The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO kicked off in Fuzhou– a land of blessings by the river and the sea

An aerial photo of Nanhou Street of the Historic District of Three Lanes and Seven Alleys in Fuzhou on July 10 (taken by a drone).

Photo taken on July 15, 2021showed that the square of the Fuzhou Strait International Conference & Exhibition Center, the main venue for the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee was decorated. (Photo by Jiang Kehong) 

“Wherever I go, I cannot be separated from Fuzhou.”

This local saying expresses the pride and yearning Fuzhou people have for their hometown.

Everyone commends their own hometowns, then what makes Fuzhou special?

“Fuzhou is a beautiful National Famous Historical and Cultural City  with a superior natural environment which boasts the unique feature of the integration of mountains, waters, and the city.”

People can read the beauties and glories of Fuzhou in the preface to the book Fuzhou Ancient Houses.

The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee kicked off in Fuzhou on July 16. This is the second time that China has hosted such a session of the World Heritage Committee, the highest-level international conference in the field of cultural and natural heritage protection after 17 years.

As “the capital of Fujian province and a famous city in China”, Fuzhou has more than 7000 years of historical and cultural accumulation and more than 2200 years of history since its establishment. It has rich historical relics and profound cultural heritage.

With superb geographical conditions, Fuzhou has three famous mountains and the Min River flows through it. In addition to its Shipbuilding Culture, many ancient lanes and alleys have witnessed historical events that occurred in the city. The old banyan trees dotted across the city provide vast shade and the fragrant jasmine tea spreads the tastes of spring of China...

The ancient buildings scattered in the shade of green trees display beautiful curves of saddle-shaped garble and murmur the legend of the city.

Locals can hear the flow of the river from their backyards and enjoy the sea breeze blowing from the Pacific. Known as a blessed land, Fuzhou embraces the world with great tolerance and its splendid future unfolds like a Chinese painting scroll...

 nicknames of Fuzhou A Historic City Nicknamed “Sanshan” and “Zuohai” 

“Three Hills, Two Towers, and One River” is the natural emblem of Fuzhou (Pingshan Hill, Wushan Hill, Yushan Hill; Wu Tower, Bai Tower, and Min River).

Surrounded by mountains in three directions, and facing the sea in one direction, Fuzhou is high in the north and flat in the south, like an opened folding fan.

For thousands of years, the folk song "three hills are visible; three hills are hidden and three are invisible” has been spread in Fuzhou, meaning that Pingshan Hill, Wushan Hill, Yushan Hill are high and prominent but their branches are hidden or invisible being blocked by houses. Those three hills, with beautiful landscape, are still the favorite tourist attractions and summer resorts of the locals.

Min River, originating from Mount Wuyi of northern Fujian, is the mother river of Fujian people. The mighty river flows through downtown Fuzhou and runs into the East China Sea via Mawei Port.

Yu Dafu, a writer in the Republic of China, describes Min River as “the representative of graceful rivers with its lucid water, powerful current and broad water at the turning...”

With Pingshan Hill, Wushan Hill, Yushan Hill standing tall and Min River flowing endlessly, Fuzhou is endowed with enchanting scenery and unique historical and cultural charms: the majestic mountains serve as a viewing platform, a shield and a swaddle for the city and the mighty river facilitates transportation, connecting the city with the world.

Because of its extraordinary geographical features and abundant mountain and water resources, Fuzhou served as capital five times and was expanded six times in its history.

In Archaeological Ruins of Xindian City in the north of Fuzhou, the time-honored old city walls still whisper the glories of ancient Fujian culture. In ancient times, Min People lived in this region and Yue People moved here in the late Warring States Period (475-221 BC) from the northwestern direction and merged with the ancient Min People to form Minyue People and established the MinyueKingdom (334 -110 BC).

At Yeshan Hill Park on the northern end of the central axis of Fuzhou city, the statue of King Wuzhu of Minyue Kingdom with a sword in hand is extraordinarily magnificent. It is said over 2,000 years ago, a famous smelting specialist Ouye Zi once cast swords alongside Yeshan Hill Pond, so “Ouye Pond” relic was left here. According to historical records, after the establishment of the Minyue Kingdom, Wuzhu built the city of Minyue Kingdom with Yeshan Hill as the center.

