History of Fujian in Timeline

Fujian is a province in southeastern China, bordering Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Guangdong, with the Taiwan Strait to its east. Fuzhou is its capital, while Quanzhou is its largest city by population. Xiamen and Zhangzhou are also notable cities. Fujian's proximity to Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait is significant due to historical and political factors stemming from the Chinese Civil War. A small part of historical Fujian is currently administered by the Republic of China.

1905: Japan Seeks Influence in Fujian

In 1905, Japan started making overtures to enlarge its sphere of influence to include Fujian.

1907: Japan's Attempt to Influence Fujian Continued

From 1907 Japan continued trying to obtain French loans and also avoid the Open Door Policy to enlarge it's sphere of influence to include Fujian.

1918: Establishment of Anarchist Constitution Protection Region

In 1918, Chen Jiongming established the anarchist Constitution Protection Region of Southern Fujian.

1920: Anarchist Constitution Protection Region

In 1920, the anarchist Constitution Protection Region of Southern Fujian existed under Chen Jiongming.

1933: Establishment of Fujian People's Government

In 1933, Fujian briefly established the independent Fujian People's Government.

1934: Re-control of Fujian by Republic of China

In 1934, the Republic of China re-controlled the Fujian People's Government.

1949: Attack on Chongwu Army Temple

In 1949, twenty-seven soldiers of the People's Liberation Army died during an attack by Nationalist forces at the Chongwu Army Temple, including five who died shielding a teenage girl.

1957: Opened Yingtan-Xiamen Railway

In 1957, the Yingtan–Xiamen Railway opened.

1958: Fujian Adopts Pinyin Name

In 1958, the People's Republic of China (PRC) authorities officially adopted the pinyin name "Fujian" for the province.

1959: First Rail Link to Jiangxi

In 1959, Fujian established its first rail link to neighboring Jiangxi Province.

1959: Coastal and Interior Cities Linked

In 1959, coastal and interior cities within Fujian were linked by the Nanping–Fuzhou Railway.

1978: China Opens to the World

Since 1978, when China opened to the world, Fujian has received significant investment from overseas Fujianese, Taiwanese, and foreign sources.

1979: US Normalizes Relations with PRC

In 1979, the United States government normalized relations with the People's Republic of China.

1982: ISO Adopts Pinyin

In 1982, the International Organization for Standardization adopted pinyin.

1986: UN Adopts Pinyin

In 1986, the United Nations adopted pinyin.

1998: Opened Hengfeng-Nanping Railway

In 1998, the Hengfeng–Nanping Railway opened.

1999: Wuyi Mountains Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1999, the Wuyi Mountains became the first location in Fujian to be listed by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.

2000: Rail Link to Guangdong

In 2000, Fujian opened a rail link to Guangdong Province.

2004: Fujian Sturgeons Debut

In the 2004-2005 season, the Fujian Sturgeons made their debut in the Chinese Basketball Association.

2005: Opened Ganzhou-Longyan Railway

In 2005, the Ganzhou–Longyan Railway opened.

2005: Fujian Sturgeons Debut

In the 2004-2005 season, the Fujian Sturgeons finished in seventh and last place in the South Division, out of the playoffs.

2006: Fujian Sturgeons

In the 2005–2006 season, the Fujian Sturgeons tied for fifth, just one win away from making the playoffs.

2007: Religious Beliefs in Fujian

According to surveys conducted in 2007, just over 30% of Fujian's population believed in Chinese ancestral religion, and 3.5% identified as Christian.

2007: Coastal and Interior Cities Linked

In 2007, coastal and interior cities within Fujian were linked by the Zhangping–Quanzhou–Xiaocuo Railway.

2007: Closure of Xiamen Blue Lions

In 2007, the Xiamen Blue Lions, formerly representing Fujian in the Chinese Super League, were closed.

December 15, 2008: Commencement of Direct Transport with Taiwan

On December 15, 2008, direct transport with Taiwan commenced, including direct flights to Fujian cities and port upgrades for increased trade.

2008: Fujian Tulou Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2008, the Fujian Tulou, unique rural dwellings of the Hakka people, were listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

2009: Religious Beliefs in Fujian

According to surveys conducted in 2009, just over 30% of Fujian's population believed in Chinese ancestral religion, and 3.5% identified as Christian.

2009: Rail Link to Zhejiang

In 2009, Fujian established a rail link to Zhejiang Province with the opening of the Wenzhou–Fuzhou and Fuzhou–Xiamen sections.

2009: Forest Coverage Rate in Fujian

In 2009, Fujian had a forest coverage rate of 62.96%, making it the most forested provincial-level administrative region in China.

2009: Taiwan Adopts Pinyin

In 2009, the Government of the Republic of China on Taiwan adopted pinyin.

2010: Taining Danxia Landform Listed as UNESCO Site

In 2010, the Danxia landform in Taining was listed by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.

2010: Muslim Population in Fujian

In 2010, there were reportedly just under 116,000 Muslims in Fujian.

2011: Passenger Handling Capacity of Xiamen Airport

As of 2011, Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport was capable of handling 15.75 million passengers annually.

2011: Archaeological Discoveries in Fujian

In 2011, archaeological discoveries revealed that Fujian entered the Neolithic Age by the middle of the 6th millennium BC. The discoveries include tools made of stones, shells, bones, jades, ceramics and spinning wheels at the Keqiutou site dating back to 7450–5590 BP.

2011: Five-Year Plan to Double Expressway Length

In 2011, the 12th Five-Year Plan aimed to double the length of Fujian's expressways to 5,500 kilometers by 2015.

2012: Highway Development in Fujian

As of 2012, Fujian had 54,876 kilometers of highways, including 3,500 kilometers of expressways.

2012: Coastal and Interior Cities Linked

In 2012, coastal and interior cities within Fujian were linked by the Longyan–Xiamen Railway.

October 2013: Completion of Xiamen-Shenzhen Railway

In October 2013, the high-speed Xiamen–Shenzhen Railway (Xiashen Line) was completed, forming the southernmost section of China's Southeast Coast High-Speed Rail Corridor.

2013: Neolithic Appearance on Fujian Coast

In 2013, Tianlong Jiao noted that the Neolithic period appeared on the coast of Fujian around 6,000 B.P., with a low population density reliant on fishing, hunting, and limited agriculture.

2015: Five-Year Plan Completion

The 12th Five-Year Plan, covering the period from 2011, aims to double the length of the province's expressways to 5,500 kilometres (3,400 mi) by 2015.

2017: Gulangyu Island Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2017, Gulangyu Island in Xiamen was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

2021: Fujian Population and Urbanization Rate

In 2021, Fujian's population was estimated to be 41.87 million, with an urbanization rate of 69.7%.

2022: Fujian's GDP and Population Ranking

In 2022, Fujian's GDP reached CN¥5.31 trillion (US$790 billion), ranking 4th in East China and 8th nationwide. With a population of 41.5 million, Fujian ranked 15th in population among Chinese provinces.

2022: Fujian's GDP Ranking

In 2022, Fujian's GDP was CN¥5.31 trillion (US$790 billion), ranking 8th nationwide and among the world's top 20 largest sub-national economies.

2023: Fujian Cities Rank Highly in Scientific Research

As of 2023, Xiamen (38th) and Fuzhou (45th) ranked among the top 45 cities globally in scientific research output, according to the Nature Index.

2023: Fujian Proposed as Cross-Strait Integration Zone

In 2023, the Chinese government proposed making Fujian a demonstration zone for cross-strait integration between Taiwan and mainland China, aiming to boost cooperation and ease living conditions for Taiwanese people in Fujian.