Estuary is uncertain. By 1941 (date unknown), the city is recorded as having returned to Nationalist control. The British Consulate in Fuzhou is noted as operational from 1941–1944 after the United Kingdom Declaration of War on Japan in December 1941. Western visitors to Fuzhou in the period 1941–1944 include the Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett in 1942.[14] and the British scientist Dr Joseph Needham in May 1944.[15] Both visitors record the presence of a British Consul and a Fuzhou Club comprising western businessmen.

In The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom, author Simon Winchester relates the visit of Dr Needham in 1944. Needham encountered the American government agent (John Caldwell) and the British SIS agent (Murray MacLehose working under cover as the British Vice-Consul in Fuzhou) involved in aid to the Nationalist resistance to Japanese forces in Fujian Province.[15]

As part of Operation Ichi-Go (1944), the last large-scale Japanese offensive in China in World War 2, the Japanese intended to isolate Fuzhou and the Fujian Province corridor to Nationalist forces in western China and the wartime capital of Chongqing. One account of the Japanese re-taking of Fuzhou city itself is narrated by American naval officer, Houghton Freeman.[16] The date is given as October 5, 1944.[17]

Fuzhou remained under Japanese control until the surrender of Japan and its armed forces in China in September 1945.

Following the restitution of Republic control (1946), the administration divisions of Fuzhou were annexed, and administration level was promoted from county-level to city-level officially.

People's Republic of China

On December 13, 1993, a raging fire swept through a textile factory in Fuzhou and claimed the lives of 60 workers.[18]

On October 2, 2005, floodwaters from Typhoon Longwang swept away a military school, killing at least 80 paramilitary officers.[18]

Geography

Fuzhou is located in the northeast coast of Fujian province, connects jointly northwards with Ningde and Nanping, southwards with Quanzhou and Putian, westwards with Sanming respectively.

Climate

Fuzhou has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) influenced by the East Asian Monsoon; the summers are long, very hot and humid, and the winters are short, mild and dry. In most years, torrential rain occurs during the monsoon in the second half of May. Fuzhou is also liable to typhoons in late summer and early autumn. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 10.9 °C (51.6 °F) in January to 28.9 °C (84.0 °F) in July, while the annual mean is 19.84 °C (67.7 °F). With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 24 percent in March to 54 percent in July, the city receives 1,607 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −1.9 °C (29 °F) on 25 January 2016 to 41.7 °C (107 °F) on 26 July 2003.[19][20]

Climate data for Fuzhou (1971–2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 23.6
(74.5)		 28.5
(83.3)		 30.3
(86.5)		 36.2
(97.2)		 37.5
(99.5)		 39.1
(102.4)		 41.7
(107.1)		 40.6
(105.1)		 38.2
(100.8)		 36.7
(98.1)		 33.4
(92.1)		 26.5
(79.7)		 41.7
(107.1)
Average high °C (°F) 15.2
(59.4)		 15.2
(59.4)		 18.1
(64.6)		 23.2
(73.8)		 26.7
(80.1)		 30.5
(86.9)		 34.1
(93.4)		 33.3
(91.9)		 30.2
(86.4)		 26.4
(79.5)		 22.0
(71.6)		 17.7
(63.9)		 24.4
(75.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.2
(52.2)		 11.6
(52.9)		 14.0
(57.2)		 18.5
(65.3)		 22.7
(72.9)		 26.2
(79.2)		 29.2
(84.6)		 28.8
(83.8)		 26.2
(79.2)		 22.4
(72.3)		 18.2
(64.8)		 13.4
(56.1)		 20.2
(68.4)
Average low °C (°F) 8.2
(46.8)		 8.3
(46.9)		 10.6
(51.1)		 15.0
(59)		 19.2
(66.6)		 23.0
(73.4)		 25.5
(77.9)		 25.1
(77.2)		 23.0
(73.4)		 19.3
(66.7)		 14.8
(58.6)		 10.1
(50.2)		 16.8
(62.3)
Record low °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 0.0
(32)		 6.2
(43.2)		 10.9
(51.6)		 18.9
(66)		 20.7
(69.3)		 20.3
(68.5)		 18.3
(64.9)		 12.2
(54)		 4.6
(40.3)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 −1.9
(28.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 48.0
(1.89)		 86.6
(3.409)		 145.4
(5.724)		 166.5
(6.555)		 193.7
(7.626)		 208.9
(8.224)		 98.8
(3.89)		 179.7
(7.075)		 145.0
(5.709)		 47.6
(1.874)		 41.3
(1.626)		 32.0
(1.26)		 1,393.5
(54.862)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.7 14.4 17.5 17.8 18.2 15.9 10.4 12.1 11.6 7.1 7.2 7.1 149.0
Average relative humidity (%) 74 78 81 80 81 82 77 77 76 71 70 70 76.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 101.6 79.2 89.1 111.0 114.4 141.9 225.6 199.2 153.7 144.2 120.3 126.9 1,607.1
Percent possible sunshine 31 25 24 29 28 35 54 49 42 40 37 39 36.1
Source: China Meteorological Administration