From the repaired stone boat to the inscriptions on cliffs, from renovated Ouye Pond to the people wandering around the old lanes and alleys of Chenghuang Street and Nengbutian Lane, from Xindian to Yeshan Hill, the origin of Fuzhou city and the root of Minyue People emerge one after another and the richness of history and the daily lives of ordinary people integrate with each other.

Since the conquer of the Minyue area by Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), he relocated the people to the Yangtze-Huaihe region, and Fuzhou declined for a period of time. However, as the implementation of the relocation to the south policy in Jin Dynasty (266-420 AD), many northerners moved south and the civilization of the Central Plains was spread to the Fujian region. Therefore, Fuzhou flourished again after Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

Tracing back the culture of Fuzhou, the scholar-official culture represented by Three Lanes and Seven Alleys at the foot of Wushan Hill and the merchant culture exemplified by Shangxiahang Historic District along Min River shape the city’s dispositions and cultural characters.

First built at the end of Western Jin Dynasty, Three Lanes and Seven Alleys is a large-scale and well-retained district in China with historical and cultural value and it is celebrated as a living fossil of traditional Lifang System (an urban planning system) in Chinese cities and an architectural museum of Ming(1368- 1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1636-1912 AD) buildings. Among them, Nanhou Street is a famous lantern fair in Fuzhou. As a Chinese poem reads, “ Nanhou Street in front of Yijin Lane is like Colored Glaze Factory Culture Street outside Zhengyang Gate”. By comparing Nanhou Street to the famous and busy street in Beijing, the poem described the prosperity Nanhou Street ever had.

Shangxiahang Historic District was first recorded at the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty. Since the end of Qing Dynasty, it has become the most prosperous commercial area of Fuzhou, known as the "Museum of Fuzhou Traditional Commerce". Its prosperity is vividly shown in the poem, “a wide variety of goods from all over the world are shipped to China, and many households would buy wine to drink.  With old banyan trees in the lanes and alleys and sweet canes in the garden, people in Fuzhou live a peaceful and happy life.”

The Classic of Mountains and Seas says Fujian is in the sea. Fuzhou, located at the shore of the East China Sea, is also known as “Zuohai”(the left side of the sea)and reaching each river and sea is the dream pursued by its people from ancient times. The plentiful heritage of Maritime Silk Road has witnessed the development of this open city.

Wang Shenzhi, the first king of the Min Kingdom was committed to opening Fujian to the outside world. In order to facilitate both river and land transport in Fuzhou, he opened up the Gantang Port, which was then the “Great Oriental Port”. As per investigation of archaeologists, the Gantang Port was located near the present Langqi Port and the port established business relations with the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and Southeast Asia, laying a solid foundation for Fuzhou Port being the hub of north and south.

In Zheng He's magnificent voyages to the Western Seas, Fuzhou once again played an important role. Zheng He chose Changle, Fuzhou as the berth and starting point for the voyages. During the 28 years of his seven voyages, the fleet was moored in Changle for as long as 4 years where they supplemented supplies, recruited sailors, and built and repaired ships, leaving many precious historical remains behind.

In Zheng He Historical Relics Museum, there is a stele reading "A Record of Tianfei Showing Her Presence and Power", known as “Zheng He Stele”, which was inscribed in the winter of 1431 of Ming Dynasty before the 7th expedition by Zheng He and his entourage. The inscription recorded in detail the times, locations, personnel and the countries they reached, overseas trade and friendly exchanges, etc. Fuzhou Mawei Luoxing Pagoda, later marked as “China Pagoda” in the international nautical chart of Zheng He’s fleet, still stands lofty and firm today.

Zheng He Stele, Luoxing Pagoda, Shengshou Pagoda, Yunmen Temple... These historical remains not only bear witness to the friendly exchanges between people at home and abroad and the Maritime Silk Road but are the vivid illustrations of Fuzhou as a gateway to the Maritime Silk Road.

