摘要: Quanzhou /？Municipality of QuanzhouLocated on the south-east coast of China, the city of Quanzhou was one of the most important Chinese ports along the historic Maritime Silk Roads. Known as Zayton （or Zaitun） by traders arriving from the Arab world, the

Quanzhou / ？ Municipality of Quanzhou

Located on the south-east coast of China, the city of Quanzhou was one of the most important Chinese ports along the historic Maritime Silk Roads. Known as Zayton （or Zaitun） by traders arriving from the Arab world, the port has welcomed sailors and travellers from many different cultures and religions as they traversed these routes. Commercial and cultural interaction between the city and other regions, particularly around the South Sea, can be dated to as early as the Chinese Southern Dynasties of the 6th century AD. Subsequently, the port was one of the four major Chinese ports in use under the Tang dynasty （618–907 AD） and went on to become the largest port in eastern China during the Song dynasty （960-1279 AD） and Yuan dynasty （1271-1368 AD）。 It was also linked with around one hundred other ports along the Maritime Silk Roads, including Madras in India, Siraf in Iran, Muscat in Oman and Zanzibar. From the 10th century, Erythrina variegata trees have been planted around the harbour entrance to welcome and impress sailors with their eye-catching red flowers, and the Chinese name for the plant, Citong（刺桐）， is reflected in the city's Arabic nickname of Zayton.
位于中国东南沿海，泉州是古代海上丝绸之路最重要的中国港口。这座被来自阿拉伯世界的贸易商人称之为刺桐港的港口，作为海上丝绸之路航线上极其重要的港口，接纳来往于这条航线上的不同文化与宗教背景航海者与旅行者。泉州与周边地区，尤其是与南海地区之间的商业和文化的交流最早的历史记录是公元6世纪，即中国的南北朝时期。泉州港在唐代（公元618-907年）是中国四大港口之一。这座港口城市在宋代（960-1279AD）和元代（1271-1368AD）成为中国东部最大的港口。泉州刺桐港当时曾与海上丝绸之路沿线一百多个港口有商贸联系，如印度的马德拉斯，伊朗西拉夫港，阿曼的马斯喀特，还有远及非洲坦桑尼亚东北部的桑给巴尔岛。公元10世纪，栽种在港口周边迎接远方航海者的火红刺桐花特别吸引人，泉州港因刺桐花而得名Citong（刺桐港），阿拉伯航海者昵称之为Zayton。

An ancient map of the Maritime Silk Roads/  Quanzhou Municipality

Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta Statues in Quanzhou/  Municipality of Quanzhou

A number of famous medieval explorers, such as Marco Polo, Friar Odoric of Pordenone, and Ibn Battuta, visited Quanzhou and wrote descriptions of the port as one of the biggest harbours in the world, with ships of all sizes and provenances docking and setting sail, and a vibrant market in which merchants from across many different regions exchanged their wares. It also appears that Marco Polo set off on his mission to accompany a Mongol Princess for her marriage ceremony in Persia （Modern Iran） from Quanzhou.
中世纪的几位着名探险家如马可波罗，鄂多立克和伊本白图泰都曾到访过泉州，并写下刺桐港是世界上最大的港口的描述。作为各类船舶起航地与停泊地，刺桐港还是一座繁华的商埠，来自不同地区的商人在此交换商品。意大利人马可波罗看来就是从泉州刺桐港出发陪伴蒙古公主远嫁波斯（现在的伊朗）。