Administrative divisions

Historical population
YearPop.±%
2000[1]6,386,013—    
2010[1]7,115,370+11.4%
Population size may be affected by changes on administrative divisions.

The administrative divisions of Fuzhou have been changed frequently throughout history. From 1983, the Fuzhou current administrative divisions were formed officially, namely, 5 districts and 8 counties respectively. In 1990 and 1994, Fuqing (Foochow Romanized: Hók-chiăng) and Changle (Foochow Romanized: Diòng-lŏ̤h) counties were promoted to county-level cities. Despite these changes, the administrative image of "5 districts and 8 counties" is still held popularly among local residents. Fuzhou's entire area only covers 9.65 percent of Fujian Province.

The city of Fuzhou has direct jurisdiction over 5 districts, 2 county-level cities, and 6 counties:

Map
Name Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population
(2010 census)[1]		 Area (km²) Density
(/km²)
City proper 2,921,763 1,015.07 2878.39
Gulou District 鼓楼区 Gǔlóu Qū 687,706 36.60 18,790
Taijiang District 台江区 Táijiāng Qū 446,891 18.28 24,447
Cangshan District 仓山区 Cāngshān Qū 762,746 139.41 5,471
Mawei District 马尾区 Mǎwěi Qū 231,929 254.33 912
Jin'an District 晋安区 Jìn'ān Qū 792,491 566.45 1,399
Suburban and Rural 2,276,143 8488.27 268.15
Minhou County 闽侯县 Mǐnhóu Xiàn 662,118 2,133.03 310
Lianjiang County 连江县 Liánjiāng Xiàn 561,490 1,190.67 472
Luoyuan County 罗源县 Luōyuán Xiàn 207,677 1,081.17 192
Minqing County 闽清县 Mǐnqīng Xiàn 237,643 1,468.90 162
Yongtai County 永泰县 Yǒngtài Xiàn 249,455 2,243.41 111
Pingtan County 平潭县 Píngtán Xiàn 357,760 371.09 964
Satellite cities 1,917,464 2,649.97 723.58
Changle 长乐市 Chánglè Shì 682,626 717.54 951
Fuqing 福清市 Fúqīng Shì 1,234,838 1,932.43 639
Total 7,115,370 12,153.31 585.47

Culture

Banyan King in Fuzhou National Forest Park (福州国家森林公园).

The City of Banyans is distinct from the mainstream inland cultures of central China, and in details vary from other areas of the Chinese coast

Language and art

Besides Mandarin Chinese, the majority local residents of Fuzhou (Fuzhou people) also speak Fuzhou dialect, the prestige form of Eastern Min.

