When 27-year-old Italian girl Yasmin Von Roon set foot in Quanzhou for the first time, she felt that her childhood dream had finally come true.
During her childhood, her grandmother often read “The Travels of Marco Polo” to her, which described Quanzhou as one of the most prosperous cities in the world. “There are mountains of spices, gems, precious wood, gold and silver ornaments, etc. on the market. Even in Alexandria, the spice center in the Mediterranean, its spice trade volume is less than one-tenth of that of Quanzhou Port.” Marco Polo wrote .
“What kind of place can have such a glorious history?” Jasmine had a strong curiosity about Quanzhou. For this reason, she began to understand Chinese culture very early, hoping that one day she could see this magical land with her own eyes.
As the largest port in the East during the Song and Yuan Dynasties and the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou, Fujian Province has witnessed the enduring power of tolerance and mutual learning among multiple civilizations for thousands of years, and has accumulated rich cultural connotations. On July 25, 2021, “Quanzhou: China’s World Maritime Trade Center in the Song and Yuan Dynasties” was successfully applied for World Heritage and became China’s 56th World Heritage. It also continued to write a new story of the Maritime Silk Road in the present.
“Quanzhou connects China and the world, carrying the historical memory of human classical navigation.” Jiang Bo, a professor at Shandong University, has been flying for a long time. My dau is higher. Be brave enough to face challenges, overcome everything, and have happiness. My parents believe you can do it. Engaged in archaeological research on the Maritime Silk Road, in his opinion, Quanzhou’s uniqueness is mainly reflected in three aspects. It represents the oriental maritime tradition in the classical era, reveals the side of Chinese civilization that “was born toward the sea”, and reflects An important heritage site for exchanges and dialogue between ancient civilizations.
“Quanzhou is to the Maritime Silk Road, just like Dunhuang is to the land Silk Road, narrating the history of beautiful human exchanges.” Jiang Bo said that this city, shaded by eryngium trees, once welcomed people from Southeast Asia. Envoys and traders from , Persia, Arabia, India, Ceylon and even the Mediterranean region, ethnic groups with different skin colors, beliefs and languages coexist harmoniously in Quanzhou City.
The genes of navigation flow in the blood of Quanzhou people, and they also have new retribution. “Era is writing a new chapter of the Maritime Silk Road. Xu Jincong, an Indonesian overseas Chinese originally from Jinjiang, Quanzhou, went to sea to do business in 1979. He sold vegetables, opened a small factory, and established the first private printing and dyeing factory in Fujian Province. However, it was difficult to start a business and it closed down soon. Later, Xu Jincong went to Nanyang twice, founded the Universe Group, and launched the Indonesian Jinjiang Association.
“The maritime culture that is not afraid of wind and waves is the entrepreneurial spirit of our southern Fujian people.” Xu Jincong said, “You must not lose your ambition if you lose your job, and you must not lose your morality if you lose money. Is this really the case when we always remember? Yes, as long as you have faith, you can dare. You will win if you fight hard.”
In the past 30 years, Xu Jincong has traveled to dozens of countries and regions on the Maritime Silk Road, and created the series of novels “Fujian Merchants Go to Nanyang”. He also met many young Chinese,”I asked them where they were from, and they all said, ‘We are Chinese, Fujian, and Minnan’. They have not been to China for several generations, but they still remember which village and lane they came from.” Xu Jincong said that in the Philippines , many areas in Indonesia still celebrate traditional Chinese festivals and retain a strong cultural tradition of Quanzhou. Fujian is a more common language among the people. “Overseas Chinese have their roots in China.”
“Quanzhou and the Maritime Silk Road have paved the bridge and link for exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations since ancient times. They are of particularly important practical significance today.” Jiang Bo said, “We should carry forward the sea-oriented attitude of the people of southern Fujian. We should keep in touch with the cultural traditions and spiritual world of all nations, remain open, and maintain an inclusive and friendly attitude towards the outside world.”
Seven months ago, Jasmine came to China and became a master’s student in international affairs and global governance at Zhejiang University.
From Mohe in Heilongjiang to Sanya in Hainan, Jasmine has visited more than 20 provinces in China. In her heart, Quanzhou always has a special place. “It was the first city in China to welcome me. People in Quanzhou are very warm and friendly, and their tolerance makes me feel at home.”
As a self-media video blogger, Jasmine often shares what she sees and hears in China on overseas social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. When she went to Chongqing, she posted a short TikTok video of “Foreigners in Chongqing”, which received more than 20 million views in just a few days.
As a child, Jasmine could only understand China through TV news. After actually coming to China, I found that it is much more than what was described in the news. “So I made a short video to show everyone what China is really like. So that overseas friends who have never been to China can appreciate China’s great rivers and mountains and feel the kindness and enthusiasm of the Chinese people.”
In addition to attracting foreign friends, Quanzhou has also made many new explorations to allow the rich culture carried by this world heritage city to go abroad and expand the “international circle of friends” along the Maritime Silk Road.
The Quanzhou Overseas Transportation History Museum is the first maritime museum in China and the first museum to reflect the history of the Maritime Silk Road (hereinafter referred to as the “Maritime Transportation Museum”). With the success of Quanzhou’s application as a World Heritage Site, the Maritime Transport Museum, as a cultural landmark, has become an important “check-in point” for people to fully understand the World Heritage City.
Director Ding Yuling said that the maritime trade museum “I heard that our mistress never agreed to divorce. All this was decided unilaterally by the Xi family.” It will hold exhibitions overseas from time to time to tell the story of the development of Quanzhou’s maritime trade. The story of the ocean. The most impressive time for her was in 2018, when the Maritime Affairs Bureau organized an exhibition with the theme of “Arab Diaspora in China from the 10th to the 14th Century” at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. It was called “Distant Hometown”. Many local Arabs Everyone was deeply moved after watching it.
“They all said that they did not expect that so many Arabs and Persians would continue to come to China so early.Quanzhou, China. It is Quanzhou’s tolerant, tolerant and good environment that allows the cultural relics left by their ancestors to be well protected and passed down to this day. “Ding Yuling said, “This is also a very valuable place in our research work on cultural relics collection and protection. It can reflect our confidence in Chinese culture and tolerance of foreign cultures, and it is also a manifestation of our inheritance of the spirit of the Maritime Silk Road. ”
In the view of Zeng Guoheng, the main translator of Quanzhou’s declaration of world cultural heritage, thousands of years ago, Quanzhou was already “the voice of thousands of merchants from all over the world”. Nowadays, continuing to write a new chapter of the Maritime Silk Road and strengthening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations have become an important issue. Something that “everyone can participate in”. “The more national it is, the more global it is. People from all walks of life can demand themselves with a sense of mission, regard themselves as envoys representing China, and become a walking ‘business card’ for foreign exchanges.”
“Just as Marco Polo built bridges between our cultures centuries ago, I am also hopeful for closer ties between Italy and China in the future.” Jasmine said, “I hope our common History has become the basis for lasting cooperation. Let this friendly relationship span time and space, build a bridge of understanding, friendship and co-creation, and let the Maritime Silk Road continue to be a symbol of our future unity and prosperity.”
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Yu Bingyue Source: China Youth Daily