Putian


Putian or Putien is a prefecture-level city in eastern Fujian province, China. It borders Fuzhou City to the north, Quanzhou City to the south, and the Taiwan Strait's Xinghai Bay to the east. The Mulan River flows through the southern part of the city. It's built-up area made of 4 urban districts was home to 1,953,801 inhabitants as of 2010 census. The native language of the area is Pu-Xian Min.

History

Imperial era

Putian was first founded as an administrative area in the year of 568 as a county during the Liang Dynasty.
Putian was later re-established as a military administered city during the Song Dynasty with the stationing of military families and soldiers into the city during the period. Xinghua Prefecture was created in 979. It was abolished during the Yuan Dynasty in 1277.
The city greatly prospered during the Ming Dynasty.

Contemporary era

On August 21 and August 25, 1949, Putian and Xianyou County were captured by the People's Liberation Army, respectively. The Wuqiu Islands were never successfully captured, and continue to be under ROC control.
On September 9, 1983, the State Council approved the establishment of Putian as a prefecture-level city. It has jurisdiction over Putian and Xianyou Counties, along with Chengxiang and Hanjiang Districts.

Administration

Putian's municipal executive, legislature and judiciary are in Chengxiang District, together with the CPC and Public Security bureaux. The municipal region comprises three other districts and one county:
Map

Languages and ethnic groups

The Han Chinese are the majority ethnic group.
Puxian Min is the largest dialect spoken in Putian. It is a dialect of Min, a Chinese language.

Economy

Putian has become an export base for Fujian products. The main industries are shoe-making, brewing, electronics, garments, fruits, vegetables, and machinery, electrical goods. In particular, the area is known for high-quality counterfeits of shoes and the domination of Chinese private healthcare.

Tourism

, most famous for being the legendary birthplace of the goddess Mazu, is located closely offshore of Putian.
According to legends, Mazu in her earthly incarnation died on the seashore of Xianliang Harbor, in the coastal area of Putian, where Xianliang Mazu Temple hosts pilgrims from different Chinese provinces and from Taiwan, particularly for the ceremonies commemorating the goddess' death held in October. Because of its hosting "the most sacred places for Mazu believers," Putian is known as "Mazu's hometown."

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