| Putian city otherwise called “Xinghua”, is located on the east coast of Fujan ,between 24°59' –25°46' on the North Latitude and 118 °27'-19 °40 'on the East Longitude. The city covers an area of 4060.4km² and is populated by 2,989,700 people, which results in a population density of 780 people per km², 3 times higher than the province’s average .Puxian dialect predominates in the city. Besides, there are 30 ethnic minorities in Putian.
Putian is endowed with rich tourism resources by its more than 250 scenic spots and cultural relics, of which 197 have been categorized as Key Historic Preservation Sites on all levels. Among them,2 are listed as National Key Historic Preservation Sites, 8 on the provincial level, 20 on the city level ,and 167 on the country /district level .To name some famous scenic spots in Putian.
Mazu Temple on the Meizhou Island is the Mecca for worshippers of the Sea Goddess from around the world .Sanjiaozu Temple is the unique and only temple of its kind in China. The Mazu Temple and Sanjiaozu Temple enjoy profound influence in China, Southeast Asia, as well as many regions and countries in the world .The Nine Carps Lake is a tourist attraction famed for the 4 wonders of lake, cave, waterfalls and stones, and has been revered as one of the “3 Miracles of Fujian”.
The Mulan Ancient Dam, 5km from the city proper, is one of the most complete ancient water conservancy projects in China and the Key National Historic Preservation site. Guanhua Temple is one of the 4 monasteries and one of the “Top 10 Tourist Attractions” in Fujian. The Sanqing Hall of the Xuanmiao Taoist Temple is the best-preserved Taoist architecture of Tang Dynasty in Fujian .The numerous ancient architectural relics in Putian such as the proved relics of the South Shaolin Temple, the GujiaoBuiding of the Song Dynasty, the Tomb of Cai Xiang,the porcelain kiln sites, and the famous anti-Japanese-aggression Puxi Town in the Ming Dynasty add to the charm of Putian as a tourist city .What 's more ,there is a 1000-year-old tree, the Songjiaxiang Litche tree ,and the ancient camphor tree in Longhua ,etc.
Putian is historically known as a “famous place of letters”. Since the Tang Dynasty and its ensuing over 1200 years, it has been prolific in yielding galaxy of talents as well as celebrities, such as Lin Mo, Lin Zhaoen, Cai Xiang, Zheng Qiao, Liu Kezhuang and other famous historical and literary figures, who were invariably elites of their times and had an exemplary and long-lasting influence on their successors .The puxian Opera, performed in Puxian dialect that still bears the distinct mark of the rhyme and verse of the language spoken in Song and Tang Dynasties, is “a living fossil of the opera of South China.”
the South Shaolin Temple The essence of Shaolin lies in Martial arts. South Shaolin Temple is the origin of the boxing genre of Southern China. It was first built in 557 AD in Southern Dynasty, 60 years later than the authentic Shaolin Temple in Northern China. So it is an attraction with a long history and profound influence and its disciples spread all over the world. Demolished in Qing Dynasty, South Shaolin Temple was rebuilt in 1998 with the agreement of Fujian Provincial Government. Now it boasts over 30 scenic spots which combine the natural landscapes with the cultural ones, which attract tourists from all over the world.
MeZhou Island Just off Fujian’s coast, between Quanzhou and Putian, lies Meizhou Island, the Mecca for worshiopers of the Sea Goddess, Mazu.
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