Revered birthplace of Maritime Silk Road soaked in history

Above: Engraved inscriptions on a section of a cliffside of Jiuri Mountain in Fengzhou town. Below: The Yan Fu Buddhist Temple built in 288 AD by Buddhists who came to meditate at the foot of the mountain. Philip Etyang / For China Daily

Nearby Jiuri Mountain still laden with reminders of traders, merchants and pilgrims traveling between East and West

Every destination is unique in its own way, and the lesser-known Chinese port city of Quanzhou is no different.

Established in the year 718 on the coast of East China's Fujian province, today the prefecture-level city has a population of a little more than 8 million, and remains an important harbor as it has for centuries.

But it is arguably better known as the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, which linked East to West thousands of years ago.

The ancient route stretched some 6,400 km to Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and East Africa.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has in recent months started gathering support for a "21st century maritime silk road" -from China through Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean to Europe.

He has recently visited Asian countries along the ancient sea route, receiving warm support for his vision of a modern version.

East African countries are also expected to be looking to benefit from the resumption of trade along modern lines.

Near Quanzhou, the area around Jiuri Mountain holds a particularly special place in the hearts of many local people and those across China, because of the considerable role it played in opening up religious and economic interactions between the city, and the other "silk ports" along the maritime route.

"The ancient maritime route is very special, not only to Chinese but also to East Africans," says Fu Jiaoqi, my tour guide for the day, "because after starting at the foot of nearby Jiuri Mountain, it finally ends on the coast of Somalia and Kenya."

The ancient Maritime Silk Road was used by traders, merchants and pilgrims to bring their goods, cultures and religions to various destinations along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, with silk being the dominant commodity.

The laden bags of traveling tradesmen were also packed with jewelry, porcelain, tea and spices.

At the foot of Jiuri Mountain in Fengzhou Town, just north of the banks of the mighty Jin River Jin is Yan Fu Temple, built in 288 by Buddhists who came to seclude themselves in prayer.

Fu adds that during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), an Indian priest translated the Buddhist scriptures there, which were then used by pilgrims traveling the maritime routes from China as they searched for new converts.

The base of the mountain is dotted, still, with 75 different relics bearing inscriptions telling of the early days of the Maritime Silk Road, their importance highlighted by the fact that the Chinese government has now given 13 of them special historical status.

Some of the words are prayers used by sailors during their sometimes-perilous trips at sea.

One rock has an entire side painted in red and bears a poem by Qian Xi, who lived during the late Song Dynasty, which explains the origin of the name Jiuri, or nine days.

"As the people of the Song dynasty spread south, and crossed to the other side of the Jin River, they traditionally climbed the peaks of the hills on the ninth day of the ninth month, to gaze back at their homelands," a section of the poem reads, hence the name.

The winds that blew from the largely green, leeward side of the mountain allowed for a "serene and utopian environment", with cooling breezes and crisp fresh air, the poem tells us.

The mountain peaks allowed pilgrims, scholars and even politicians to meditate before making major decisions or embarking on journeys, it says.

During the Tang Dynasty (619-907), surrounding sites soon became popular scenic spots, such as the Grotto Stone, Buddha Golden Creek Bridge, and the Temple of King Tong Yua, an engraved section on another rock reads.

Fu says:"Jiang Gongfu, a well-known official of the Tang Dynasty who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong, poet Chin Xi and scholar Han Chang, all retreated to the mountain at some point to meditate and focus their minds."

Officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization are seeking to have Jiuri Mountain designated a World Heritage Site.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/26/2014 page26)