Quanzhou: The Rise and Fall of China’s Maritime Trade Center (I)

In the first installment of what will be a two-part feature, we’ll talk about how an innovatively designed bridge laid the groundwork for a small port on the southeast coast of China to emerge as the center of the country’s maritime trade during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

Transcript

Quanzhou: The Rise and Fall of China’s Maritime Trade Center (I)

In the first installment of what will be a two-part feature, we’ll talk about how an innovatively designed bridge laid the groundwork for a small port on the southeast coast of China to emerge as the center of the country’s maritime trade during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

Quanzhou, a small port city on the southeast coast of China, particularly sandwiched between the provincial capital Fuzhou to the north and the sub-provincial city of Xiamen to the south, initially faced challenges gaining recognition in recent years. However, in July 2021, during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting, Quanzhou was declared a World Cultural Heritage site as the maritime trade center of Song and Yuan dynasties and the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. Twenty-two representative historical sites and relics are included in the designation.

While World Cultural Heritage status is not unfamiliar to China, having an entire city designated as such is rare on a global scale. Following this prestigious recognition, Quanzhou naturally experienced a rapid surge in tourism, particularly after the end of the three-year Covid-19 pandemic. The city has become a focal point for domestic tourism, and it is anticipated that this popularity will endure for a considerable period.

The fate of Quanzhou within the rise and fall of ancient China’s maritime trade is closely tied to two individuals who significantly influenced not only the city but also the direction of China’s historical development. One had a positive impact, while the other’s influence was predominantly negative, almost erasing his presence from the annals of history. Even among the 22 heritage sites in Quanzhou recently granted UNESCO recognition, information about the latter individual is only occasionally found in the introductory text of the UNESCO application. We’ll talk more about him in the next podcast.

Today, let’s begin by introducing the first individual, the positive figure. Like many revered figures, he has a temple and a statue. To this day, his statue stands proudly at the head of a sea-crossing bridge he once oversaw the construction of. He is Cai Xiang, a distinguished statesman of the Northern Song Dynasty, which lasted from 960 to 1127, and the designer and builder of Luoyang Bridge, one of the 22 historical sites we discuss today.

Cai Xiang is historically renowned not only for his roles as a scientist or politician but as a calligrapher. His calligraphy is acclaimed as “the best of his time” and places him among the “Four Masters of the Song,” alongside Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, and Mi Fu. Cai Xiang’s calligraphy was highly admired by people from all walks of life, from emperors and literati to ordinary citizens. The History of the Song Dynasty notes, “Cai Xiang excelled in handwriting, ranking as the best in his era, especially favored by Emperor Renzong.” In fact, his official position was attributed to Emperor Renzong’s fondness for his calligraphy during the prosperous era of the Northern Song Dynasty. 

Cai Xiang’s excellence in officialdom was twofold: he was both straightforward and bold in offering advice, unafraid to offend those in power, and he dedicated himself to benefiting the local populace.

Originally from Xianyou, Fujian Province, Cai Xiang spent most of his career serving in his home province, holding positions such as local magistrate in Fuzhou and Quanzhou. Apart from assisting the emperor in drafting edicts and annotating daily records, he wholeheartedly worked for the welfare of the people. His contributions played a crucial role in the economic development of Fujian, especially in Quanzhou. 

In addition to being renowned for his calligraphy, Cai Xiang was also a master of tea studies. Even today, those who appreciate tea are familiar with the Tang Dynasty’s Lu Yu and his work The Classic of Tea. Comparable to Lu Yu’s masterpiece is Cai Xiang’s Record of Tea. Cai Xiang’s interest in tea was not merely a matter of literary taste; it was driven by his official responsibilities.

During his tenure as the transport commissioner in Fujian, Cai Xiang was tasked with overseeing the production of the imperial Beiyuan tea, cultivated in the Beiyuan Imperial Tea Garden in Jian’an, Fujian. This tea garden, established since the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, served as the imperial tea base. Even after the establishment of the Song Dynasty, it continued to produce tribute tea exclusively for the royal court. 

Cai Xiang also wrote the world’s earliest specialized book on fruit cultivation, Lychee Spectrum, in order to guide southern farmers in producing high-value crops and changing the impoverished and isolated appearance of the Min area.

In terms of benefiting the local community, the most far-reaching impact for future generations is undoubtedly Cai Xiang’s supervision of the construction of Luoyang Bridge.

