(Question about things) Jiang Bo: Why did Quanzhou put forward the "peaceful spirit of Erythrina"?
China News Service, Beijing, July 28th, title: Jiang Bo: Quanzhou's successful application for the World Heritage Site, why did you propose the "Erythrina peace spirit"?
China News Agency reporter Zeng Fuzhi and Sun Hong
"Quanzhou: Song and Yuan China's World Maritime Trade Center" was approved to be included in the "World Heritage List" at the 44th World Heritage Conference held in Fuzhou, Fujian on July 25.
This project consists of 22 representative historical sites and their associated environments and spaces. It is the only cultural heritage project declared by China at this conference.
After the successful application of Quanzhou, the total number of world heritage sites in China reached 56.
"As a great eastern port on the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou is the historical memory of human navigation activities before the'Great Navigation Era', and it is also a historical testimony to the friendly exchanges between civilizations between the East and the West." Jiang Bo, Vice Chairman of the International Council of Monuments and Sites and Professor of Shandong University A few days ago, in an exclusive interview with China News Service, "Dongxi Wen", Quanzhou has accepted foreign ethnic groups of different skin colors, languages and religions with a tolerant and friendly attitude, forming a colorful and harmonious coexisting culturally diverse urban landscape, which can be called the history of the world. In the process, the outstanding representative of the exchange and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations can be called the "Erythrina peace spirit".
Professor Jiang Bo.
Photo courtesy of me
The summary of the interview record is as follows:
China News Agency reporter: From the 10th to the 14th century, what status did Quanzhou occupy in the world ocean trade system?
Jiang Bo: Quanzhou Port is a precious heritage of human navigation in the classical era. It is also a historical witness to the sail trade during the Song and Yuan dynasties (10th to 14th centuries).
In the second year of Yuanyou (1087), the Northern Song Dynasty government established the Municipal Bureau of Shipping in Quanzhou to manage ships and encourage transoceanic trade. Quanzhou Port entered a golden period of development and became an outstanding representative of the world's seaport cities.
As the Pearl of the Orient on the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou's status in the history of world navigation is comparable to Columbus's hometown of Genoa, Marco Polo's hometown of Venice, and Ibn Battuta's hometown of Tangier.
In Marco Polo's writings, Quanzhou in its heyday was the world's largest seaport city. As far as the spice trade is concerned, it has far surpassed the famous seaport of Alexandria in the Mediterranean world.
Quanzhou, as a text memory, has accepted many famous navigators before the "Great Navigation Era", such as Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Wang Dayuan, and Zheng He in the Ming Dynasty. They were all based in Quanzhou. Witnessed the elegance of this world's largest port.
The Song and Yuan dynasties were a peak of ancient Chinese maritime trade. The maritime exchanges among ancient Chinese civilization, Southeast Asian civilization, Indian civilization, Persian-Arab civilization and even Mediterranean civilization became closer. The integration process of the world ocean system was accelerated, and the process of world integration became Inevitable historical trend.
As a major maritime trade port in the Eastern world, Quanzhou has become the main window of ancient China to the overseas world. This beautiful seaport hidden by erythrocytes is well-known and well-known as Zaitun (Zayton, that is, "Erythrina"). overseas.
The picture shows the Kaiyuan Temple, which was the largest Buddhist temple in Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan Dynasties and the most prominent official status, reflecting the local multiculturalism.
Photo by Wang Dongming
China News Service: As a representative city of China’s foreign maritime trade and cultural exchanges and dialogues between the East and the West in the Song and Yuan dynasties, what civilization achievements have Quanzhou made in terms of maritime culture and the process of maritime civilization?
Jiang Bo: Quanzhou Port carries the maritime cultural traditions of the Chinese civilization, and demonstrates the survival wisdom of the ancestors of the southeast coast of China that "born toward the sea", the navigational awareness of "elevating the world" and the pioneering spirit of cutting the waves.
This seaport city built by the ancient Erythrons, surrounded by mountains and rivers, rivers and seas, not only has the convenience of land-sea transportation, but also can avoid the intrusion of typhoons. It can be described as a natural harbor.
Here, ports, wharves and navigation facilities are all available, and markets, warehousing, and shops are densely distributed.
In Quanzhou city, gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, lacquerware, silk and other industries are prospering; in the suburbs, ceramics, smelting and casting, and tea gardens develop together, and the products sell well both at home and abroad.
Around Quanzhou City, relying on the Jinjiang water system, a water and land transportation system centered on the seaport has been formed. The famous Luoyang Bridge and Anping Bridge have been built, which strongly supported the development of the ancient seaport trade economy.
At the same time, to adapt to the development of the navigation industry, Quanzhou's shipbuilding industry is highly developed. Fortune ships with streamlined ship types and watertight compartments as their technical characteristics have crossed the oceans and crossed the world, becoming a classic representative of ancient Chinese ocean-going trading ships.
The "Houzhu Shipwreck", "Nanhai I", and "Huaguang Reef I" discovered by archaeology are all representatives of sea-going vessels that use Quanzhou as their home port and travel across the oceans to carry out overseas trade.
To be more important, the perfect seaport management system, advanced port facilities, and inclusive urban atmosphere have made Quanzhou Port the most prestigious Eastern trading port in the classical navigation era.
Quanzhou Port has left an unparalleled maritime heritage, allowing people today to witness the historical picture of the ancient Citong Port: The Tianhou Palace for worshipping the gods complements each other with the stone carvings on Jiurishan Mountain, Kaiyuan Temple, Zhenwu Temple, Qingjing Temple, and Caoan Temple are echoed in the distance.
