Rich history, UNESCO sites, strong cross-Straits ties give Fujian global renown, Cao Yingying reports.

Fujian province in East China is famed as an intangible cultural heritage hub for its profound and rich multiculturalism, as well as its close connections with Taiwan.

A total of 33,251 immovable cultural relics are registered in Fujian, ranking the province the 10th-largest in China. The relics include three world cultural heritage sites: Wuyi Mountain; Fujian Tulou known as Hakka earth buildings; and Gulangyu Island.

Gulangyu Island joined UNESCO's world cultural heritage list at the 41st United Nations World Heritage Committee meeting on July 8, as China's 36th world cultural heritage site.

The Ancient Quanzhou Citong Relics site plans to apply for UNESCO World Heritage recognition in 2018. The Maritime Silk Road, Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, Timber Arch Lounge Bridge and Red-brick Facades are already on UNESCO's tentative Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The Longevity Rock Cultural Ruins in Sanming and the Wuyi Mountain Chengcun villages are on the National Archaeological Site Parks list.

Close relations

Fujian and Taiwan share a long history of close relations given their geographic and cultural proximity.

Taiwan has provided Fujian with abundant cultural resources, laying a solid and unique foundation for deep cross-Straits communication and integration.

There are 1,515 cultural relics related to Taiwan on record in Fujian, accounting for 75 percent of China's total heritage items related to the island.

The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a popular tourist destination in Fuzhou, capital of the province, evolved from a high-end block of residences of aristocrats, officials and literati in the Jin (265-420) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, reaching its peak during the period from 1644 to 1945.

The historical site and another six cultural relics and locations are regarded as a collective cross-Straits communication base.

As a key point on the Maritime Silk Road, Fujian has a long history in foreign exchanges and has long valued cultural promotion.

The Splendor of the Maritime Silk Road Exhibition traveled to the United States, Brunei, the Maldives and many overseas cities to showcase Fujian's abundant cultural resources in April.

The Fujian government is working to protect its multicultural roots to encourage further growth, by preserving and developing Minnan culture, which is popular in southern Fujian; Hakka culture, which was created by local people and ancient Han people moving from Central China to the southern region; and Matsu marine culture.

Local operas

Local operas are an important vehicle for the inheritance and promotion of southern Fujian's traditional culture, according to the government.

There are a total of 18 kinds of local operas with centuries-old history in different forms across the province.

They include Puxian Opera, also called Xinghua Opera as it is performed in Xinghua dialects, which is reportedly one of China's oldest opera forms; Liyuan Opera or Pear Orchard Opera, originating from Quanzhou during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties; Gaojia Opera, which was named a national intangible cultural heritage item in 2006; and Gezai Opera, popular in Fujian, Taiwan and Southeast Asian regions.

Since 2013, the government has provided millions of yuan in subsidies to six provincial performing troupes annually.

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(China Daily 09/04/2017 page4)