Rouyuanyi Station, known as Fuzhou’s ancient “State Guesthouse”, also witnessed the precious history in the maritime transportation of Fuzhou.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Fuzhou became an important trading port for Ryukyu Kingdom to present tributes. After arriving, the tribute envoys would stay temporarily in Rouyuanyi Station before going to the capital. As many people from Ryukyu lived in the station, it was also called “Ryukyukan (Ryukyu Station)”. Nowadays, after renovation, the station has been turned into Fuzhou Friendly Foreign Relations History Museum and is open to the public free of charge.

An Era of Turbulence, the Spirit of Patriotism

The Opium War marked the beginning of modern Chinese history and profoundly changed the destiny of Fuzhou. 

As one of the five ports that were forced to open for foreign trade after Qing government signed the Treaty of Nanking, Fuzhou was a meeting place of Eastern and Western civilizations and the humiliation suffered by the nation strongly aroused the lofty ideals of some dedicated patriots to fight. 

At the beginning of port-opening, Liang Zhangju, whose ancestral home was Fuzhou, was a courtier mastering a deep understanding of current affairs in the late Qing Dynasty. He once pointed that the most convenient route for Wuyi tea to be exported overseas was to enter the Minjiang River along Chongyang Creek and then went straight down to Fuzhou Port, which highlighted the important role of Fuzhou in tea trade. 

As Fuzhou opened its door to the outside world, western countries came to Fuzhou to set up agencies. By the beginning of the 20th century, 17 countries, including Britain, France, and the United States, had set up consulates and offices of chargés d’affaires in Fuzhou, most of which were located in Yantai Mountain on the south bank of Minjiang River.

Walking in the Yantai Moutain Historic Scenic Area, overlooking Minjiang River flowing down and looking around old consulates built at the foot of the hills and nearly one hundred old western buildings in various shapes, people can’t help but feel touched by the hardships Yantai Mountain have gone through, which have recorded the trend of the times after Fuzhou opened its port and spoke of the bitterly painful history of humiliation.

Following a great wave of urban development and construction, Yantai Mountain area has been restored to its brilliance after the overall renovation. More and more travelers come to explore “the flavor of the Republic of China”, making streets and houses come alive. The word “Gulangyu Island in the South, Yantai Mountain in the North” travels fast. 

A city’s history is not only hidden in a tree or a stone, but also shown in glorious names and valuable spirits. 

Fuzhou, where rivers and the sea converge, pioneered the modernization of China and played a prominent role in the process. In particular, located in the center of Fuzhou, the district of Three Lanes and Seven Alleys was home to numerous celebrities, thus winning the reputation of “a community of Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, half chapter of modern Chinese history”.

With old streets in lines, ancient houses in groups, and old banyan trees’ shade, tourists pass through the lanes and alleys and unconsciously touch the history marks left by Lin Zexu, Yan Fu, Lin Juemin, and other celebrities.

Lin Zexu was the earliest pioneer who opened his eyes to observe the outside world in China’s modern history. Lin Zexu Memorial Hall, an architecture with red walls and black tiles in the style of the gardens in Jiangnan (a region in the lower reaches of Yangtze River Valley), is located on Macao Road, which is nearby Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. The upturned eave angles, blue-veined door headers and thick old banyan trees reveal the unique cultural atmosphere of Fuzhou. The relief sculpture of the Destruction of Opium at Humen, three stone tablets bestowed by the Xianfeng Emperor   (r.1850-1861), and a plaque inscribed with Happiness and Longevity written by the Daoguang Emperor (r.1820-1850); all of which state Lin Zexu’s contributions that shine throughout history. 

“The ocean is vast for it refuses no rivers; the cliff stands firm for it embraces no desires”, “The end of the sea has sky as its shore, the highest peak is me when I climb to the top of the mountain” “Were it to benefit my country I would lay down my life; What then is risk to me” and other famous quotations from Lin Zexu shown in the museums are a brilliant portrayal of his spirit, and still nourishes the Chinese people’s spiritual world. 

