Quanzhou ancient port is the lifeline of Quanzhou people. "Port prospers, Quanzhou prospers". Under the careful carving of nature, the ancient Erythrina Port (also known as Quanzhou Port) composed of Quanzhou Bay, shenhu bay and Weitou Bay has been formed. The port of Erythrina on the east coast was one of the largest ports in China and even the world during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. It was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road and made great contributions to the friendly exchanges and economic and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries in ancient times.
Thanks to the gift of nature, the ancestors of Quanzhou opened the city gate and actively carried out foreign economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. During the Southern Dynasties (520-527), a Buddhist monk in Tianzhu (now India) detained Ronato and went to Embukuji, Jiuri Mountain, Nan 'an to translate Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures, which was the earliest example of Quanzhou's overseas transportation and cultural exchange. In the late 8th century, the Arab Abbasid dynasty rose, paying attention to trade with China by sea through Zhu Lan. In the Tang Dynasty, Quanzhou's overseas trade developed further, and there was a prosperous scene of "people from ten continents". In the Five Dynasties, the king of Fujian paid attention to "Haina foreign merchants", the ruler of Quanzhou, and exchanged steel and ceramics for 66 gold shells, jewels and spices. The foreign trade between prostitutes and Meijiao continued to develop, which laid the foundation for the prosperity of Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.
There were three overseas routes in Quanzhou in Song Dynasty: the northeast route was Quanzhou-Mingzhou (Ningbo)-Korea (now Korea)-Japan; The southeast line is Quanzhou-Penghu-Mayi (now Mindoro Island, Philippines)-Boni (now Kalimantan, Indonesia); The southwest line is Quanzhou-Xisha-Zhancheng (now central Vietnam), all the way to Boni, and the other way from Zhancheng to Sanyuan (now Sumatra), passing through the Straits of Malacca, passing through Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)-India in the past-the Persian Gulf westbound along the Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Biparo (now Somalia)-Tieba (now Zanzibar) in East Africa. At that time, Quanzhou had maritime trade relations with 57 countries and regions such as Japan, Korea, Gucheng, Bonai, Zhenla (present-day Cambodia), Siam (present-day Thailand), Malacca (Malaysia), Bagan (present-day Myanmar), Tianzhu, Ceylon, Persia, catering, Bipa, Tipa, etc. Quanzhou Port showed the voice of the rise of all nations. Fan lives and works in Fanren Lane in the southeast corner of Quanzhou. They brought rhinoceros, pearls, glass, agate, spices and pepper, as well as silk, porcelain and tea. 1974 The ancient ship of Southern Song Dynasty unearthed in Houzhu Port of Quanzhou Bay reflects the prosperity of foreign trade in Quanzhou Bay in Song Dynasty. This sailboat at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty has a carrying capacity of about 200 tons, and there are many relics on board. In addition to precious drugs such as spice wood and pepper, there are also "wooden rafts", "Qian Mu", shells, peaches, plums, olives and lychees, as well as steel coins in the Tang and Song Dynasties and ceramics in the Song Dynasty. This is of great value to marine archaeology in China and even the world, and has attracted the attention and research of experts and scholars at home and abroad.
The development of Quanzhou's overseas trade is difficult and tortuous. During the Jiading period of the Southern Song Dynasty, when Zhende Xiuzhi knew Quanzhou, it was the period when Quanzhou's overseas trade declined. He aimed at the current disadvantages and revitalized Quanzhou's economy and overseas trade. In the past three years, the number of foreign ships in Quanzhou has increased greatly, reappearing the glory of Quanzhou's overseas trade.
At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, the ancestor Kublai Khan appointed Pu Shougeng, an Arab descendant who abandoned the Song Dynasty for Yuan Dynasty, to attract merchants to exchange markets, "each has its own way". The descendants of Pu were appointed Zuo Cheng, Fujian Province, and were ordered to visit the South China Sea countries of businessmen. Since then, several important summoning activities of the Yuan government have all set sail from Quanzhou Port, with Quanzhou authorities being mainly responsible and Pu cronies participating. During the Yuan Dynasty, Quanzhou established many provinces and resumed business. With political, economic and cultural ties with 98 countries and regions, its overseas trade flourished, making it one of the largest seaports in the world at that time, keeping pace with Alexandria in Egypt. 1292 Italian traveler Kyle Poirot Spring said that Quanzhou Port is more prosperous than Alexandria. There are many Indian ships in the port and it is one of the largest trading ports in the world. 1347 Moroccan traveler ibn battutele spring; He also said that Quanzhou is "the largest port in the world, with more than 100 large ships and countless small boats". During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the prosperity of Quanzhou Port made great contributions to the economic development of Quanzhou and Fujian, as well as cultural exchanges and friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries.
At the end of Yuan Dynasty, Quanzhou was caught in a war of 10. The Ming and Qing dynasties implemented the policy of closing the country to the outside world. In the middle and late Ming dynasty, the Japanese pirates seriously disturbed and the colonists came from the east. In the early Qing Dynasty, the sea was forbidden to move the border, Jinjiang was gradually silted up, and officials were corrupt, which made Quanzhou's overseas trade gradually weak. Jinjiang Anping (Anhai) Port is far away from Fucheng and has a good trade foundation. Thanks to the efforts of Zheng Zhilong's family, it has developed into a private commercial seaport, which is one of the areas where China adopted the capitalist management mode earlier.