Fuzhou History & Culture

Fuzhou, designated by the State Council as a key central city on China's southeastern coast, is a National Historical and Cultural City, a national comprehensive transportation hub, a gateway to the southeastern coast's opening up, a regional hub for scientific and technological innovation, and a key platform for cross-strait integration, development, exchange, and cooperation. In 202 BC, Wuzhu, a descendant of King Goujian of Yue (ennobled as King of Minyue), built a city and capital here, calling it "Yecheng." In 725, due to the presence of Fushan Mountain in the north of the prefecture, it was renamed "Fuzhou" and promoted to a governor's office, with its seat located within the prefecture (present-day Guping Road). In 1946, Fuzhou was established as a city. With a history spanning over 2,200 years, Fuzhou has served as the capital of Fujian Province since the Ming Dynasty. It boasts four iconic cultural landmarks: Tanshi Mountain, the Shipbuilding Administration, the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, and Shoushan Stone. It has produced numerous historical figures, including Lin Zexu, Shen Baozhen, and Yan Fu. Fuzhou's Mawei District is the cradle of China's modern navy and the birthplace of Chinese shipbuilding culture. It was one of the five earliest open ports of trade in modern China.