Kang Youwei once said, “Lin Shu and Yan Fu are two greatest translators in this world”.  Coincidentally, Yan Fu and Lin Shu were both from Fuzhou. Yan Fu made a significant contribution to the intellectual history of modern China and was known as the master who enlightened people in modern China. Being the first president of Peking University, he taught at the Beiyang Naval Academy and trained the first batch of naval personnel in modern China. He put forward the translation standards of "faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance", which left a far-reaching influence in the field of translation. 

In modern Chinese history, celebrities who were born in Fuzhou, including Shen Baozhen, the Father of Shipyard, Lin Juemin, Huanghuagang martyr, Bing Xin and Lin Huiyin, famous female writers, etc., also made a great contribution. They are stars shining brightly in the history of Fuzhou.

The Shipbuilding Culture is another “business card” of the modern history of Fuzhou. 

Mawei Port is located where the Minjiang River, Wulong River, and Majiang River meet. It left an indelible impact on Chinese modern history because of the establishment of the Fujian Naval College. 

Western powers opened ancient China’s door with their solid ships and advanced cannons. The Chinese intellectuals shouldered the responsibility of survival and salvation in the face of “the great change unseen for a thousand years” in the late Qing Dynasty. Located at the mouth of three rivers, Mawei Port came onto the historical stage under the background of Westernization Movement.

Zuo Zongtang, the Viceroy of Min-Zhe (Taiwan, Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces and Surrounding Areas), guided people to initially establish a modern naval system consisting of a shipyard, the Naval College, and Fujian Fleet in Mawei Port. It was the birthplace of modern Chinese shipbuilding industry and modern Chinese navy. It cultivated many national elites such as Deng Shichang, Zhan Tianyou, Liu Buchan, Lin Yongsheng, and Chen Jitong, many of whom sacrificed themselves in the Sino-Japanese Naval War (1894).

Looking back at history, seas around Fuzhou could be called “the sea of bitterness” or “the sea of fire”.

Now, by visiting the upgraded China Shipyard Culture Museum, we feel that the turbulent history seems to be close at hand. The sound of gunfire shouting from Zhaozhong Temple, the burial place of 196 martyrs of the Battle of Fuzhou between China and France, seems to be upon our ears. For Fuzhou, Mawei Shipyard is not only the geographical coordinates of rivers and seas, but also the spiritual symbol of daring to be the first and serving the country loyally.

Witnessed by the seas, the legend of Fuzhou continues.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the economic and social development of Fuzhou once lagged behind because it was in the front line of coastal defense for a long time. It lacked a sense of presence and was less competitive even though it was the coastal capital city of Fujian province. 

Before long, crude and small wigwams and wooden houses were built upon banks of the Minjiang River. The walls were papered and Fuzhou was called “the City of Papers”. The main urban area was surrounded by mountains, which made it impassable. Situated in a long and narrow basin on the lower reaches of the Minjiang River, Fuzhou enjoyed the geographical advantage of being close to the sea. Nevertheless, it failed to achieve prosperity by developing water transport.

In the 1990s, the then main leaders of Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee worked out the Strategic Ideas of Economy and Society Development of Fuzhou in the Next 20 Years, “3820” Strategic Project for short. It scientifically planned the strategic goals, steps, overall arrangement, and emphases of economic and social development in 3, 8 and 20 years, and provided a general plan to lead the development of Fuzhou. 

The fact that rivers and seas of Fuzhou represent its strengths, future, hopes and development has been proved to be correct. 

In recent 30 years, Fuzhou has adhered to the essence of “3820” Strategic Project, “stick to its agenda and carry out hard work over generations”, which is making its ideas come true. You Mengjun, the major of Fuzhou, said, “With the growing scale, continuous improvement of functions and quality, Fuzhou has transformed itself from an underdeveloped city to a modern one.

The Binhai New City, situated about 40 kilometers southeast of the main urban area of Fuzhou, is currently the key sub-center of the city under construction. The Fuzhou-Pingtan Railway, Changle-Fuqing Expressway, and Changle-Pingtan Expressway have been successfully opened to traffic. Fuzhou Metro Line 6 and Intercity Railway Line F1, which have been scheduled for construction, will also strengthen the connection between the main city and the sub-center, and it will only take about half an hour to travel between the two places in the future.