The Shibosi site that manages marine trade, the Nanwai Zongzhengsi site where the Southern Song imperial family participates in marine trade, the Dejimen site that connects Fanfang outside the city and the city market, and the Dehua kiln, Cizao kiln and Anxi Xiacaopu iron smelting sites , After the excavation of archaeologists and reproduced the world.
Nowadays, the landscape that people see in this harbor city is: the ancient tower is facing the wind, standing by the river; the erythrina blossoms, the city gate is hidden.
Boats go and go on the Jinjiang River, and the tides ebb and flow in Quanzhou Bay.
The Tianhou Palace is surrounded by cigarettes, and the Sanskrit of Kaiyuan Temple is endless.
The old store opens, and the sound of selling is still there; the old streets are connected, and the ancient sound of Erythrina is still there: What a world heritage that is endless!
The picture shows the Anping Bridge, which is the longest existing cross-sea beam stone bridge in China. It was built in 1138 and is the land transportation node between Quanzhou and the southern coastal areas.
Photo by Wang Dongming
Reporter from China News Agency: Compared with the European-dominated "Era of Great Navigation," Quanzhou embodies the friendly coexistence of different beliefs, different nationalities, and different races. How can it be called the "Erythrina peace spirit"?
Jiang Bo: As a historical memory of human navigation activities before the "Great Navigation Era", Quanzhou is also a historical witness of the friendly exchanges between civilizations between the East and the West.
This beautiful city with oriental charm has accepted foreign ethnic groups of different skin colors, languages and religions with a tolerant and friendly attitude, forming a colorful and harmonious coexistence of cultural diversity urban landscape, which can be called the eastern and western civilizations in the process of world history. An outstanding representative of exchanges and mutual learning can be called the "Erythrina peace spirit".
Today, when strolling in and out of Quanzhou City, you can see the mosque and Guandi Temple "live next to each other", the Buddhist temple houses Hindu gods, the headwear of the women in Xunpu left the mark of Persian civilization, and the hills in the countryside came from Mani The voice of prayer of the teacher...Chinese and foreign cultural landscapes are intertwined, and the Eastern and Western civilizations are deeply blended, forming a typical Maritime Silk Road harbor city landscape. This is why the ancient port of Quanzhou has been included in the World Heritage List and has become the nautical memory of all mankind. The important reason.
Compared with the colonial system and colonial culture that the "Great Maritime Era" brought to the world, the cultural heritage left by Quanzhou is particularly unique and precious.
Here, the implicit, tolerant, benevolent, and loving characteristics of Eastern civilization are at a glance: the Ceylon people who live in Quanzhou have been deeply integrated into the local society and self-proclaimed as a farmer, poetry, and poetry.
Li Zhi, a descendant of the Semu people, became a giant in the history of Chinese thought in the city of Quanzhou.
A deceased Egyptian would leave a self-ridiculing sentence such as "Fanke Tomb" on the tombstone; Zheng He, who went to the West for seven trips, left in the Holy Tomb of Lingshan before leaving, "Go to Western Hulumus and other countries." Ibn Battuta from Morocco praised her beautiful streets; Wang Dayuan, who was sailing, always remembered the homeland people in Citong City: the ruins are all fascinating.
The picture shows the Quanzhou Mansion Confucian Temple, which embodies the representative heritage elements of the diverse communities of the World Ocean Trade Center. It is an official place to commemorate and worship Confucius.
Photo by Wang Dongming
China News Agency reporter: During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, in Quanzhou, a multicultural international city where Eastern and Western cultures intersect, different nations, races, and beliefs embraced and harmoniously coexisted in harmony with the spirit of ocean peace and the universal value of mutual learning between civilizations. Does the moment of great change have practical significance?
Jiang Bo: The cultural heritage and historical memory of Quanzhou Port, and the development of the world under "great changes unseen in a century", have particularly important practical significance.
Quanzhou Port, as a common treasure of mankind, vividly illustrates that the civilizations of different ethnic groups, languages and religions should respect each other, exchange and learn from each other, coexist in harmony, and develop together.
Taking history as a mirror, respecting the reality of cultural diversity, adhering to the trend of multi-polar world development, and opposing the so-called unipolar thinking of being a big one is the trend of the times and the inevitability of history.
Quanzhou Port, as a world heritage site, provides far-reaching historical reference for this.
Navigating genes are flowing in the blood of Erythronium.
For thousands of years, the people of the ancient city have cared for this precious and unique heritage just like caring for their own eyes.
In the context of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative and the building of a maritime power, Quanzhou, this bright city that carries the memory of human navigation, will surely shake off the dust, continue the journey, and write an immortal legend in the new era.
(Finish)
Jiang Bo is a distinguished professor of the Cultural Heritage Research Institute of Shandong University, an expert enjoying the special allowance of the State Council, a leading talent in philosophy and social sciences of the National "Ten Thousands Program", and concurrently serving as the vice chairman of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the China Council of Historic Sites (ICOMOS- CHINA) Vice President, Vice President of the China Association for the Study of the History of Marine Communications, Executive Deputy Director of the Underwater Archaeology Professional Committee of the Chinese Archaeological Society; successively worked in the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Cultural Heritage Research Institute and National Cultural Heritage Administration Underwater Culture Heritage Preservation Center, visiting scholar at Harvard University and National Gallery of America.
Professor Jiang Bo's main research fields are underwater archaeology, maritime Silk Road research and the archaeology of the Han and Tang Dynasties.
The main representative works include "Research on the Ritual Architecture of Capitals in Han and Tang Dynasties" (monograph), "Research on Archaeology of Ancient Chinese Capitals" (monograph, collaboration), "From Quanzhou to Mount Ceylon" (thesis), etc.