The Origin of "Jian" in Fujian
In Fujian, where cities develop in a balanced manner, there is a hot topic about the fierce competition for "who is the number one in Fujian."
Xiamen, the most photogenic and renowned maritime garden, is further enhanced by the "internet fame" effect of Gulangyu Island, Xiamen University, and Nanputuo Temple.
▲ Gulangyu Island in Xiamen. Photo by Wu Xuewen
Fuzhou has long been the political and cultural center of Fujian. It was the capital of the Min Kingdom during the Five Dynasties period and once served as the seat of the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang during the Qing Dynasty. The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys narrate half of China's modern history.
▲ Three Lanes and Seven Alleys in Fuzhou. Image/VCG
Quanzhou, consistently ranking first in GDP within Fujian Province, was once a renowned eastern port and a crucial node of the Maritime Silk Road. It is also the historically rich "East Asian Capital of Culture."
▲ Night view of the river-crossing bridge in Quanzhou. Image/VCG
Even among such strong competitors, only Fuzhou and Jianzhou have cities named after them to form "Fujian." This is the largest prefecture-level city in Fujian with the longest history of administrative establishment. The land of Jianzhou is today's
Nanping: Why is it the axis of Fujian?
Nanping is located in the northwest of Fujian, bordering Zhejiang and Jiangxi to the north. Its area is approximately 26,300 square kilometers, exceeding the combined area of Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Xiamen, the three major cities in the province.
Despite its vast territory, Nanping is predominantly mountainous: the Wuyi Mountains, Shanling Range, Xianxia Ridge, and Jiufeng Mountain traverse the city, forming a northeast-southwest mountain trend. Among these, the Wuyi Mountains are undoubtedly Fujian's "backbone" and the mountain axis of southeastern China.
This approximately 550-kilometer-long mountain range divides the Ganjiang, Xinjiang, Fuhe, and Minjiang River basins. Its main peak, Huanggang Mountain, at the border of Nanping and Shangrao, stands at 2,160.8 meters, making it the highest peak in southeastern China.
▲ The Wuyi Mountains are Fujian's "backbone." Image/VCG
Entering the southeastern frontier of Fujian from the Central Plains in the northwest inevitably requires crossing these deep mountains. The roads of Fujian are even more challenging than those of Sichuan! This has always been the most headache-inducing and memorable travel experience for Central Plains soldiers, officials, and poets.
Zeng Gong, a native of Jiangxi, was once transferred to Fujian. Although he grew up surrounded by the Wuyi and Yushan Mountains, he couldn't help but complain, "The mountains connect without interruption, and it takes several post stations to find a flat piece of land."
▲ Mountain climbing path in Wuyi Mountains. Photo by LUKE
During the Huang Chao Rebellion in the late Tang Dynasty, the army wanted to enter Fujian and had to "carve a path through the mountains for seven hundred li" at Xianxia Pass in Zhejiang to "head straight to Jianzhou."
Located in the northernmost part of Fujian, Nanping became a barrier between the Central Plains and Fujian. However, almost all ancient roads from the Central Plains to Fujian had to pass through Nanping. This is because, in addition to its four major mountain ranges, Nanping is also the hydrological axis of Fujian.
Many important rivers in Fujian originate from the Wuyi Mountains. If the Minjiang River basin is compared to a giant fan, then the Jianxi, Futunxi, and Shaxi Rivers are its three ribs, all converging in Yanping District of Nanping.
▲ The Minjiang River is a major river in Nanping. Image/VCG
The river valleys carved by dense river networks became rare natural passageways through the mountains of northwestern Fujian. The major ancient routes from the Central Plains to Fujian thus naturally converged in Nanping: one from Fuzhou (Jiangxi) via Shanguan Pass to Shaowu, one from Yanshan via Fenshui Pass to Chong'an, and one from Jiangshan via Xianxia Pass to Pucheng.
Without exception, the endpoints of these three ancient routes into Fujian led to the upper reaches of the Min River system: Shaowu had the Futunxi River, Chong'an had the Chongyangxi River, and Pucheng had the Nanpuxi River. After switching from land to water, one could travel downstream along the river to reach the basins and plains of Fujian's coastal areas.
Today, at the confluence of the Jianxi and Xixi Rivers in Yanping District, stands a urban sculpture called "Twin Swords Transforming into Dragons." This marks the zero-kilometer point of the Min River and serves as Nanping's city totem. From here, the Min River flows majestically southeastward, nourishing more than half of Fujian.
▲ Urban sculpture "Twin Swords Transforming into Dragons." Photo/Guangying Kerenchu, Image/Figure Insect Creativity
Nanping's "rivers and mountains" are both a barrier and a passage for Fujian, and more importantly, the geographical axis of the province.
Why did Nanping give its name to "Fujian"?
Nanping not only marks the zero-kilometer point of the Min River geographically but also wrote the opening chapter of Fujian's history.
Although the Central Plains and the Min region were separated by heavy mountains, their understanding of geography was remarkably consistent: both deeply recognized Nanping's crucial location and strategic value. Two major political forces often vied for control over Nanping, and the area around Nanping became the earliest developed region in Fujian's history.
