The History of Fuzhou

Fuzhou was built over 2200 years starting in 202 B.C. by the king of Yue kingdom. The city was not named Fuzhou until 725 A.D. and was named because of its region close to the mountains. The ancient Chinese believe mountains to be a sign of luck so the name can be broken down to understand it’s meaning- “fu” meaning luck and “zhou” meaning region. It is now the capital of southeastern China where it sits on the bank of the large Min River, very close to the East China Sea.

There were many changes established by different forms of power as dynasties rose and fell. During the Yuan Dynasty, the Fujian Administrative Institution was set up. About a century later, Zhu Yujin proclaimed himself emperor and settled in Fuzhou when he decided to change the name of the region from Fuzhou to Fujing. The Quig Dynasty in the 17th and into the 20th century officially set Fuzhou as the provincial capital.

Fuzhou prospered in the 16th century up to the 19th century as it was an important port for trade of tea. Western culture was introduced to the port in 1866 as it became a site for experimentation with technology and the Fuzhou Navy Yard was established. An arsenal was built under French guidance and a school opened that became the center of study for Western languages and technical studies.

It wasn’t until 1946 when Fuzhou was an official city. Fuzhou has continued to grow more recently since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Fuzhou was liberated and became the capital of Fujian Province of China in 1949 as well. The city now makes many more exports now including industrial chemicals, processed food products, timber, electronics, paper, and other textiles. In 1984, the P.R.C. designated Fuzhou as one of China’s ‘open cities’ to invite foreign investments. It is not currently a popular tourist city, but offers beautiful scenes of mountains and rivers, historic temples, and relaxing gardens.

https://www.chinahighlights.com/fuzhou/attraction/

https://www.chinahighlights.com/fuzhou/history.htm

https://www.britannica.com/place/Fuzhou-China

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