Digital Humanities

Sanfang Qixiang, Nanhou Street, Langguan Alley, Yijin Lane, Wenru Lane, Gong Alley, Guanglu Lane, Ta Alley, Huang Alley, Anmin Alley, Jibi Alley, Mount Wushi, Mount Yu Do you know why Fuzhou’s old town rarely suffered from catastrophic fires? It wasn’t luck. It was the walls. Those towering white walls in Sanfang Qixiang—locals call them “Ma-tou walls” or “Wind-fire walls.” When you walk past them, they look like decoration. But in ancient times, they were Fuzhou’s firewall. ...

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. ...

In the 16th-century global trade network, the Jiulong River was the “capillary” connecting the Ming Empire to global silver flows. After analyzing 16 historical sources including the Wanli Zhangzhou Prefecture Chronicle and Zhangzhou Agricultural Reclamation Chronicle, I discovered that Zhangzhou’s water system was not merely a natural river network—it was a sophisticated “hydraulic machine” composed of natural channels, artificial dikes, and monolithic stone bridges. From the original waterways of 1381 to the crisscrossing dike-fields and stone bridges of the late Wanli era, this system transformed from a “natural landscape” into a “global logistics platform.” ...

Geographic Connections Shouning County, Xiadang Village, Xixi, Kingdi Township, Luanfeng Bridge, Yangmeizhou Bridge, Wan’an Bridge (Shouning), Qiancheng Bridge, Aoyang Town, Minjiang River, Jiaoxi. II. “No Bridge Is Not Flying”: The Geographic Landscape of Late Ming Shouning Shouning, located deep within the Jiufeng Mountains at the Fujian-Zhejiang border, formed a unique bridge culture due to its position at the “Peak of Ten Thousand Mountains.” During his tenure, the Ming Dynasty literary giant Feng Menglong left precious digital records. ...

The stones of Quanzhou speak. From the foundations of Yacheng in 722 AD to the Mani Buddha in 1339 AD and modern digital modeling, these granite carvings tell a global history. When I cross-referenced the Quanzhou Architectural Records and Quanzhou Religious Records, I discovered: these silent stones carry the pinnacle craftsmanship of ancient Chinese artisans in the maritime age. Geographic Links Cao’an at Huabiao Mountain (Jinjiang, world’s only Mani Light Buddha) Jiuri Mountain (Nan’an, Song Dynasty wind-praying inscriptions) Kaiyuan Temple (West Street, Zhenguo and Renshou Pagodas) Luoyang Bridge (Spanning Luoyang River) Anping Bridge (Longest ancient cross-sea stone bridge) Tianhou Temple (Southern city, Minnan stone carving showcase) ...

Geographic Links Huabiao Mountain (Also known as Wanshan Peak, located in Luoshan, Jinjiang, the site of Cao’an) Cao’an (A Manichaean temple founded in the Song Dynasty, housing the world’s only Mani stone statue) Longquan Well (Located below Cao’an, the water source for monks, featuring Song Dynasty inscriptions) Jinjiang River (The river surrounding Huabiao Mountain, a historical water route for believers from Zayton to Cao’an) Houzhu Port (The core foreign trade district of ancient Quanzhou, the entry point for Manichaeism from Persia) I. Origins: From Persian Light to the Localization of Zayton Cao’an Manichaeism, founded by the Persian prophet Mani in the 3rd century AD, centers on the “Two Principles and Three Moments”—the ultimate struggle between Light and Darkness. Over centuries, it found its final sanctuary in Quanzhou’s Zayton Port, undergoing a profound local transformation. ...

South of Fuzhou’s Minjiang River stands a hill. Once home to consulates from 17 nations, its buildings tell the story of modern European architecture. When I cross-referenced the Annals of Cangshan District and Annals of Fuzhou Customs, I discovered: Yantai Hill is more than geography—it was the outpost of 19th-century globalization. Geographic Connections Yantai Hill (Cangshan historic district) Lequn Road (Consulate concentration area) Aiguo Road (British Consulate site) Fanchuanpu (Min Customs location) Minjiang River (Golden waterway of Fuzhou treaty port) ...

On the Min River, timber rafts floated like endless green dragons. In 1934, the Futun Stream alone had 32 navigation temples. They guarded the life-and-death voyages of over 4,500 rafts each year. This is the story of men and a river. When I cross-referenced the Shaowu Prefecture Annals and Shunchang County Annals, I discovered a truth: every drop of rooster blood spilled into the river was a contract written with lives. ...

Geographical Connections Jiangle County, Jinxi River, Longxi Mountain, Guyong Town, Wan’an Town, Gaotang Town, Nankou Township, Bailian Town, Huangtan Town, Moyuan Township, Guangming Township, Wanquan Township, Anyuan Township, Dayuan Township, Yufang Township, Shuinan Town. I. Origins of Leicha: From a Three Kingdoms Hub to a Neo-Confucian Highland Jiangle Leicha is more than just a dietary habit; it is a microcosm of the administrative and cultural history of this 1,800-year-old city. Established in the 3rd year of Yong’an of Emperor Jing of Wu (260 AD), Jiangle County covers a total geographic area of 2,246.72 square kilometers. In this land traversed by the Jinxi River and guarded by Longxi Mountain, Leicha has served as a medium of medicinal and social function through every rise and fall of administrative institutions. ...

A royal physician fled Beijing. What did he take? A secret formula. Four ingredients: Musk. Cow Bezoar. Snake Gall. Tianqi. In the Ming Dynasty, these four substances were crown monopolies. Civilians caught with them faced execution. He ran 3,000 li. From the Forbidden City to Pushan Rock Temple, 10 li outside Zhangzhou. When I cross-referenced the ‘Wanli Zhangzhou Chronicle’ and ‘Zhangzhou Medical Chronicle’ in a single database, line by line, I found something: this mountain didn’t just hide a fugitive’s refuge—it was ground zero for the globalization of Southern Fujian medicine. ...