▲ Heavy mountains separated the Central Plains and the Min region, making mountain roads difficult to traverse. Image/VCG
Pucheng County, located within Nanping, is at the northernmost tip of Fujian. Situated along the ancient Min-Zhe route, it is the "throat to Fujian, key to the southeast," and one of the birthplaces of Fujian's civilization, with human activity dating back 4,000 years.
Pucheng was one of Fujian's earliest "cultural centers": the Shang Dynasty kiln site at Mao'er Mountain and the tumulus tomb cluster at Guanjiu Village unveiled Fujian's Bronze Age,彻底终结ing the historical conclusion that "Fujian had no pre-Qin history and was a land of barbarians." Fujian has won five "National Top Ten Archaeological New Discoveries" awards, two of which were concentrated in Pucheng.
▲ Top: Bronze sword unearthed from the tumulus tombs at Guanjiu Village, Pucheng, Photo/Artery Shadow; Bottom: Bronze Nao unearthed in Jianou, Photo/LUKE
Fujian's earliest "urban cluster" also emerged in Nanping, and the history of Fujian's incorporation into the Central Plains' administrative system also began here.
In the 1950s, a large-scale Han Dynasty city site was discovered within the territory of Wuyishan City. Some scholars believe this is the location of "Yecheng," the oldest city in Fujian; others argue it should be the royal city of King Yushan (Yu Shan) of Eastern Yue. Regardless, Chengcun Han City is "the largest and best-preserved early Han Dynasty city site in southern China" and represents Fujian's transition from the "Bronze Age" to the "Iron Age."
In 196 AD, among the first five counties established in Fujian, three were located in what is today Nanping: Jian'an (now Jianou), Hanxing (now Pucheng), and Nanping (now Yanping), forming Fujian's earliest "urban cluster."
▲ Chengcun and the Chengcun Han City ruins. Photo/LUKE
In 260 AD, Wu Emperor Sun Xiu partitioned Kuaiji Commandery to establish Jian'an Commandery (now Jianou). Although the Qin Dynasty had earlier established Minzhong Commandery in Fuzhou, its administration was short-lived and ineffective, often later regarded as "nominal." Thus, this later "Jian'an Commandery" became the first truly effective commandery in Fujian. Jianou became Fujian's earliest "provincial capital" city and remained so for over 300 years.
Nanping claims Fujian's first county and first commandery.
▲ Shuinta Pagoda in Jianou. Image/VCG
In fact, early Fujian was largely a "tale of two cities": Fuzhou and Jianzhou. When the central government sought to strengthen border defense in 733 AD (21st year of the Kaiyuan era) by sending a military commander to the southeast, it naturally combined the first characters of Fuzhou and Jianzhou to create the "Fujian Jinglueshi" (Fujian Military Commissioner). Thus, the name "Fujian" finally appeared in history, pioneering the practice of naming provincial-level administrative regions after important cities, a model later followed by Gansu, Jiangsu, and Anhui.
▲ Confluence of two rivers in Jian'ou. Photo by Lankong Tianmo, from Tuchong Creative
The rise of Jianzhou was undoubtedly linked to its strategic geographical location. For the central plains regimes, it was the "first glimpse" of Fujian and the gateway to the province. However, this land of intertwined mountains and rivers was exceptionally difficult to govern effectively. The sole expectation of successive dynasties for this region was: stay peaceful.
Thus, the place names of Nanping are filled with aspirations such as "Ping" (peace), "An" (stability), "Xing" (prosperity), and "Ning" (tranquility), making it almost a wishing ground for历代王朝. The most典型 example is Pucheng in Nanping: initially established in the Western Han Dynasty, it was called Hanxing (Han Prosperity); under the rule of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, it was named Wuxing (Wu Prosperity); in the Tang Dynasty, it was known as Tangxing (Tang Prosperity); after Empress Wu Zetian ascended the throne, it was renamed Wuning (Wu Tranquility); when Emperor Zhongzong of Tang restored the throne, it was again called Tangxing... A single Pucheng County in northern Fujian encapsulates half the history of imperial wishes.
▲ Festive activities in Nanping are grand and lively. Photo from Visual China
Nanping, carved by rivers and mountains, boasts numerous迷你, separated geographical units, which have shaped a linguistic region where "the dialect changes every ten li." As the northern gateway to Fujian, Pucheng is highly unique. Due to its proximity to Zhejiang, it falls within the Wu dialect sphere and is the only Wu-speaking county in Fujian.
Most areas of Nanping are within the Northern Min language range, but the two major centers, Jian'ou and Jianyang, represent the eastern and western river basins respectively, with significant differences. In the west, Shaowu, adjacent to Jiangxi, uses the Shaojiang dialect, which emerged from the mutual influence and fusion of Min and Jiangxi's Gan dialects. The so-called "Nanping dialect" is actually limited to Yanping District, the largest Mandarin dialect island in Fujian, shaped by successive waves of central plains immigrants.
