C o n t r a d i c t o r y F u j i a n
Fujian, in its name, is a province, full of mountains which extend to the sea continuously. The mountain areas with hills accounts for more than 90 percent of Fujian in area. But its particularity lies in that it is an oceanic province which is much blessed with the civilization of ocean. The cultivation of oceanic
civilization in Fujian is also related to its mountains which prevent the contact with the central area. Therefore, the best choice is to make its way to the sea.
The mountains in Fujian extend straightly to the sea, in other words, the sea invades into the foot of mountains, and makes the seashore, rocky and curved, which is the most suitable for building a big harbor to anchor ships not only in China but also in the world, followed by lots of ports and islands. But it’s a pity that Fujian has no inner lands to match with it by nature, although it is blessed with seashores most suitable for harbor-building. This is Fujian’s 1st
contradiction.
There are still lots of contradictions in Fujian. On the one hand, cracked mountains and towering rockery result in the closure, on the other hand, curved seashores and excellent harbors cultivate a sense of opening facing to sea for Fujian. That is another contradiction of Fujian, which is interpreted by the dilemma between the earthen building that Hakka in west Fujian inhabit
together in and the modern buildings with Grecian pillars in Xiamen Gulangyu islet.
To understand Fujian, you should learn about not only its contradictoriness but its bipolarity. Both of the two conflicting parties of a contradiction tend to the extreme.
So far as oceanic civilization is concerned, Fujian developed much better than other provinces in Chinese sea coast. If oceanic civilization is interpreted as fearless facing to sea to immigrate overseas and communicate with foreigners on business, it is Fujianese who is the first bravest to explore the sea. Fujianese are the earliest to search for South Ocean and Japan (Toyo). And people whose ancestors are from Fujian spread over south and east of Asia. Also Fujianese is the earliest to do business abroad. It said that from time immemorial Cantonese are shopkeeper who can appeal people all over the world to participate in China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) while Fujianese are itinerant
peddlers who can take ships down to South Ocean to do business with the help of monsoon from the old. Forbes has ever listed the first 10th Chinese magnates, four of which originate from Fujian. There are more than 10 million overseas Chinese derived from Fujian, spreading over more than one hundred countries and areas in the 5 continents.
Provided that culture in Fujian is an opening oceanic civilization facing to sea, it will arise objection at once for the Chinese traditional culture is ingrained in Fujian and is preserved perfectly integrated. Besides, cracked mountain and grid-shaped hydrographic net bring about language-divisional-and-isolated islands and clathrate culture districts, therefore, Chinese culture avoid being assimilated in these patches.
Most of the old cultures are preserved like a fossil once they entered cracked mountains in Fujian. For example, each place of Fujian has its own local opera. There are still over 20 types of drama of uneven size except Fujian opera, Puxian opera, Liyuan opera, Gaojia drama, and Xiangjiang opera popular everywhere in Fujian. Up to now, more than 15 thousand repertoires can be looked up. Some old scenarios and songs of Song and Yuan Dynasties have been lost in every place except Fujian in China.
As a result of dispersion and isolation of traditional cultures related close to center China, it is an oceanic civilization from south Fujian that is rather prevalent and presents itself like a triton among the minnows.
It is in Fujian that immigrant from different eras and places to Fujian bring colorful Chinese culture which is handed down, conserved and conserved in the closed mountain basin of Fujian, while the native (Minese and Cantonese) culture has lost its predominance and gives way to the immigrant culture. For the sake of the stage and diversity of central culture brought by immigrant, Fujian has never formed an orthodox and mainstream culture with powerful ability to conquer and assimilate others. In Fujian, Chinese civilization takes on a broken state of diversity in time and place. All the cultures in Fujian balance up and no one cannot surpass one another as follow: Neo-Confucianism in north Fujian, San-Shan Culture in central Fujian, Mazu Goddess Culture in Putian and Xianyou, She Nationality Culture in east Fujian and Hakka Culture in west Fujian.
