Fuzhou: Hub of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

By Rafael Henrique

Tapping into its long history of openness, Fuzhou remains an important hub connecting China with the rest of the world

Last November Fuzhou hosted the third edition of its Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival, as part of governmental efforts to boost local tourism and implement the Belt and Road Initiative through exchange and cooperation with countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road.

City Between Mountains and the Sea

Facing the Taiwan Straits,Fuzhou, capital of southeastern China’s Fujian Province, owes part of its economical prosperity to its port. International trade routes brought foreign merchants to the city, and their cultural influence can be seen in the typically European architecture of some old buildings there, as well as the popularity of Portuguese egg tarts, a delicacy first created by a Portuguese nun that later became popular in China, attesting to the cultural interchanges resulting from the commercial relations between both countries. After introducing egg tarts to China, the Portuguese introduced Chinese congee to their homeland, where it evolved into canja, a popular dish in Portuguese speaking countries.

Artists dance at the launch ceremony of the Third Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou)International Tourism Festival on Nov. 19. 2017.

Fujian cuisine is one of the eight recognized iconic cuisines of China, and as a foreigner I must say it satisfies my taste better than other types of Chinese cuisine. Perhaps this is because of historical foreign influence that came about because of the Maritime Silk Road, though it is hard to say for sure. Fujian is an oasis for those in South China who don’t like spicy food, as its food tastes lighter and is more tender and flavorful. It even includes delicious bamboo shoots, fresh vegetables from the mountains and succulent seafood.

Fuzhou is located between the mountains and the sea,offering its citizens and visitors astonishing views, fresh air and numerous opportunities.Its name is perfect: “Fuzhou”literally means blessed land —the high quality of life and the fast development of Fuzhou make it a great place to live, and its air quality is among the best in China. Its infrastructure is also impressive.

New Opportunities

Because of its historical importance as a port, Fuzhou can be imagined as a noisy and polluted city, but that’s far from reality. Near Three Lanes and Seven Alleys (Sanfang Qixiang),a historical and cultural area famous for its Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings, there’s a small river with crystalline water, even though it’s surrounded by a city with millions of people.

Temples, pagodas, historical sites, museums, parks and beautiful natural sites give Fuzhou great tourism potential.Rural Fuzhou offers not only beautiful views of its mountains and canyons, but also a wide range of attractions, from hot spring resorts to ancient towns.

The Third Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou)International Tourism Festival kicks off on Nov. 19, 2017,attracting more than 300 representatives of tourism administrations and travel agencies from nearly 30 cities and countries along the Belt and Road. Vice Chairman of China National Tourism Administration Wei Hongtao and Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee Wang Ning attended the launch ceremony together with other guests.

Fuzhou’s historical knowhow on development based on international cooperation makes it an important place for cultural interchange with other countries along the Belt and Road, and tourism can play an important role in such cooperation by attracting visitors to the city to get to know its history.

Tourism development in Fuzhou can transform lives, and Songkou ancient town is a good example of such transformation.The villagers, who used to live in relative isolation and poverty, had to work hard planting vegetables in rocky soil to survive, but over the course of the last few years,infrastructure has improved and tourism has provided opportunities for locals to earn extra money or even change professions, while their children,attending classes at local schools,can dream even higher.

Fuzhou is located between the mountains and the sea, offering its citizens and visitors astonishing views,fresh air and numerous opportunities.

Local Goods and Craft work

Paper umbrellas, bodiless lacquer ware and horn combs are known as the “Three Treasures”of Fuzhou’s traditional arts. They can be easily found at Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, where other traditional Chinese craftworks like seals, calligraphy works and paintings can be appreciated and purchased by tourists.

For more than 1,000 years,jasmine tea has been produced in Fuzhou, and it’s considered the best jasmine tea in the world. According to local tea company Chunlun Tea Group,the water from the hot springs in the mountains where the flower is cultivated contributes to the special taste and aroma of Fujian jasmine tea. In April 2014,the System of Fuzhou Jasmine Cultivation and Jasmine Tea Culture was listed as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Other kinds of tea are also produced in Fuzhou, including black tea with jasmine aroma.

Fuzhou and the Belt and Road

Fuzhou’s fast development is related to its five-in-one economic improvement project,which consists of the National Ecological Conservation Pilot Zone, the core area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the Pilot Free Trade Zone, Fuzhou New Area and the National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone.Cooperation and exchanges through the Belt and Road can be connected to all those initiatives through Fuzhou’s spirit of peace and openness.

The transportation infrastructure of Fuzhou is effective at promoting the fl ow of both passengers and goods. The city is a railway hub in northern Fujian, and can be easily reached by high-speed train from many Chinese cities. Fuzhou Changle International Airport is a hub for Fuzhou Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, connecting Fuzhou with other major Chinese cities and also some destinations abroad. The seaport receives not only cargo ships, but also regular passenger ships from the Matsu Islands. With so many transportation facilities,it’s clear that Fuzhou will play an important role as a hub of the Belt and Road Initiative, and investments have been made to improve local infrastructure to ensure it will support the growing number of goods and passengers passing through Fuzhou.

The Maritime Silk Road(Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival has been an effort for building and exploring new tourism cooperation modes between cities along the Maritime Silk Road. This kind of cooperation not only strengthens relations between governments of those cities,but also among people. It also promotes education and cultural exchange and creates a coordinated development of regional tourism.

Fuzhou’s openness dates back to ancient times and led to the creation of the Maritime Silk Road. Now it’s time for the revival of that important historical route, and Fuzhou is ready to sail again, sharing its expertise with other cities and countries.