Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China

Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China is a serial cultural property on the Fujian coast that recognises Quanzhou’s role as a major maritime entrepôt during the Song and Yuan periods. The inscription groups ports, religious buildings and infrastructure that document maritime exchange.

Quanzhou rose to prominence in the Tang and especially the Song and Yuan centuries as a principal Chinese port on the Maritime Silk Road, receiving merchants and envoys from across Asia and beyond. The urban fabric and surviving monuments reflect the multicultural contacts, shipbuilding and maritime administration of that period.

The components are located in and around the city of Quanzhou on China’s southeastern Fujian coast, on the Taiwan Strait; the city developed around a natural harbour and historic port facilities.

• Maritime heritage: Quanzhou retains multiple port-related sites and religious monuments that reflect its role as a major international trading emporium during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
• Early mosque: The Qingjing Mosque on the eastern side of the old port dates to 1009 CE and is one of the earliest mosque sites in China associated with maritime trade.

What to See #

• Luoyang Bridge: An early Song-era stone bridge across a tidal estuary, completed in the 11th century and noted for its engineering and longevity.
• Qingjing Mosque: A mosque established by foreign seafaring communities in 1009 CE that illustrates the presence of Muslim merchants in Quanzhou during the Song period.