Open the window and let the rivers in; open the door and rush to the sea. With its growing inclusiveness, today’s Fuzhou has broken its old framework of “three mountains, two towers and one river”, and moved towards a new pattern of “seven mountains, two rivers, and one sea”. 

Not only has the city expanded to the sea, but industries have also gathered at the harbor. "Fuzhou at Sea" has become a new economic growth pole with the city's gross marine economic product reaching 285 billion yuan in 2020.

Along the winding shoreline, the coastal industries are in a line from north to south. In the northern Luoyuanwan Port, iron and steel enterprises represented by Baosteel Desheng and Dadonghai Steel are building an industry cluster of 100 billion yuan. Kemen Port, situated in the middle part of the Lianjiang River, has become the world's largest whole industry chain production base of caprolactam. Jiangyin Port is located in the southern part of Fuqing. The port has an entire industrial chain project of Wanhua Chemical Group with a total investment of 50 billion yuan under construction. It is marching towards its goal of becoming a zone of world-class new chemical material at 100 billion yuan level.

For Fuzhou, what makes it stronger and bigger lies in the “seas” and what makes it more beautiful and better lies in the “rivers”. 

Li Jing, the chief planner of natural resources and planning department of Fuzhou, said, “There are more than 20 cross-river bridges either completed or under construction in Fuzhou, forming multiple east-west transport corridors.” Li introduced that with the “Along the river to the sea” strategy carrying forward, the “Golden Belt” of Fuzhou would expand to both Minjiang River and Wulong River from sole Minjiang River. 

Landmarks of the city are widely distributed on the banks of Minjiang River, including Waterfront Landscape Belt of North Port of Minjiang River, Shangxiahang Historic District, Yantai Mountain, Strait Culture and Arts Center, etc. Recently, Fuzhou released a document giving priority to constructing 8 competitive landscape belts along the river, making efforts to create an international landscape zone with beautiful scenery and rich culture. 

Located on the north bank of the Minjiang River, Shangxiahang Historic District has become a new internet-famous site in nearly two years. As the old CBD of Fuzhou hundreds of years ago, it gradually languished after historical changes. It was not renovated and reconstructed until 2013. 

“We totally repair 16 protected historical and cultural sites and 82 cultural relics, most of which are ancient houses of Fuzhou”, Lin Qing, the general manager of Shangxiahang Protection & Development Co. Ltd, said, “We pay attention to the dynamic utilization, which organically integrates the styles of historical buildings and modern city, so as to not only retain history and culture, but also show modern appeals.”

Fuzhou has specially set up a group to protect and develop the cultural heritage of ancient houses such as those in Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Zhuzifang District, Liangcuo Historical and Cultural Block, South Park, etc. As a result, Fuzhou has formed a vertically integrated industry chain including protection and restoration of ancient buildings, business operations of blocks, development of cultural tourism and brands cultivation. Taking preparations for the 44th Session of the World Heritage Committee as the starting point, Fuzhou has carried out a new round of special actions to register, protect and utilize ancient houses in 2021. One hundred and seventy-one ancient houses have been repaired, with54 fine projects for the dynamic utilization of ancient houses being completed. 

Yang Yong, the head of Fuzhou Historical and Cultural City Management Committee, said, “The overall pattern of the ancient Fuzhou is visible. Fuzhou is the only city that has preserved the central axis of the ancient town in China, and the historical and cultural blocks are relatively well reserved”. He added that Fuzhou would continue to promote the protection of famous historical and cultural cities with a high level and precision, and protect the "root" and "spirit" of Fuzhou.

For an ancient city, “conservatism” demonstrates its cultural confidence, and “innovation” tests its development courage. 

Rivers and seas bring tides and wind blows the sails. From its GDP surpassing one trillion yuan threshold to the implementation of Strong Capital strategy proposed by Fujian Province, and to the recent approval of Development Plan for Fuzhou Metropolitan Circle, Fuzhou now has met an unprecedented development opportunity at a new historical starting point. 

