Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-yuan China

The Chinese port city of Quanzhou in Fujian Province won UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status on July 25, 2021, bringing the total tally of China’s World Heritage sites to 56. The World Heritage Committee inscribed “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-yuan China” on UNESCO’S World Heritage List during its 44th session in Fuzhou, China. The site reflects the spatial structure that combined production, transportation, and marketing. It demonstrates key institutional, social, and cultural factors that contributed to the spectacular rise and prosperity of Quanzhou as a maritime hub from the 10th to the 14th century. Quanzhou’s inscription as a World Heritage site testifies to the long history of exchange and mutual learning between China and the rest of the world and connects China with Southeast Asia countries culturally.

China will keep its commitment to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and protect world heritage for the generations to come as the precious wealth of humanity.

Li Qun, head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration and vice minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism

The Luoyang Bridge is one of the 22 component sites featured as part of “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-yuan China.” It was built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and has been well preserved. A milestone in the development of Quanzhou’s transportation, the bridge promoted the establishment and improvement of the water and land transport system in the city. Xinhua