Before the Song Dynasty, during the Tang Dynasty, the overland Silk Road was flourishing, and the maritime Silk Road had also taken shape. The maritime trade hub during the Tang Dynasty was Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, while Fujian at the time had not been well developed. During the later years of the Tang Dynasty, the Huang Chao Rebellion captured Guangzhou, massacring 120,000 “foreign merchants” in the city. This essentially exterminated almost all Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants who were residing in Guangzhou at that time. Additionally, during the chaotic period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the Southern Han regime ruled Lingnan for several decades, making it difficult for Guangzhou to regain its status as a maritime trade hub after the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Unlike the Tang Dynasty, which had established the overland Silk Road, during the Song Dynasty the northern and northwestern regions were not incorporated into the territory of the Northern Song. The overland Silk Road had effectively been blocked for many years. The Song Dynasty had to rely more on the maritime Silk Road to meet its foreign trade needs. Fortunately, after more than a century of development, Fujian’s productivity had greatly improved, especially in tea and porcelain – two key commodities that were in high demand overseas.

Quanzhou was the most favorable port at that time, but to its north flowed the wide Luoyang River that blocked the passage for bulk goods to move south. There was originally a ferry crossing there called Wan’an Ferry. The river is five miles wide in that spot, and when the wind and tide converge, it could be impassable for several days. Every year, many people would perish there due to sunken boats, so naturally merchants and travelers feared to cross there. The insecure Wan’an Ferry had become a stumbling block for the further development of Quanzhou.

Before Cai Xiang, there were several attempts to build a bridge at Wan’an Ferry, but they all failed because the construction was too challenging. The location was where the river and sea converged, experiencing strong winds, large waves, and tidal fluctuations. The riverbed was covered in thick mud, making it difficult to establish bridge foundations. During Cai Xiang’s second term as the governor of Quanzhou, he dedicated six and a half years to extensive technological innovation. He invented unique bridge construction methods such as “raft foundations,” “oyster-shell foundations,” and “floating transport cranes.” Only through these innovations did he finally complete the miracle of this ancient bridge project. 

The so-called “raft foundations” involved placing a large number of stones along the central axis of the bridge to create a low stone embankment at the riverbed. Boat-shaped bridge piers were then constructed on top of this embankment. The pointed shape of the bridge piers effectively divided the water flow, reducing the impact of waves. This bridge construction method has been widely applied in the construction of sea-crossing bridges in modern times.

The “oyster-shell foundation” was a groundbreaking application of biology to engineering. Cai Xiang instructed people to cultivate a large number of oysters on the bridge foundation. By utilizing their adhesive properties, the bridge piers and foundation were firmly bonded together. Even today, there is a popular snack in Quanzhou called an oyster omelet. As you approach Luoyang Bridge, you can often see locals selling freshly harvested oysters. However, these oysters are grown on individual stones placed in the mud, essentially cultured, and the layers of oysters attached to the bridge foundation still follow the prohibition set by prefecture chief Cai Xiang way back then: cultivating oysters to solidify the foundation, and strict prohibition on excavation.

The bridge piers and foundations were in place, but the daunting task of laying giant stone slabs on the turbulent sea surface in high winds and waves remained a challenge. Cai Xiang, once again, invented the ingenious method of stimulating waves to raise boats and float the beams. By cleverly utilizing the waves and tides, he successfully completed the construction of this five-mile-long bridge.

After the completion of Luoyang Bridge, it facilitated sea transportation, allowing boats to move easily and safely. The most challenging obstacle in Quanzhou’s waterways, was resolved by Cai Xiang. This opened up a bridge-building trend in Quanzhou that lasted for nearly three hundred years. 

Subsequently, the construction of the “Top Ten Famous Bridges” around Quanzhou followed, and within the jurisdiction of Quanzhou, there were countless bridges spanning tens to hundreds of yards. Nevertheless, Mao Yisheng, a Chinese modern bridge expert, referred to Luoyang Bridge as the “top among Fujian’s bridges.” 

According to records, during the Song and Yuan dynasties, the people of Quanzhou funded the construction of 175 bridges, with 113 of them built during the Southern Song period alone. With the completion of bridges like Anping Bridge and Shunji Bridge, along with Luoyang Bridge, they collectively formed a coastal thoroughfare connecting the docks, harbors, and urban areas. This infrastructure laid the foundation for Quanzhou to become the center of maritime trade in China during the Song and Yuan dynasties. 

Cai Xiang’s work in Fujian did not stop with the completion of Luoyang Bridge. Afterwards, he organized people to plant pine trees along the way from Fuzhou to Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, covering a distance of seven hundred miles. This not only prevented soil erosion but also provided shade for the road, relieving travelers from the scorching sun. People praised him in poetry: “Pines along the road, planted by our Lord Cai, travelers in June unaware of the heat, for countless ages, swaying in the clear breeze.”

Due to Cai Xiang’s achievements in Quanzhou, the people there established a shrine to honor his virtues and accomplishments. In the hearts of the Quanzhou people, the wise among the prefects must consider Lord Cai as the leader. Even today, the people of Quanzhou still enjoy the blessings of Cai Xiang’s deeds, spanning nearly a thousand years. At the head of Luoyang Bridge, Cai Xiang is still regarded as a deity, worshiped for nearly a millennium.

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Song Yimin, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.