Fuzhou Metropolitan Circle is the second metropolitan circle at the national level after Nanjing. It covers a land area of 26,000 square kilometers with Fuzhou at the center, including the entire Fuzhou Cityand Putian City, parts of Ningde City and Nanping City, and Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Area. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) made it clear that Fuzhou Metropolitan Circle must “build a modern metropolitan circle of great influence, realize urban integration through collaboration and governance for shared benefits, thus strongly supporting Fujian to promote high-quality development in all aspects”.

The urban framework of Fuzhou is now expanding to seas. With the vibrant industry development, prominent features of a scenic city, and glamorous Fuzhou culture, Fuzhou is accelerating its pace toward a modern international city. 

“It has been through countless springs and autumns, witnessing too many times of the ebb and flow of the sea”. The ancient city has endured great hardships and left endless and splendid culture. 

“The ancient city of two thousand two hundred years old still enjoys its prime of life”.Fuzhou is continuing to struggle and writing its new legends in the name of happiness under the witness of rivers and seas. (Reported by Gu Qianjiang, Tu Hongchang, Wang Cheng)

Following a great wave of urban development and construction, Yantai Mountain area has been restored to its brilliance after the overall renovation. More and more travelers come to explore “the flavor of the Republic of China”, making streets and houses come alive. The word “Gulangyu Island in the South, Yantai Mountain in the North” travels fast. 

A city’s history is not only hidden in a tree or a stone, but also shown in glorious names and valuable spirits. 

Fuzhou, where rivers and the sea converge, created a precedent and played a prominent role through the modernization of China. In particular, located in the center of Fuzhou, the block of “the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys” was home to numerous celebrities, thus winning the reputation of “a community of Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, half chapter of modern Chinese history”.

With old streets in a line, ancient houses in groups, and old banyan trees’ shade, tourists pass through the lanes and alleys and can unconsciously touch the history marks left by Lin Zexu, Yan Fu, Lin Juemin, and other celebrities.

Lin Zexu was the earliest pioneer who opened his eyes to observe the outside world in China’s modern history. Lin Zexu Memorial Hall, an architecture with red walls and black tiles in the style of the gardens in Jiangnan (a region in the lower reaches of Yangtze River Valley), is located on Macao Road, which is nearby Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. The upturned eave angles, blue-veined door headers and thick old banyan trees reveal the unique cultural atmosphere of Fuzhou. The relief sculpture of the Destruction of Opium at Humen, three stone tablets bestowed by the Xianfeng Emperor (r.1850-1861), and a horizontal board inscribed with Happiness and Longevity written by the Daoguang Emperor (r.1820-1850); all the above state Lin Zexu’s contributions that shine throughout history. 

“The ocean is vast for it refuses no rivers; the cliff stands firm for it embraces no desires.”, "The endless sea has the sky as its shore; the highest peak is me when I climb to the mountain top", “Were it to benefit my country I would lay down my life; What then is the risk to me?” and other famous quotations from Lin Zexu shown in the museums are a brilliant portrayal of his spirit, and still nourishes the Chinese people’s spiritual world. 

Kang Youwei once said, “Lin Shu and Yan Fu are two greatest translators in this world”.  Coincidentally, Yan Fu and Lin Shu were both from Fuzhou. Yan Fu made a significant contribution to the intellectual history of modern China and was known as the master who enlightened people in modern China. Being the first president of Peking University, he taught at the Beiyang Naval Academy and trained the first batch of naval personnel in modern China. He put forward the translation standards of "faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance", which left a far-reaching influence in the field of translation. 

In modern Chinese history, celebrities born in Fuzhou, including the Father of Shipping Shen Baozhen, Huanghuagang martyr Lin Juemin, famous female writers Bing Xin and Lin Huiyin, etc., also made a great contribution. They are stars shining brightly in the history of Fuzhou.

The Shipbuilding Culture is another “business card” of the modern history of Fuzhou. 

Mawei Port is located where the Minjiang River, Wulong River, and Majiang River meet. It left an indelible impact on Chinese modern history because of the establishment of the Fujian Shipping and Polity School. 

