Urban Planning

Quanzhou Yacheng (Tang dynasty administrative core, near Weiyuan Tower) Luocheng (Southern Tang expansion that defined Quanzhou’s layout) Suqing Gate (West gate, adjacent to the Customs House) Deji Gate (South gate, primary Song-Yuan trade gateway on the Jinjiang River) Chaotian Gate (North gate, overland highway to Fuzhou) Jinjiang River (Natural moat and the inland gateway of the Maritime Silk Road) Have you ever seen a city that planted its own walls? ...

A few days ago I was digging through the Fujian Provincial Annals, reading up on Fuzhou’s urban history, and I got pulled in. You’ve gotta hand it to Fuzhou—it’s a pretty special place. Over 2,200 years of history, squeezed into a valley surrounded by three hills. Wushan, Yushan, Pingshan, all crammed together in the city proper. Two ancient pagodas—the White Pagoda and the Black Pagoda—stand there like they’ve been keeping watch for centuries. When you walk through the old quarters, you look up and there’s the mountain, and on the mountain, there’s the pagoda. You don’t see that in many Chinese cities. ...

Geographic Connection Specific locations mentioned in the text: Fuzhou (Ye City), Xiamen (Amoy), Quanzhou (Zaiton), Zhangzhou, Nanping (Yanping), Sanming, Longyan, Putian, Yong’an, Shaowu, Wuyishan (Chong’an), Jian’ou (Jian’an), Gutian. Introduction: 2,000 Years of Urban Lifelines Between Mountains and Sea Fujian, a land known as the ‘Southeastern Mountain Kingdom’, has an urban construction history dating back to 202 BC. According to the Gazetteer of Fujian Province: Urban and Rural Construction, the construction of ‘Ye City’ in northern Fuzhou marked the beginning of Fujian’s urban history, initiating a legacy of city-building wisdom that has lasted two millennia. ...

Geographical Connections Specific locations mentioned in this article include: Quanzhou Prefecture, Licheng District, West Street, East Street, South Street (Zhongshan Road), Jubao Street, Luocheng, Yicheng, Zicheng, Chongyang Gate, and Quanshan Gate. Have you ever seen a city shaped like a fish? I’m not talking about some architect’s fever dream. I’m talking about Quanzhou—an ancient city that started “growing” in the Tang Dynasty and never stopped. Its shape wasn’t drawn by anyone. It was squeezed out, inch by inch, by sea winds, trade routes, wars, and the footsteps of generations. ...