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Other names of Fujian:
Min (short form)
Fukien (Old Name)
Adjective: Fujianese (Uncommon)
Geography
Fujian is situated in the transition zone between China's subtropical
south and temperate east coast. The coastal area of Fujian are
lined with many fishing villages. The western mountains are
suitable for tea plantations.
History
Fujian had been historically a poor
province. The Fujianese and Cantonese are the two main groups that
emigrate from China. Fujian's Changle harbour, near Fuzhou, had
risen to fame because it is from this harbour that Zheng He (Cheng Ho)
and his large convoy departed during the Ming Dynasty to the Indian
Ocean which reached as far as to Kenya in
East Africa. Since the 1200's, Chinese people, mostly from Fujian,
left the Mainland in large numbers to settle on the Island of
Taiwan. The aboriginal peoples of Polynesian origin, were
displaced into the mountains and the east coast of Taiwan.
Culture
The Wuyi Mountain area is well-known in China for its teas. There are two major language groups in
Fujian, the Minnan and the Fuzhou (Fuchow). Minnan is almost
identical to the local language used in Taiwan (although Mandarin is the
only official language on both sides of the Taiwan Straight). The
neighbouring region of Chaosan (Chiuchow) in Guangdong Province, speaks
a language closely resembling Minnan. Minnan is spoken in Chinese
communities in the Philippines, Indonesia, New York City, and to a
lesser extent in Singapore and Malaysia.
Fujian Today
Recently, many workers originating from coastal Fujian villages risk
their lives to travel to foreign countries for better wages.
Unfortunately some of them are treated inhumanely by "people
smugglers". Overfishing, a global problem, is a potential
problem that threatens many coastal villages. Fujian is hit by
numerous typhoons in the summer.
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Johomaps
2005