Western powers opened ancient China’s door with their solid ships and advanced cannons. The Chinese intellectuals shouldered the responsibility of survival and salvation in the face of “the great change unseen for a thousand years” in the late Qing Dynasty. Located at the mouth of three rivers, Mawei Port came onto the historical stage under the background of Westernization Movement.

Zuo Zongtang, the Viceroy of Min-Zhe (Taiwan, Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces and Surrounding Areas), guided people to initially establish a modern naval system consisting of a shipyard, the Fujian Shipping and Polity School, and Fujian Fleet in Mawei Port. It was the birthplace of modern Chinese shipbuilding industry and modern Chinese navy. It cultivated many national elites such as Deng Shichang, Zhan Tianyou, Liu Buchan, Lin Yongsheng, and Chen Jitong, many of whom sacrificed themselves in the Sino-Japanese Naval War(1894).

Looking back at history, seas around Fuzhou could be called “the sea of bitterness” or “the sea of fire”.

Now, by visiting the upgradedChinaShipyard CultureMuseum, we feel that the turbulent history seems to be close at hand. The sound of gunfire shouting from Zhaozhong Temple, the burial place of 196 martyrs of the Battle of Fuzhou between China and France, seems to be upon our ears. For Fuzhou, Mawei Shipyard is not only the geographical coordinates of rivers and seas, but also the spiritual symbol of daring to be the first and serving the country loyally.

Seas witness, the legend continues.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the economic and social development of Fuzhou once lagged behind because it was in the front line of coastal defense for a long time. It lacked a sense of presence and was less competitive even though it was the coastal capital city of Fujian province. 

Before long, crude and small wigwams and wooden houses were built upon banks of the Minjiang River. The walls were papered and Fuzhou was called “the City of Papers”. The main urban area was surrounded by mountains, which made it impassable. Situated in a long and narrow basin on the lower reaches of the Minjiang River, Fuzhou enjoyed the geographical advantage of being close to the sea. Nevertheless, it failed to achieve prosperity by developing water transport.

In the 1990s, the then main leaders of Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee worked out the Strategic Ideas of Economy and Society Development of Fuzhou in the Next 20 Years, “3820” Strategic Project for short. It scientifically planned the strategic goals, steps, overall arrangement, and emphases of economic and social development in 3, 8 and 20 years, and provided a general plan to lead the development of Fuzhou. 

The fact that rivers and seas of Fuzhou represent its strengths, future, hopes, and development has been proved to be correct. 

In recent 30 years, Fuzhou has adhered to the essence of “3820” Strategic Project, “stick to its agenda and carry out hard work over generations”, which is making its ideas come true. You Mengjun, the major of Fuzhou, said, “With the growing scale, continuous improvement of functions and increasing of quality, Fuzhou has turned into a modern city along the river from an underdeveloped town.

The Binhai New City, situated about 40 kilometers southeast of the main urban area of Fuzhou, is currently the key sub-center of the city under construction. The Fuzhou-Pingtan Railway, Changle-Fuqing Expressway, and Changle-Pingtan Expressway have been successfully opened to traffic. Fuzhou Metro Line 6 and Intercity Railway Line F1, which have been scheduled for construction, will also strengthen the connection between the main city and the sub-center town, and it will only take about half an hour to travel between the two places in the future.

Open the window and let the rivers in; open the door and rush to the sea. With its growing inclusiveness, today’s Fuzhou has broken its old framework of “three mountains, two towers and one river”, and moved towards a new pattern of “seven mountains, two rivers, and one sea”. 

Not only has the city expanded to the sea, but industries have also gathered at the harbor. "Fuzhou at Sea" has become a new economic growth pole with the city's gross marine economic product reaching 285 billion yuan in 2020.

Along the winding shoreline, the coastal industries are in a line from north to south. In the northern Luoyuanwan Port, iron and steel enterprises represented by Baosteel Desheng and Dadonghai Steel are building an industry cluster of 100 billion yuan. Kemen Port, situated in the middle part of the Lianjiang River, has become the world's largest entire whole industry chain production base of caprolactam. Jiangyin Port is located in the southern part of Fuqing. The port has an entire industrial chain project of Wanhua Chemical Group with a total investment of 50 billion yuan under construction. It is marching towards its goal of becoming a zone of world-class new chemical material at 100 billion yuan level.

