Cultural Heritage

Gan River, Fu River, Xin River, Rao River, Xiu River, Poyang Lake, Jiujiang, Nanchang, Ganzhou, Ji’an, Zhangshu, Guanyin Bridge, Wanchang Bridge, Ziyang Dike, Waizhou Station Do you know why Jiangxi is called “Gan-Po”? Two characters. One river. One lake. They connect the entire province. 167,176 square kilometers. 2,400 rivers. 18,400 kilometers of waterways. All flowing into a single lake. This is Jiangxi’s water system code. 766 Kilometers: The Lifeline of Imperial Wealth The Gan River stretches 766 kilometers. Its basin covers nearly half of Jiangxi. ...

Shunchang, Baoshan, Dali, Shaowu, Futun Creek, Zhima, Jian’ou, Guangxiao Temple, Baoning Temple, Nakou, Weimin, Twin Sages Temple You know the “Monkey King”? Of course. Sun Wukong. But what you may not know: the Monkey King wasn’t born in a book. He was born in Fujian. On a mountain peak 1,304 meters high. There’s a Yuan Dynasty stone shrine up there. Inside, it enshrines the “Sage Reaching Heaven” and the “Great Sage Equaling Heaven.” ...

Sanfang Qixiang, Nanhou Street, Yijin Lane, Wenru Lane, Guanglu Lane, Langguan Alley, Ta Alley, Huang Alley, Anmin Alley, Gong Alley, Jibi Alley, Yangqiao Alley, Mount Wushi, Mount Yu Did you know there’s a street in Fuzhou that spans 1,700 years? Nanhou Street. Three lanes to the west: Yijin, Wenru, Guanglu. Seven alleys to the east: Langguan, Ta, Huang, Anmin, Gong, Jibi, Yangqiao. This is Sanfang Qixiang—40 hectares of land, 200+ Ming and Qing ancient buildings, 9 of which are National Major Cultural Relics Protection Units. ...

Jiujiang: Lushan, Donglin Temple / Yongxiu: Yunju Mountain, Zhenru Temple / Yingtan: Longhu Mountain / Anfu: Wugong Mountain / Southern Jiangxi: Mount Qiyun / Jinggangshan Do you know how many “cultural mountains” Jiangxi has? Not one or two. Dozens. Forty-nine local chronicles, and every single one talks about mountains. Lushan, Yunju, Longhu, Wugong, Jinggangshan—they’re not just geographic coordinates. They are the history of Chinese civilization carved in stone. I’ve read through all these chronicles. Here’s what I found: Jiangxi’s mountains are the truest “wordless history books” you’ll ever find. ...

Geographic Links Luoyang River (Formerly Wan’an River, a natural barrier between Quanzhou and Huian) Wan’an Ferry (The ancient ferry crossing before the bridge, spanning five Li with treacherous waves) Quanzhou Prefecture (A major maritime hub during the Northern Song Dynasty) Huian County (Location of the bridge’s northern terminus) Zhaohui Temple (Located at the north end, dedicated to the Sea God and bridge contributors) I. The Chasm of Wan’an: Engineering Challenges of the Northern Song Luoyang Bridge, historically known as “Wan’an Bridge,” spans the mouth of the Luoyang River northeast of Quanzhou. Before the Northern Song Dynasty, this was the site of the notorious “Wan’an Ferry,” where turbulent waters and tidal surges often led to tragic shipwrecks. ...

Jianyang Masha Bookshops: How Northern Fujian Printing Shaped the Abstract In the trajectory of East Asian civilization, the towns of Masha and Shufang in Jianyang, Fujian, served as the “world’s factories” for knowledge. Drawing from the gazetteers of Northern Fujian, this article analyzes how Jianyang leveraged its unparalleled paper-making resources to become China’s largest private publishing hub, rivaling Lin’an and Sichuan during the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. By delving into Song Dynasty Jianyang Book Carving Culture, the Ancient Northern Fujian Printing Center, and Jian-ben Book Overseas Trade, we reveal how woodblock editions from the deep mountains of Northern Fujian crossed turbulent seas to rest on shelves in Kyoto and Seoul, constructing a transnational East Asian cultural map. ...

Geographical Connections: Quanzhou Prefecture, Kaiyuan Temple (West Street), Qingjing Mosque (Tumen Street), Cao’an (Jinjiang), Tianhou Temple, Confucian Temple, Zhenwu Temple (Fashi), Qingyuan Mountain (Laojun Rock), Lingshan Islamic Tombs. Three years. Three buildings. Three faiths. Centuries apart, but crammed into the same small city: Quanzhou. When I opened the Quanzhou Religious Chronicle, I found something that kept me up at night. This southern Fujian city once worshipped Buddha, Allah, Mani, Jesus, and Shiva — all at the same time. Not one after the other. Together. ...