Fujian Province is a province in southeastern China. It has an area of 47,500 square miles (123,100 square kilometers). Its name is also spelled Fukien. Fujian is one of China’s smallest provinces. Fuzhou is the province’s capital and largest city. Other large cities include Quanzhou and Xiamen.
Fujian is part of the mountainous Southern Uplands region of China. The eastern coast of Fujian is on the Taiwan Strait. The Min River flows through the province. Fujian has a subtropical climate.
Fujian is the mainland Chinese province closest to Taiwan. The island of Taiwan lies about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from Fujian. However, Xiamen is only about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Taiwan’s Quemoy Islands. Many of Taiwan’s people come from Fujian.
The products mined in Fujian include coal, copper, gold, iron ore, and kaolin, a clay used in pottery. The province’s major farm crops include bananas and other fruit, rice, sugar cane, and tea. Fishing is important to Fujian’s economy. The province’s main manufactured goods are electronics, food products, industrial chemicals, iron and steel, and textiles. Fujian is also a major producer of timber and other forest products.
Fujian became part of China during the Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.). A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family. Fuzhou was the capital of the Min Kingdom (A.D. 909-945). In the 1600’s, Fujian was one of the last refuges of the Ming dynasty (1358-1644) when the Ming fled from the Manchus.
For centuries, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Xiamen have been important port cities. In 1292, the Venetian trader Marco Polo sailed from present-day Quanzhou on his journey back to Venice. In 1842, a treaty with the United Kingdom opened Fuzhou, Xiamen, and several other ports to British trade.
