According to new archaeological findings, the history of Fujian dates back to about 10,000 years. The province boasts 19 key historical sites for national preservation, such as the Kaiyuan Temple, and Qingjing Mosque in Quanzhou, the Anping Bridge in linjiang, and the big hall of the Hualin Temple in Fuzhou; and 11 key historical sites for provincial preservation. There are three historical cities of culture, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou.

The three religions of the world, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, all have relatively deep foundation in Fujian Province. Fujian boasts 14 of the 142 key Buddhist monasteries in China, standing in the forefront of all the provinces. The Qingjing Mosque is one of the most ancient Islamic mosques in China.

Over 8 million overseas Chinese and foreign citizens of Chinese origin out of 30 million overseas Chinese were from Fujian. Fujian is also the ancestral homeland of 80 % of Taiwan compatriots. About one million Hong Kong and Macao residents form the long-term, stable source of tourists for Fujian.

Fujian is featured with towering mountains and beautiful peaks. Among them, Mount Wuyi, Mount Qingyuan, and Wanshi Rock-Xiamen and Gulangyu, and Mount Tailao have been listed national key scenic spots. In addition, Fujian also boasts more than 3, 3OO kilometres of coastal line, over 1,200 islands and several hundred bays and sand beaches.

Beside the Han nationality, Fujian has 31 national minorities including She, Hui, Meng, Man, and Gaoshan. Among them, the She nationality has a population of equal to half of the population of the She nationality in China, and their national customs are very colourful and attractive.

One of the main tea producing centres in China. Fujian has a warm climate and is known as "the kingdom of tea variety." It is the birthplace of red tea, black tea, white tea and jasmine tea.

Fujian has special local products such as Wolong Tea, fruits and narcissus flowers are of great reputation. Fujian (Min) cooking style is one of the 8 famous cooking styles in China. Handicrafts such as Shoushan stone carving, lacquer ware and cork painting are well known far and wide.

Mazu and Mazu Culture

The world-famous sea goddess Mazu (actual name Lin Mo) was born in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and unfortunately she died an early death on the Meizhou Island at the age of 28. After her death, she was offered "Heavenly Concubine ," "Heavenly Empress ," "Holy Mother on Heaven by the succeeding imperial courts. Meizhou Island became the centre of worshipping Mazu (959-987). With the people migrating abroad, people spread Mazu culture there. Later Meizhou Island has been reputed as "Oriental Mecca. "

During her lifetime, Lin offered medical services to fellow islanders. With her natural born weather forecasting ability, Lin saved the lives of many fishermen from the menace of typhoons. Touched by her kindness and good deeds, the local people greatly respected her and eventually deified her as the Goddess of the Sea and the Holy Mother who could bring them blessings. Locals built a temple at Meizhou Island soon after her death to offer sacrifices to her. As time went by, thousands of similar temples were built all over the world where there are Chinese communities. Mazu has in time become one of the symbols of the Chinese nation. On her birthday which falls on the 23 rd day of the third lunar month, and the anniversary of her death on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Thousands of pilgrims, many of them from Taiwan, come to pay homage to the goddess at the Temple of Mazu. Ocean-going Chinese bring her statue when travelling and they build temples for her wherever they settle down. In Macao, scholars believe that fishermen built the Temple of A-Ma centuries ago in honour of the Goddess A-Ma (Goddess Mazu) ,the protector of seafarers and fishermen. The Portuguese called the area "A-ma-gao" or "Bay of A-Ma," which was eventually shortened to the present Macao. The temples have expansive courtyards and various shrines and altars where prayers, incense and offerings are made to the various deities under the rule of Mazu imploring their divine beneficence. Joss sticks and hanging coils of incense perfume the air at the temples. In Taiwan, at least 900 Mazu temples have reportedly been built, and worshipped regularly over the past few centuries. The Mazu Goddess perfectly embodies such precious Chinese virtues as courage, diligence, intelligence, selfishness, kindness, love of peace and devotion to society. For centuries, Mazu culture has been a spiritual bond for Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

For over 1,000 years, she has been living, with a composed and tender smile, in the hearts of the people. The people pay homage to her, respectfully calling her dairy, the daughter of dragon, goddess, the mother or Mazu (a title of respect for an aged woman); rulers of past dynasties upheld her and the times have bestowed her a series of loveable and respected names such as "Goddess of the Sea ," "Goddess of the Straits ," and "Goddess of Peace of the Straits ." She is none other than the world-renowned Mazu, Goddess of the Sea, of Fujian, China.

The respect for Mazu has turned into a widespread belief with the passage of time. Following the footprints of sea merchants and overseas Chinese, Mazu went out of Putian, out of Fujian and even out of China, making her presence in many corners of Asia, America, Australia and Europe. Consequently, over 4 ,000 Mazu temples are found allover the world, where Mazu from Meizhou are consecrated. The belief in Mazu has become a sort of transactional folk belief with more than 200 million worshippers. However, different from a religion in the ordinary sense, it involves something more than a belief. It is a special kind of ideology connected with many branches of learning, such as anthropology, religion, folklore, sociology as well as the history of sea communication, overseas Chinese, culture and the development of Fujian and Taiwan. This is the culture of Mazu, which has aroused an extensive interest and great attention of Chinese and overseas scholars and is now under in-depth research. It is an integral part of the culture of the Chinese nation and a part of the brilliant civilization of China.