The city of Quanzhou is in sotheastern Fujian Province. It has an area of 11,000 square kilometers and a population of six million. Quanzhou is among the first group of cities designated by the state as well-known historical and cultural cities in China. It has a long history, a galaxy of talented people, and places of varied scenic beauty and historic interest.
The city has time-honored, simple but unique folk customs. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism shared a common prosperity there. The city's folk music, opera, dance, martial arts, fold customs, clothing, handicrafts, local and special products as well as snacks have a diversified splendor. Quanzhou's stone, porcelain, tea, Nanyin music, opera, martial arts, and other traditional cultural corms and handicrafts are popular both in the urban and rural areas and enjoy a high repu tation abroad. The city is a principal ancestral home of overseas Chinese, foreign citizens of Chinese origin, and compatriots in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.