C o n t r a d i c t o r y F u j i a n
Fujian, in its name, is a province, full of mountains which extend to the sea continuously. The mountain areas with hills accounts for more than 90 percent of Fujian in area. But its particularity lies in that it is an oceanic province which is much blessed with the civilization of ocean. The cultivation of oceanic
civilization in Fujian is also related to its mountains which prevent the contact with the central area. Therefore, the best choice is to make its way to the sea.
The mountains in Fujian extend straightly to the sea, in other words, the sea invades into the foot of mountains, and makes the seashore, rocky and curved, which is the most suitable for building a big harbor to anchor ships not only in China but also in the world, followed by lots of ports and islands. But it’s a pity that Fujian has no inner lands to match with it by nature, although it is blessed with seashores most suitable for harbor-building. This is Fujian’s 1st
contradiction.
There are still lots of contradictions in Fujian. On the one hand, cracked mountains and towering rockery result in the closure, on the other hand, curved seashores and excellent harbors cultivate a sense of opening facing to sea for Fujian. That is another contradiction of Fujian, which is interpreted by the dilemma between the earthen building that Hakka in west Fujian inhabit
together in and the modern buildings with Grecian pillars in Xiamen Gulangyu islet.
To understand Fujian, you should learn about not only its contradictoriness but its bipolarity. Both of the two conflicting parties of a contradiction tend to the extreme.
So far as oceanic civilization is concerned, Fujian developed much better than other provinces in Chinese sea coast. If oceanic civilization is interpreted as fearless facing to sea to immigrate overseas and communicate with foreigners on business, it is Fujianese who is the first bravest to explore the sea. Fujianese are the earliest to search for South Ocean and Japan (Toyo). And people whose ancestors are from Fujian spread over south and east of Asia. Also Fujianese is the earliest to do business abroad. It said that from time immemorial Cantonese are shopkeeper who can appeal people all over the world to participate in China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) while Fujianese are itinerant
peddlers who can take ships down to South Ocean to do business with the help of monsoon from the old. Forbes has ever listed the first 10th Chinese magnates, four of which originate from Fujian. There are more than 10 million overseas Chinese derived from Fujian, spreading over more than one hundred countries and areas in the 5 continents.
Provided that culture in Fujian is an opening oceanic civilization facing to sea, it will arise objection at once for the Chinese traditional culture is ingrained in Fujian and is preserved perfectly integrated. Besides, cracked mountain and grid-shaped hydrographic net bring about language-divisional-and-isolated islands and clathrate culture districts, therefore, Chinese culture avoid being assimilated in these patches.
Most of the old cultures are preserved like a fossil once they entered cracked mountains in Fujian. For example, each place of Fujian has its own local opera. There are still over 20 types of drama of uneven size except Fujian opera, Puxian opera, Liyuan opera, Gaojia drama, and Xiangjiang opera popular everywhere in Fujian. Up to now, more than 15 thousand repertoires can be looked up. Some old scenarios and songs of Song and Yuan Dynasties have been lost in every place except Fujian in China.
As a result of dispersion and isolation of traditional cultures related close to center China, it is an oceanic civilization from south Fujian that is rather prevalent and presents itself like a triton among the minnows.
It is in Fujian that immigrant from different eras and places to Fujian bring colorful Chinese culture which is handed down, conserved and conserved in the closed mountain basin of Fujian, while the native (Minese and Cantonese) culture has lost its predominance and gives way to the immigrant culture. For the sake of the stage and diversity of central culture brought by immigrant, Fujian has never formed an orthodox and mainstream culture with powerful ability to conquer and assimilate others. In Fujian, Chinese civilization takes on a broken state of diversity in time and place. All the cultures in Fujian balance up and no one cannot surpass one another as follow: Neo-Confucianism in north Fujian, San-Shan Culture in central Fujian, Mazu Goddess Culture in Putian and Xianyou, She Nationality Culture in east Fujian and Hakka Culture in west Fujian.