Fujian
Fujian[a] is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest city by population is Quanzhou, other notable cities include the port city of Xiamen and Zhangzhou. Fujian is located on the west coast of the Taiwan Strait as the closest geographically and culturally to Taiwan. Certain islands such as Kinmen are only approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Xiamen in Fujian.
For other uses, see Fujian (disambiguation).
Fujian
福建Hokkien
福建省 (Fújiàn Shěng)
FJ / 闽 (pinyin: Mǐn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bân)
Hók-gióng
Hok-kiàn
People's Republic of China
Republic of China (Kinmen, Matsu and Wuqiu)[note 1]
626
985
1887
1933–1934
17 August 1949
9 prefectures
84 counties[note 2]
1102 towns and subdistricts[note 2]
Zhou Zuyi
74 deputies
121,400 km2 (46,900 sq mi)
2,158 m (7,080 ft)
41,540,086
340/km2 (890/sq mi)
Min (inc. Fuzhounese, Eastern Min, Northern Min, Central Min, Pu-Xian Min, Hokkien and others), Mandarin, She, Hakka
CN¥ 126,829
US$ 18,856
CN-FJ
www
福建
"Fu(zhou) and Jian(zhou)"
Fújiàn
Fújiàn
ㄈㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ
Fwujiann
Fu2-chien4
Fújiàn
Fújyàn
Fújiàn
Foh-ji
Fuk-kian
Fūk-gin
Fuk1-gin3
Hok-kiàn
Hok-kiàn
Hōkgiàn
Hók-gióng
Ho̤h-ge̤̍ng
Hŭ-gṳ̿ing
闽
閩
[the Min River]
Mǐn
Mǐn
ㄇㄧㄣˇ
Miin
Min3
Mǐn
Máhn
Man5
Bân
Mìng
Máng
Mâing
While its population is predominantly identify Han ethnicity, it is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse provinces in China. The dialects of the language group Min Chinese were most commonly spoken within the province, including the Fuzhou dialect and Eastern Min of Northeastern Fujian province and various Southern Min and Hokkien dialects of southeastern Fujian. The capital city of Fuzhou and Fu'an of Ningde prefecture along with Cangnan county-level city of Wenzhou prefecture in Zhejiang province make up the Min Dong linguistic and cultural region of Northeastern Fujian. Hakka Chinese is also spoken, by the Hakka people in Fujian. Min dialects, Hakka and Standard Chinese are mutually unintelligible. Due to emigration, a sizable amount of the ethnic Chinese populations of Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines speak Southern Min (or Hokkien).
With a population of 41.5 million, Fujian ranks 15th in population among Chinese provinces. In 2022, Fujian's GDP reached CN¥5.31 trillion (US$790 billion by nominal GDP), ranking 4th in East China region and 8th nationwide in GDP.[3] Fujian's GDP per capita is above the national average, at CN¥126,829 (US$18,856 in nominal), the second highest GDP per capita of all Chinese provinces after Jiangsu.[3] It has benefited from its geographical proximity with Taiwan. As a result of the Chinese Civil War, a small proportion of Historical Fujian is now within the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan). The Fujian province of the ROC consists of three offshore archipelagos, namely the Kinmen Islands, the Matsu Islands, and the Wuqiu Islands.
Fujian is considered one of China's leading provinces in education and research. As of 2023, two major cities in the province ranked in the top 45 cities in the world (Xiamen 38th and Fuzhou 45th) by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index.[6]
Because of its mountainous nature and waves of migration from central China and assimilation of numerous foreign ethnic groups such as maritime traders in the course of history, Fujian is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse places in China. Local dialects can become unintelligible within 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), and the regional cultures and ethnic composition can be completely different from each other as well. This is reflected in the expression that "if you drive five miles in Fujian the culture changes, and if you drive ten miles, the language does".[59] Most varieties spoken in Fujian are assigned to a broad Min category. Recent classifications subdivide Min into[60][61]
The seventh subdivision of Min, Qiong Wen, is not spoken in Fujian. Hakka, another subdivision of spoken Chinese, is spoken around Longyan by the Hakka people who live there.
As is true of other provinces, the official language in Fujian is Mandarin, which is used for communication between people of different localities,[59] although native Fujian peoples still converse in their native languages and dialects respectively.
Several regions of Fujian have their own form of Chinese opera. Min opera is popular around Fuzhou; Gaojiaxi around Jinjiang and Quanzhou; Xiangju around Zhangzhou; Fujian Nanqu throughout the south, and Puxianxi around Putian and Xianyou County.
Fujian cuisine, with an emphasis on seafood, is one of the eight great traditions of Chinese cuisine. It is composed of traditions from various regions, including Fuzhou cuisine and Min Nan cuisine. The most prestigious dish is Fotiaoqiang (literally "Buddha jumps over the wall"), a complex dish making use of many ingredients, including shark fin, sea cucumber, abalone and Shaoxing wine (a type of Chinese alcoholic beverage).
Many well-known teas originate from Fujian, including oolong, Wuyi Yancha, Lapsang souchong and Fuzhou jasmine tea. Indeed, the tea processing techniques for three major classes of tea, namely, oolong, white tea, and black tea were all developed in the province. Fujian tea ceremony is an elaborate way of preparing and serving tea. The English word "tea" is borrowed from Hokkien. Mandarin and Cantonese pronounce the word chá.
Nanyin is a popular form of music of Fujian.
Fuzhou bodiless lacquer ware, a noted type of lacquer ware, is noted for using a body of clay and/or plaster to form its shape; the body later removed. Fuzhou is also known for Shoushan stone carvings.
The province and its diaspora abroad also have a tradition of educational achievement and have produced many important scholars, statesmen, and other notable people. These include people whose ancestral home (祖籍) is Fujian (their ancestors originated from Fujian). In addition to the below list, many notable individuals of Han Chinese descent in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere have ancestry that can be traced to Fujian.
Some notable individuals include (in rough chronological order):
Han, Tang, and Song dynasties
Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties
Li Guangdi [1642-1718],Grand Secretaries of the Qing dynasty
20th-21st century
Sports[edit]
Fujian includes professional sports teams in both the Chinese Basketball Association and the Chinese League One.
The representative of the province in the Chinese Basketball Association is the Fujian Sturgeons, who are based in Jinjiang, Quanzhou. The Fujian Sturgeons made their debut in the 2004–2005 season, and finished in seventh and last place in the South Division, out of the playoffs. In the 2005–2006 season, they tied for fifth, just one win away from making the playoffs.
The Xiamen Blue Lions formerly represented Fujian in the Chinese Super League, before the team's closure in 2007. Today the province is represented by Fujian Tianxin F.C., who play in the China League Two, and the Fujian Broncos.
