QUANZHOU CULTURAL TOURISM
Quanzhou, located in the southeast coast of China, was a bustling commercial center on the eastern end of the maritime trade network that flourished from the 10th to 14th century. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou served as a window for China’s economic and cultural exchanges throughout the world, and it was also an outstanding example of the world-class port that served as an engine for maritime commerce.
QUANZHOU, A CITY OF THE WORLD
The Venetian Marco Polo saw Quanzhou in its heyday during the Yuan Dynasty. He wrote:”The quantity of pepper imported there is so considerable, that what is carried to Alexandria, to supply the demand of the western parts of the world, is trifling in comparison, perhaps not more than the hundredth part. It is indeed impossible to convey an idea of the number of merchants and the accumulation of goods in this place, which is held to be one of the largest ports in the world.”
