Fujian: Blessed province boosts fu culture

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chinadaily.com.cn

Mar 18, 2022, 08:41 ET

BEIJING, March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by chinadaily.com.cn on Fujian's "fu" culture:

How deeply rooted is the Chinese character "fu", which means blessings, in the culture and emotional connections of the Chinese people?

Light show of the Chinese character "fu" in different fonts illuminates the buildings along the Minjiang River in Fuzhou, Fujian province. [Photo/IC]

The answer comes from Fujian, China's only province with the Chinese character "Fu" in its name.

Fujian has long been known as a place that nurtures an abundance of cultures, such as Zhuzi Culture from Mount Wuyi, Mindu Culture from Fuzhou, Minnan Culture from Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, Hakka Culture from Longyan, Mazu Culture from Putian, and Overseas Chinese Culture.

Fujian has been bolstering its efforts to protect, inherit, develop and interpret the fu culture in various forms.

For example, Mount Wuyi, which is included on both the world cultural heritage list and the world natural heritage list, was rated as a national park. UNESCO placed Quanzhou on its World Heritage List for its role as an "emporium of the world in Song-Yuan China" during the 44th Session of the World Heritage Committee.

The province also released 13 cultural identifiers in 2021, including the Gutian Meeting of 1929, Lin Zexu (1785-1850), Zheng Chenggong (1624-1662), Mazu belief, Min tea, and Dehua white porcelain, which all feature and highlight Fujian's cultural characteristics.

Fu culture has evolved over time to reflect not only good wishes and expectations, but also a practical application in everyday life and a thorough realization of socio-economic and cultural development.

According to statistics, Fujian's GDP in 2021 was 4.88 trillion yuan ($770.42 billion), up 8 percent from that in 2020, and the province's GDP per capita was more than $18,000. Fujian was also the only province in China to maintain exceptional water, air, and ecological environments, and it ranked first in the country's ecological civilization index.

As a province boasting fu culture, Fujian shoulders the important task of promoting fu culture to the world.

Fujian province and representatives of its rich cultures, such as the Fujian Exhibition Hall, Shoushan stone seals, Quanzhou Nanyin – one of China's oldest existing types of music, lacquer thread sculptures, Dehua white porcelain, Fuzhou oil-paper umbrella, Fuzhou Jasmine Tea, Anxi Tieguanyin, and Wuyi rock tea, were showcased live to audiences all over the world during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Since Feb 1, Fujian's Year of the Tiger greeting video has been playing at global landmarks, such as New York's Times Square.

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn