Putian or Putien (,

Putian dialect The Putian dialect (Pu-Xian Min: / ; ) is a dialect of Pu-Xian Min Chinese spoken in urban area of Putian, which is a prefecture-level city in the southeast coast of Fujian province. Phonology The Putian dialect has 15 initials, 40 rimes and 7 ...

: ''Pó-chéng''), also known as Puyang (莆阳) and Puxian (莆仙), historically known as Xinghua or Hing Hwa (), is a

prefecture-level city A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. During the Republican era, many of China' ...

in eastern

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...

province, China. It borders

Fuzhou Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute t ...

City to the north,

Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...

City to the south, and the

Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. The Taiwan Strait is itself a s ...

Xinghai Bay Xinghai may refer to: * The semilegendary "Sea of Stars" () traditionally considered the source of China's Yellow River *Xinghai County, in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai, China *Xinghai Conservatory of Music, in Guangzhou, Guangdong ...

to the east. The

Mulan River The Mulan River or Creek is a river in Fujian, China, which drains into Xinghua Bay on the Taiwan Strait between the East and South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by t ...

flows through the southern part of the city.

History

Putian was first founded as an administrative area in the year of 568 as a city county during the Chen dynasty. Putian was later established as a military administered city in 979. Putian is known as the

counterfeit To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...

sneaker capital with counterfeiters protected from internationally intellectual property law enforcement by the notoriously corrupt local courts.

Administration

Putian's

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

executive, legislature and

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

are in

Chengxiang District () is a district of the city of Putian, Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the ...

(). The municipal region comprises three other

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

and one

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

: * Hanjiang District () *

Licheng District Licheng may refer to the following locations: *Licheng County (), of Changzhi, Shanxi *Licheng District, Jinan (), Shandong *Licheng District, Putian (), Fujian *Licheng District, Quanzhou (), Fujian *Licheng Subdistrict, Xianyou County (), Fujian * ...

() *

Xiuyu District Xiuyu District () is a district of the city of Putian, Fujian, People's Republic of China. The district executive, legislature and judiciary are in Hushi Town (), together with the CPC and PSB branches. History In October 1952, PRC and ROC for ...

() *

Xianyou County Xianyou (; Puxian Min: ) is a county in the municipal region of Putian, in eastern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. Administration The county seat is in Licheng Subdistrict (). Towns (镇, ''zhen'') * Linan, Xianyou Linan () is a ...

()

Language

Puxian Min Puxian (Hinghwa Romanized: ''Pó-sing-gṳ̂''; ), also known as Pu-Xian Chinese, Puxian Min, Xinghua, Henghwa or Hinghwa (''Hing-hua̍-gṳ̂''; ), is a Sinitic language that forms a branch of Min Chinese. Puxian is a transitional variety of C ...

belonging to a dialect of the languages Min Chinese is spoken.

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.

Culture

Salt-baked_Duotou_Clam_at_PUTIEN_(20200606173429)

Putian is known for Putian (Henghwa) cuisine, a unique style of cuisine that places a heavy emphasis on fresh seafood. Duotou clams, locally harvested around the village of Duotou, are particularly well known.

Tourism

Meizhou Island Meizhou Island (; Pu-Xian Min: ''Mî-ciu-doh''), Meichow; Meichou, is a small island close to the coast of China. Meizhou Town () is an administrative unit of Xiuyu District, Putian, Fujian, China. It is known for being the birthplace of the god ...

, most famous for being the legendary birthplace of the goddess

Mazu Mazu or Matsu is a Chinese sea goddess also known by several other names and titles. She is the deified form of the legendary figure Lin Mo or Lin Moniang, a Fujianese shamaness whose life span is traditionally dated from 960 to 987. Re ...

, 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 Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, 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."Hsun Chang (2017), 378.

Universities and colleges

Putian University Putian University () is a public university located in Putian, Fujian, China. External links Main Putian University website
Universities and colleges in Fujian Educational institutions established in 2002 2002 establishments in China ...

*Meizhouwan Vocational Technology College

Climate

References

External links

Putian Government Website
{{Authority control Prefecture-level divisions of Fujian Cities in Fujian