For Fuzhou, what makes it stronger and bigger lies in the “seas” and what makes it more beautiful and better lies in the “rivers”. 

Li Jing, the chief planner of natural resources and planning department of Fuzhou, said, “There are more than 20 cross-river bridges either completed or under construction in Fuzhou, forming multiple east-west transport corridors.” Li introduced that with the “Along the river to the sea” strategy carrying forward, the “Golden belt” of Fuzhou would expand to both Minjiang River and Wulong River from sole Minjiang River. 

Landmarks of the city are widely distributed on the banks of Minjiang River, including Waterfront Landscape Belt of North Port of Minjiang River, Shangxiahang HistoricalArea, Yantai Mountain, Strait Culture and Arts Center, etc. Recently, Fuzhou released a document giving priority to construct 8 competitive landscape belts along the river, making efforts to create an international landscape zone with beautiful scenery and rich culture. 

Located on the north bank of the Minjiang River, Shangxiahang Historical Area has become a new internet-famous site in nearly two years. As the old CBD of Fuzhou hundreds of years ago, it gradually languished after historical changes. It was not renovated and reconstructed until 2013. 

“We totally repair 16 protected historical and cultural sites and 82 cultural relics, most of which are ancient houses of Fuzhou”, Lin Qing, the general manager of Shangxiahang Historical Block Protection Development Co. Ltd, said, “We pay attention to the dynamic utilization, which organically integrates the styles of historical buildings and modern urban, so as to not only retain history and culture, but also show modern fashion.”

Fuzhou has specially set up a group to protect and develop the cultural heritage of ancient houses such as those in Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Zhuzifang District, Liangcuo Historic District, South Park, etc. As a result, Fuzhou has formed a vertically integrated industry chain including protection and restoration of ancient buildings, business operations of blocks, development of cultural tourism and brands cultivation. Taking preparations for the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee as the starting point, Fuzhou has carried out a new round of special actions to register, protect and utilize ancient houses in 2021. One hundred and seventy-one ancient houses have been repaired, with54 fine projects for the dynamic utilization of ancient houses being completed. 

Yang Yong, the head of Fuzhou Historic City Management Committee, said, “The overall pattern of the ancient Fuzhou is visible. Fuzhou is the only city that has preserved the central axis of the ancient town in China, and the historic districts are relatively well reserved”. He added that Fuzhou would continue to promote the protection of famous historic city with a high level and precision, and protect the "root" and "soul" of Fuzhou.

For an ancient city, “conservatism” demonstrates its cultural confidence, and “innovation” tests its development courage. 

Rivers and seas bring tides and wind blows the sails. From its GDP surpassing one trillion yuan threshold to the implementation of Strong Capital strategy proposed by Fujian Province, and to the recent approval of Development Plan for Fuzhou Metropolitan Circle, Fuzhou now has met an unprecedented development opportunity at a new historical starting point. 

Fuzhou Metropolitan Circle is the second metropolitan circle at the national level after Nanjing. It covers a land area of 26,000 square kilometers with Fuzhou at the center, including the entire Fuzhou City and Putian City, part of Ningde City and Nanping City, and Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Area. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) made it clear that Fuzhou Metropolitan Circle must“build a modern metropolitan circle of great influence, realize urban integration through collaboration and governance for shared benefits, thus strongly supporting Fujian to promote high-quality development in all aspects”.

The framework of Fuzhou is now expanding to seas. With the vibrant industry development, prominent features of scenic city and glamorous culture, Fuzhou is accelerating its pace toward a modern international city. 

“Having gone through countless springs and autumns, Fuzhou witnessed the ebb and flow of the sea for numerous times”. The ancient city has endured great hardships and left endless and splendid culture. 

“The 2,200-year-old ancient city still in its prime of life”. Witnessed by rivers and seas, Fuzhou continues to deliver happiness to its people and write new legends. (Reported by Gu Qianjiang, Tu Hongchang, Wang Cheng)