Min opera, also known as Fuzhou drama, is one of the major operas in Fujian Province. It enjoys popularity in the Fuzhou area and in neighboring parts of Fujian such as the northeast and northwest areas where the Fuzhou dialect is spoken, as well as in Taiwan and the Malay Archipelago. It became a fixed opera in the early 20th century. There are more than 1,000 plays of Min opera, most of which originate from folk tales, historical novels, or ancient legends, including such traditional plays as "Making Seal", "The Purple Jade Hairpin" and "Switching Fairy Peach with Litchi".[21]

Religion

The two traditional mainstream religions practiced in Fuzhou are Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. Traditionally, many people practice both religions simultaneously. The city is also home to many Buddhist monasteries, Taoist temples and Buddhist monks.

Apart from mainstream religions, a number of religious worship sites of various local religions are situated in the streets and lanes of Fuzhou.

The origins of local religion can be dated back centuries. These diverse religions incorporated elements such as gods and doctrines from other religions and cultures, such as totem worship and traditional legends. For example, Monkey King, originated to monkey worship among local ancients, gradually came to embody the God of Wealth in Fuzhou after the novel Journey to the West was issued in Ming dynasty.

As the most popular religion in the Min River Valley, the worship of Lady Linshui is viewed as one of the three most influential local religions in Fujian, the other two being the worship of Mazu and Baosheng Dadi (保生大帝).

Local cuisine

Fuzhou's local dish Litchi Pork(荔枝肉), famous for its sweet and sour flavor

Fuzhou cuisine is most notably one of the four traditional cooking styles of Fujian cuisine, which in turn is one of the eight Chinese regional cuisines. Dishes are light but flavorful, with particular emphasis on umami taste, known in Chinese cooking as xianwei (simplified Chinese: 鲜味; traditional Chinese: 鮮味; pinyin: xiānwèi), as well as retaining the original flavor of the main ingredients instead of masking them. In Fuzhou cuisine, the taste is light compared to that of some other Chinese cooking styles, and often have a mixed sweet and sour taste. Soup, served as an indispensable dish in meals, is cooked in various ways with local seasonal fresh vegetables and seafood.

Fuzhou is famous for its street food and snacks. Some notable street food dishes include Fuzhou fish balls (鱼丸), meat-pastry dumplings (扁肉燕), rice scroll soup （鼎边糊），gong pian (光饼）- a kind of mildly savoury pastry，pork floss (肉松) etc. Many of these street food dishes have a long history, for example rice scroll soup became popular in Fuzhou in the early part of the Qing dynasty. As more Fuzhou residents settled overseas, Fuzhou dishes spread to Taiwan, South East Asia and the U.S.. For example, one is able to find gong pian and Fuzhou fish balls in Sitiawan in Ipoh, Malaysia while Fuzhou fish balls, meat-pastry dumplings and rice scroll soup can be found in New York's Chinatown.

Fuzhou residents also enjoy eating festival foods during traditional Chinese holidays. For example, red and white rice cakes (年糕) are served over Chinese New Year, stuffed yuanxiao (元宵) during the Lantern Festival, zongzi during Dragon Boat Festival, and sweet soy bean powder-covered plain yuanxiao over the winter solstice.

Special crafts

Bodiless lacquerware (脱胎漆器), paper umbrellas and horn combs (角梳) are the "Three Treasures" of Fuzhou traditional arts. In addition, bodiless lacquerware,together with cork pictures (软木画) and Shoushan stone sculptures (寿山石雕) are called "Three Superexcellences" of Fuzhou.

Transportation

Airports

The city is served by two airports: Fuzhou Changle International Airport and Fuzhou Yixu Airport (old airfield). The former is its main international airport and an air-hub in the southeast China, while the latter was turned into a PLA airbase after 1997.