▲ Rural Pucheng, where it can be said that "the dialect changes every ten li." Photo by Ravenafeet, from Tuchong Creative
Wu dialect is already quite difficult to understand, but Min dialect is even more challenging. Entering Fujian from Nanping, the mountains are hard to cross, the rivers are hard to traverse, and the language is incomprehensible. "Heavens!"—so people used place names to make wishes for good fortune!
Why is Nanping the "Center of Heaven and Earth"?
For most of history, Fujian was not a highly prominent province. However, this changed with major historical events such as the Min Kingdom's secession and the southward migration of the Song court. By the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi once lamented, "Is it not that heaven and earth have reversed, making Min and Zhe the center of the world?"
▲ Zhu Xi Garden in Wuyishan, Nanping. Photo from Visual China
Whenever war broke out in the north, central plains immigrants would cross south, and Fujian's towering mountains served as a natural shield against the chaos. After the Southern Song Dynasty, due to Zhu Xi's long-term lectures, Jianzhou became the research center of Neo-Confucianism.
During this period, Nanping was undoubtedly accomplished in both literary and martial arts. Liu Yong from Chong'an was a standard-bearer of the婉约派 (graceful and restrained school) of Ci poetry in the Song Dynasty, and the great literary figure Su Shi was a devoted admirer, believing his Ci "rivaled the heights of the Tang poets." Li Gang, whose ancestral home was in Shaowu, was one of the "Four Great Ministers of the Southern Song" who advocated resisting the Jin, and was a staunch opponent of the court's surrender faction. Song Ci from Jianyang became the founding figure of Chinese forensic science, and his "Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified" became the world's oldest forensic work...
▲ Kaoting Academy in Jianyang, Nanping. Photo from Visual China
During the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, as China's political, economic, and cultural centers shifted south, Nanping rapidly gained significant influence. Jianyang's Masha was known as the "Capital of Books," one of the three major national printing centers at the time. Jian editions, along with Zhe and蜀 editions, were renowned throughout the country and even流行 to Korea, Japan, and other countries.
The Jian Kiln in Jianyang also stood out, forging a new path beyond the mainstream celadon and white porcelain. Its black-glazed bowls风靡 across East Asia and, together with Jian'ou's Beiyuan tea, created the tea competition custom, transforming the way Chinese people drink tea and profoundly influencing Japanese tea ceremony culture.
▲ Ceramics and tea are two major specialties of Nanping. Photo by npwsl308, from Tuchong Creative
Hailed as the "top tea ware of the Song Dynasty," the finest achievement of Jian ware is the Yohen Tenmoku bowl—a serendipitous kiln transformation product under extreme conditions. Only "three and a half" pieces survive, with one half fragment unearthed in Hangzhou, and the other three pieces all crossing the seas to become "national treasures" in Japan.
▲ Yohen Tenmoku bowl. Photo from Visual China
Tea,并列 as one of China's most important products alongside porcelain, also reached its peak in Nanping. Wuyi rock tea rose to prominence after Beiyuan tea, becoming a tribute tea in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with Dahongpao being the finest among them.
▲ Wuyi Mountain Zheng Yan Tea Garden. Photo by Chen Jian
In 1972, during Nixon's ice-breaking visit, Chairman Mao presented 200 grams of tea leaves from the mother plants of Da Hong Pao as a national gift. Initially unimpressed, Nixon was reassured by Premier Zhou Enlai: given the extreme rarity of the mother plants' yield, this amount was already "half the kingdom."
▲ Wuyi Tea Garden. Image/VCG
Wuyi Mountain's tea gained world-class influence very early. It became the starting point of the Ten Thousand Mile Tea Road, from where tea traveled across the Mongolian Plateau and Siberia, via Moscow and St. Petersburg, to be sold throughout Europe.
From Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism to poetry, literature, tea, and porcelain, from Japanese national treasures to tea diplomacy, Nanping is not only the geographical axis of Fujian but has also led the province in rising to become another "Center of Heaven and Earth," serving as a spokesperson for Chinese products and a mainstay of Eastern culture.
▲ Xiamei Village, a key node on the Ten Thousand Mile Tea Road. Photo by LUKE
Even today, Nanping's geographical centrality remains relevant. The ancient roads into Fujian have been replaced by high-speed rail and expressways. Laizhou Station in western Nanping was once Fujian's only railway hub. Today, lines like the Yingxia, Fengfu, Nansanlong, Hefu, and Quning converge in Nanping, much like the Min River water system.
▲ Nanping is one of Fujian's railway hubs. Image/VCG
Fujian, nestled between mountains and sea, was once China's most underdeveloped province in railway construction. Yet, in just over a decade, it has transformed into the first province in China with high-speed rail connecting every city.
▲ Photovoltaic power generation, green energy. Image/VCG
Nanping is a classic cross-section of China's transportation history and a microcosm of Fujian's development.
Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, "Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties" under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Light up "Wow" to go to Nanping, drink Da Hong Pao, and climb Wuyi Mountain!