A man rides early in the moring in Xijie, an ancient street area, in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 24, 2018. Quanzhou is located on the southeast coast of China's Fujian Province. In the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, Quanzhou was known as "the largest port in the East". With numerous merchant ships from the East and the West coming and going day and night, the prosperity of the city was vividly recorded in many historical materials and "The Travels of Marco Polo", which recounts the journey of the Italian explorer to the East. As there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes, when strolling in this ancient city, people may have different feelings. Some may be attracted by its heartwarming humanistic atmosphere while others may be inspired by its people's spirit of perseverance. As one of the most renowned historical and cultural cities in China, Quanzhou is obviously ancient. Meanwhile, Quanzhou is young and energetic with its economic aggregate output topping all other cities in Fujian Province for 22 consecutive years. Nowadays, people in the thousand-year-old city are enjoying both its heritage and modernity. On July 25, 2021, UNESCO accepted "Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China" as a cultural property on its World Heritage List amid the ongoing 44th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)