Railways

Fuzhou Rail Station

Fuzhou is a railway hub in northern Fujian. The Wenzhou–Fuzhou and Fuzhou–Xiamen Railways form part of the Southeast Coast High-Speed Rail Corridor and can accommodate high-speed trains at speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph). The Nanping–Fuzhou Railway and Xiangtang–Putian Railway provide rail access inland. The latter line can carry trains at speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph). The regional Fuzhou-Mawei Railway runs from the city centre to Mawei District. There are also plans for 2 metro lines, with the first line expected to be completed by late 2015.[22]

Seaport

The dock in Luoyuan Bay, Fuzhou, China. The construction of a new industrial park is still in progress.

In 1867 the Fuzhou seaport was the site of one of China's first major experiments with Western technology, when the Fuzhou Navy Yard was established: A shipyard and an arsenal were built under French guidance and a naval school was opened. A naval academy was also established at the shipyard, and it became a center for the study of European languages and technical sciences. The academy, which offered courses in English, French, engineering, and navigation, produced a generation of Western-trained officers, including the famous scholar-reformer Yan Fu (1854–1921).

The yard was established as part of a program to strengthen China in the wake of the country's disastrous defeat in the Second Opium War (1856–60). But most talented students continued to pursue a traditional Confucian education, and by the mid-1870s the government began to lose interest in the shipyard, which had trouble securing funds and declined in importance. Fuzhou remained essentially a commercial center and a port until World War II; it had relatively little industry. The port was occupied by the Japanese during 1940–45.

Since 1949, Fuzhou has grown considerably. Transportation has been improved by the dredging of the Min River for navigation by medium-sized craft upstream to Nanping. In 1956 the railway linking Fuzhou with the interior of the province and with the main Chinese railway system began operation. The port has also been improved; Fuzhou itself is no longer accessible to seagoing ships, but Luoxingta anchorage and the outer harbor at Guantou on the coast of the East China Sea have been modernized and improved. The chief exports are timber, fruits, paper, and foodstuffs.

Economy

Fuzhou's GDP (Nominal) trend[1]
Year GDP
(billions of CN¥)		 Growth (%)
2005 172.000 9.8
2006 165.694 12.2
2007 197.459 15.1
2008 228.416 13.0
2009 252.428 12.8
2010 306.821 14.0
2011 373.478 13.0
Taijiang District of Fuzhou.The building in front is the government office of the district.
Residential Buildings in Fuzhou

Industry is supplied with power by a grid running from the Gutian hydroelectric scheme in the mountains to the northwest. The city is a center for industrial chemicals and has food-processing, timber-working, engineering, papermaking, printing, and textile industries. A small iron and steel plant was built in 1958. In 1984 Fuzhou was designated one of China's "open" cities in the new open-door policy inviting foreign investments. Handicrafts remain important in the rural areas, and the city is famous for its lacquer and wood products.

Its GDP was ¥43,615 (c. US$6,240) per capita in 2010, ranked no. 21 among 659 Chinese cities.

Fuzhou is undoubtedly the province’s political, economic and cultural center as well as an industrial center and seaport on the Min River. In 2008, Fuzhou’s GDP amounted to ¥228.4 billion, an increase of 13 percent.[23]

Manufactured products include chemicals, silk and cotton textiles, iron and steel, and processed food. Among Fuzhou's exports are fine lacquerware and handcrafted fans and umbrellas. The city's trade is mainly with Chinese coastal ports. Its exports of timber, food products, and paper move through the harbor at Guantou located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) downstream.[24]

In 2008, exports reached US$13.6 billion, a growth of 10.4 percent while imports amounted to US$6.8 billion. Total retail sales for the same period came to ¥113.4 billion and per capita GDP grew to ¥33,615.[24] During the same period, Fuzhou approved 155 foreign-invested projects. Contracted foreign investment amounted to US$1.489 billion, while utilized foreign investment increased by 43 percent to US$1.002 billion.[24]

Economic and Technological Zones

The Fuzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone was established in Jan 1985 by State Council, with a total planning area of 22 square kilometres (8.5 sq mi) and now has 10.1 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) built. It is located close to Fuzhou Changle International Airport and Fuzhou Port. Industries encouraged in the zone include electronics assembly & manufacturing, telecommunications equipment, trading and distribution, automobile production/assembly, medical equipment and supplies, shipping/warehousing/logistics and heavy industry.[25]

