The Historical and Contemporary Beauty of Quanzhou

Xi Jinping and Aladdin

In November 2001, when then Fujian Governor Xi Jinping made me an Honorary

Citizen of Fujian, he said at dinner that evening, "China knows the world but the

world still does not know China." He added, "You have written about Xiamen, your

2nd home. You should also write about Quanzhou, your 3rd home."

Xi Jinping was keen on Quanzhou's history and culture because, as he said during

the National People's Congress (NPC) almost 20 years later, in 2019: "Fujian was the

start of the ancient maritime silk road, and is the core of the 21st Century Maritime

Silk Road."

Fujian was the maritime silk road's starting point, but the greatest port in Fujian,

indeed in all the world, was Quanzhou. It was Quanzhou's ancient trade network that

inspired Xi Jinping's vision of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-and Quanzhou is

playing a leading role in the twenty-first century's BRI as well.

In 2021, Quanzhou's GDP reached 1,130.417 billion yuan.1 In 2019, the gross

value of foreign trade between Quanzhou and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road partners

reached 105.355 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 24.6%. And, Quanzhou's

21st Century Maritime Silk Road Pilot Zone is helping to lead China's expansion of

international economic and cultural exchanges.

But I knew little of this back in 2001, and I had little interest in writing more books

(except for management textbooks). But that changed in 2003 when I agreed to help

Quanzhou enter the International Awards for Livable Communities and discovered

that this legendary city had almost no materials in English to share with the judges

and audience in Europe.

So, heeding Xi Jinping's encouragement over a year earlier to write a book on

Quanzhou, I spent over 6 weeks driving to every corner of the city and exploring

its history, culture, geography, and cuisine. And as I spent eight months researching

the presentation that I would give in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, I became entranced

by Quanzhou's astonishing rich history and heritage. I learned that Marco Polo had