XiamenChronicles

Geographic Connections Xiamen, Gulangyu, Wulao Peak, South Putuo Temple, Tong’an, Guankou, Huxi Rock (Moonlight over Huxi), Zuixian Rock, Jinbang Park, and Bailuzhou. Introduction: The ‘Temporal Memory’ between Mountains and Seas In the grand narrative of digital local chronicles, folklore is not merely a decorative element of life; it is a digital slice of the regional soul. According to Ba Min Tong Zhi, seasonal festivals in Fujian have long carried deep clan and ritual significance, such as the “ancestral banquets” of the Ghost Festival and “wearing dogwood to ward off evil” during the Double Ninth Festival. However, in Xiamen, the Mid-Autumn Festival evolved into a cultural landscape unique to China: “Mooncake Gambling” (Bo Bing). ...

Geographic Connections Fuzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Zhao’an, Quanzhou, Nanping, Sanming, Gulou District, Taijiang District, Cangshan District, Wangzhuang, and Fenghaoshan. Introduction: From Private Shelters to State-Managed Leasing In the vast ocean of digital local chronicles, the transformation of urban housing systems is the most delicate prism reflecting social structure changes. In the early days of the People’s Republic, the housing structure in Fujian’s cities was highly complex, consisting of century-old mansions, modern apartments funded by overseas Chinese, and sprawling shantytowns. According to the Fujian Provincial Chronicles: Urban-Rural Construction, to establish a socialist economic foundation, Fujian officially launched the “Private Housing Reform” (the socialist transformation of private rental housing) in late 1958. This was not a simple confiscation but a “redemption” approach where properties meeting specific thresholds were taken into state-managed leasing (经租). From that moment on, a “house” was no longer just a private shelter; it was integrated into a highly organized urban administrative system. Through a digital humanities interpretation of these dry area statistics, we can reconstruct the social reality of central cities like Fuzhou and Xiamen half a century ago. ...

Geographic Connections Xiamen, Gulangyu, Wuqiu Jiao, Ershisi Qijiao, Yong’an, Xiaotao, Fuzhou, Mawei, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Nanchang. Introduction: The Treaty Port as the ‘Eyes and Ears’ of the World From the perspective of digital humanities, communication is more than the transfer of information; it is a game of sovereignty. As one of the “Five Treaty Ports,” Xiamen’s postal history is highly emblematic. According to the Xiamen City Chronicles, Xiamen’s external interactions date back to the 16th century. However, the real explosion of modern post and telecommunications occurred at the end of the 19th century. From Qing Dynasty lithographic stamps to the sophisticated telegraph categories of the 1950s, the data in these archives records Xiamen’s transition from being passively integrated into a global network to actively constructing a modern communication system. ...

Geographic Connections Fuzhou (Dongye), Xiamen (Egret Island), Quanzhou (Zayton), Zhangzhou (Yuegang), Wuyishan (Chong’an), Manila, Mexico, Persia, Venice, Republic of Mali, Gulangyu, Tongan, and Jimei. Introduction: From ‘Qi Min’ Wilderness to the Zenith of Maritime Civilization In the opening chapters of the General Overview of Fujian Provincial Chronicles, Fujian’s origins are set in the “Qi Min” land of the Zhou Dynasty. It was once a remote area with sparse population and difficult transportation, but this geographical “isolation” allowed it to remain relatively stable during the turmoils of central China. However, what truly awakened this land was not the shelter of mountains, but the call of the ocean. As early as the Han Dynasty, Fuzhou (Dongye) emerged as the center of maritime trade in Southeast China, with tributes from various regions arriving by sea. By the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Fujian’s maritime character reached its peak. The port of Quanzhou (Zayton) traded with 95 countries and regions during the Yuan Dynasty, importing spices, medicines, and precious metals. This comprehensive openness did not just bring wealth; it invisibly inscribed Fujian’s dialects, customs, and commodity names into the dictionary of global civilization. ...

Geographic Connections Jimei School Village, Xiamen University, Zengcuo’an, Tong’anli, Shentian Road, Datong Town, Xinglin District, Huli Xiaodongshan, Haicang Jiutian Lake, Gulangyu, Tong’an Maxiang. Introduction: The Banner of ‘All Wealth for Education’ In the profound chapters of the Xiamen City Chronicles, the narrative of education is forever tied to one great name—Chen Jiageng. As early as 1894, Chen founded the Tizhai School in his hometown of Jimei. By the early 20th century, he had not only founded multiple Chinese schools abroad but also turned his attention back to his struggling motherland. In 1913, he formally established the Jimei Schools, and over the following decades, through “Alumni Donations,” he built a comprehensive educational system from kindergarten to university on the tidal flats and hillsides of Xiamen, laying a solid foundation for the modernization of education in China. ...