The Fuzhou Export Processing Zone was founded on June 3, 2005 with the approval of the State Council and enjoys all the preferential policies. It is located inside the Chang'an Investment Zone of the Fuzhou Economic and Technical Development Zone (FETDZ) with a planned land area of 1.14 square kilometres (0.44 sq mi).[26]

The Fuzhou Free Trade Zone was established in 1992 by the State Council, with a planning area of 1.8 square kilometres (0.69 sq mi). Industries encouraged in the free trade zone include electronics assembly & manufacturing, heavy industry, instruments & industrial equipment production, shipping/warehousing/logistics, telecommunications equipment, trading, and distribution.[27]

The Fuzhou High-tech Development Zone was set up in 1988 and approved by the State Council in March 1991. In 1995, the Fuzhou Municipal Government decided to build Baiyi Electronic Information City, which covers 1.2 square kilometres (0.46 sq mi) in the zone, making it the lead electronic industrial zone in Fuzhou. The Administrative Commission of Mawei High-tech Park was set up in the zone in 1999. It covers an area of 5.6 square kilometres (2.2 sq mi), and is in the area between Gushan Channel and Mawei Channel, Jiangbin Road and Fuma Road.[28]

The Fuzhou Science and Technology Park was established in 1988 and was approved to be a national-level zone by the State Council in 1991. The planned area is 5.5 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi) and is divided into 3 parts: the Mawei portion, the Cangshan portion, and the Hongshan portion. The main industries are electronics, information technology, and biotechnology. The zone is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the China National Highway 316 and 41 kilometres (25 mi) away from the Fuzhou Changle International Airport.[29]

The Fuzhou Taiwan Merchants Development Zone was approved to be established in May 1989 by the State Council. The zone is located in the Fuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone. The zone is a commercial base for Taiwan-related development. The current area is 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi). The main industries are IT, metallurgy, food processing, and textiles. The zone is 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) away from the 316 National Highway and 52 kilometres (32 mi) away from Fuzhou Changle International Airport.[30]

Cityscape

Cityscape as seen from Wuyi Square February 2016
Fuzhou skyline, the eastern part of city hall is on the left, and the Central Business District is on the right.

Fuzhou skyline, the eastern part of city hall is on the left, and the Central Business District is on the right.

Tourist attractions

Historical / cultural

Its main hall is known as the oldest surviving wooden building in south China and was confirmed as an important heritage site under state protection in 1982.

Recreational

Notable people

Fuzhou Memorial Hall of Lin Zexu

Education

Colleges and universities

Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.

High Schools

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Fuzhou Municipal Statistic Bureau". Fuzhou.gov.cn. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  2. ↑ "Illuminating China's Provinces, Municipalities and Autonomous Regions". PRC Central Government Official Website. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  3. ↑ Zhongguo Gujin Diming Dacidian (中国古今地名大词典), (Shanghai: Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe, 2005), 3116.
  4. ↑ Sladen, Douglas (1895), "Bits of China", The Japs at Home, 5th ed., New York: New Amsterdam Book Co., p. 279.
  5. 1 2 Xu Xiaowang (徐晓望), 2006. Fujian Tong Shi 福建通史, Fujian People's Publishing 福建人民出版社.
  6. ↑ Records of the Grand Historian, Yue Wang Goujian Shijia 越王勾踐世家.
  7. ↑ Yu 1986, p. 456.
  8. ↑ Jacques Gernet (1996). A history of Chinese civilization (2, illustrated, revised ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 420. ISBN 0-521-49781-7. Retrieved 14 December 2011. Foochow was reserved for trade with the Philippines (a similar role had been assumed by Ch'iian- chou between 1368 and 1374 and again after 1403 in the Yung-le era)
  9. ↑ Spence, Jonathan D., The Chan's Great Continent: China in Western Minds, 1999, W.W.Norton & Company, ISBN 978-0-393-31989-7, pp.20–21
  10. ↑ 中華共和國人民革命政府; Zhōnghuá Gònghéguó Rénmín Gémìng Zhèngfǔ, also known as the Fujian People's Revolutionary Government (福建人民革命政府, Fújiàn Rénmín Zhèngfǔ). Compare 中華共和國 to the shorter, more ambiguous 中華民國 (Zhonghua Minguo, "Folk-state of China"), which was the one-party state under Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek against which Chen and the 19th rebelled (translated into English nonetheless as the "Republic of China").
  11. ↑ 晚清民國史 [History of the late Qing and the Republic]. 五南圖書出版股份有限公司. 2002. pp. 440–. ISBN 978-957-11-2898-6.
  12. ↑ Hu, Pu-yu (1974). A brief history of Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) (1st ed.). Taipei, Taiwan: Chung Wu Publishing Co. p. 142.
  13. ↑ Dreyer, Edward L. (1995). China at War, 1901-1949. London, New York City: Longman. p. 107. ISBN 0-521480-01-9.
  14. ↑ Strahan, Lachlan (1996). Australia's China: Changing Perceptions from the 1930s to the 1990s. Cambridge, New York City: Cambridge University Press. p. 235. ISBN 0-582051-25-8.
  15. 1 2 Winchester, Simon. (2008). The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom (1st ed.). New York: Harper. pp. 143–151. ISBN 978-0060884598.
  16. ↑ Smith, Nancy. "The Freeman Orientation". Wesleyan Alumni Magazine. Wesleyan University. Archived from the original on 31 May 2010.
  17. ↑ "League of Nations Timeline - 1944". Indiana University. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  18. 1 2 Major Events Across The Taiwan Straits Archived April 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  19. ↑ http://cdc.cma.gov.cn/dataSetLogger.do?changeFlag=dataLogger
  20. ↑ "Extreme Temperatures Around the World". Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  21. ↑ "Min Opera". cultural-china.com.
  22. ↑ "Fuzhou Metro Line 1 to start operations next year". chinadaily.com.cn.
  23. ↑ "China Expat city Guide Dalian". China Expat. 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  24. 1 2 3 "China Briefing Business Reports". Asia Briefing. 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
  25. ↑ "Fuzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone". RightSite.asia. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  26. ↑ "Fuzhou Export Processing Zone". RightSite.asia. 2005-06-03. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  27. ↑ "Fuzhou Free Trade Zone". RightSite.asia. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  28. ↑ "Fuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone". RightSite.asia. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  29. ↑ "Fuzhou Science and Technology Park". RightSite.asia. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  30. ↑ "Fuzhou Taiwan Merchants Development Zone". RightSite.asia. Retrieved 2012-04-06.

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
 
Rank Name Province Pop. Rank Name Province Pop.

Shanghai

Beijing		 1 Shanghai Shanghai 20,217,700 11 Foshan Guangdong 6,771,900
Chongqing

Guangzhou
2 Beijing Beijing 16,858,700 12 Nanjing Jiangsu 6,238,200
3 Chongqing Chongqing 12,389,500 13 Shenyang Liaoning 5,890,700
4 Guangzhou Guangdong 10,641,400 14 Hangzhou Zhejiang 5,578,300
5 Shenzhen Guangdong 10,358,400 15 Xi'an Shaanxi 5,399,300
6 Tianjin Tianjin 10,007,700 16 Harbin Heilongjiang 5,178,000
7 Wuhan Hubei 7,541,500 17 Dalian Liaoning 4,222,400
8 Dongguan Guangdong 7,271,300 18 Suzhou Jiangsu 4,083,900
9 Chengdu Sichuan 7,112,000 19 Qingdao Shandong 3,990,900
10 Hong Kong Hong Kong 7,055,071 20 Zhengzhou Henan 3,677,000
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