Wrecks of ancient ship from Song Dynasty /  Municipality of Quanzhou

This glorious past is attested by several historic sites linked to the maritime Silk Roads in Quanzhou. Shipwrecks excavated in Quanzhou bay and the South China Sea testify to the prosperity and vibrancy of the port, such as the wreck of a sailing ship with a wooden hull, unearthed in Houzhu Harbor （Quanzhou Bay）。 This three-masted ocean-going commercial vessel seems to have been originally built in Quanzhou in the 13th century, and at the time of the wreck, was returning from South-East Asia loaded with spices, medicines and other merchandise. Additionally, as well as being one of the major hubs of commerce and exchange along the Maritime Silk Roads, Quanzhou was a leading centre for shipbuilding and the development of navigation technologies during the Song dynasty.
泉州众多与海上丝绸之路相关的历史遗迹见证了泉州港这段辉煌的历史。泉州湾出土的船舶和南海沉船就是泉州港当年的繁荣和兴旺的例证。例如泉州湾后渚港出土的那一艘沉没的木壳帆船残骸，就是一艘建于13世纪泉州的三杆远洋商船，当时满载香料，药品和其他商品，从东南亚回国后在港口沉没。再则，泉州港作为海上丝绸之路上重要的商业枢纽与交流中心还是宋代最先进的造船和航海技术的中心。
Sailors, merchants and explorers came together in Quanzhou from across many different regions of the world, and their continual presence in the city contributed to the development of peaceful coexistence between the many different ethnic and religious groups in the city, including Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists, Nestorians, Manichaeans, Jews, Catholics and Muslims. This is illustrated by the diversity of historic religious sites and monuments in the city of Quanzhou. The Kaiyuan temple, with its twin pagoda towers, is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China, whilst the Laojun statue, which is the biggest Chinese stone statue of its kind, illustrates the presence of Taoism. The Qingjing Mosque, furthermore, is China's oldest mosque, and stands as a witness to the long-lasting interaction between Quanzhou and the Arab-Islamic world. Additionally, the Cao An （Thatched Hut） Manichaean temple hosts the only stone statue of the Manichaean prophet, Mani. Furthermore, a number of civic monuments such as the stone-beam bridge, Luoyang, and the scenic long bridge, Anping, not only stand as witnesses to the prosperity of the Quanzhou-Zaitun harbour, but also reflect a blend of Chinese and other cultures in their design and architecture.

Holly tombs of two companions of prophet Mohamed in Lingshan. Based on historical resources they were sent to East to preach Islam Municipality of Quanzhou

Hinduism stone column relics in the ancient Menhir site dedicated to the Hinduism in Quanzhou/ Municipality of Quanzhou

A unique statue of the Manichean prophet, Mani in the Quanzhou Cao An Manichean Temple/ Municipality of Quanzhou

世界各个不同地区的航海者，商人和探险家来到泉州港，他们当中有佛教徒，印度教徒，还有信奉道教、景教、摩尼教、犹太教、天主教和伊斯兰教等不同宗教的人士，他们居住在这座城市里为不同种族与宗教群体和谐共处的社会发展作出了贡献。从泉州这座城市宗教历史遗址与遗迹多样性可以得到证明。以双塔作为标志的开元寺是中国最古老的佛教寺院之一；同时也有中国最大的道教老君雕像；作为中国最古老的清真寺的泉州清净寺是泉州与阿拉伯世界长期交流的见证。另外，泉州晋江草庵供奉着世界仅存的摩尼光佛石像。此外，还有其他民间的古迹，如梁式石桥洛阳古桥，五里长桥安平桥不仅是泉州刺桐港繁荣的见证，也反映了中国和其他文化在设计和建筑上的融合。
In recognition of the role played by Quanzhou as one of the major ports along the Maritime Silk Roads, a team from UNESCO visited the city in 1991, as part of the Organization's Maritime Silk Road expedition. Over the course of a five day stay, in addition to numerous meetings and discussions between renowned international and local Silk Roads experts, UNESCO recommended the establishment of a Maritime Silk Roads study center in the city.
在认识到泉州在古代海上丝绸之路的历史作用，作为联合国教科文海上丝绸之路考察活动的一部分，1991年联合国教科文组织海上丝绸之路考察队考察了这一个海上丝绸之路沿线重要港口。在泉州五天的考察中，多个着名国际专家与本地专家之间进行多次接触与交流，并在联合国教科文组织建议下在这个城市成立了海上丝绸之路研究中心。
More recently, in commemoration of its historical importance along the Maritime Silk Roads, the municipal government of the city of Quanzhou, in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of the Peoples' Republic of China to UNESCO, organized an exhibition entitled “Greeting from Quanzhou”, which took place in the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, on 14-18 October 2014. The exhibition displayed and explained different aspects of the cultural heritage of Quanzhou and highlighted the city's links to the Maritime Silk Roads. It was inaugurated by a message from UNESCO's Director General, Ms. Irina Bokova, delivered by the Assistant Director General for Strategic Planning, Mr. Hans D'Orville.
最近，为了纪念泉州在海上丝绸之路的历史重要性，2014年10月14-18日泉州市政府与中国人民共和国常驻教科文组织代表团合作在联合国教科文组织总部举办“中国一日-重返泉州-来自泉州的问候”的展览。展览展示泉州历史文化遗产的各个方面，特别突出展示了泉州与海上丝绸之路的历史联系。此展会是由联合国教科文组织伊琳娜·博科娃女士总干事发布的消息揭开序幕的，并由联合国教科文组织战略规划助理总干事汉斯·德奥维尔先生发表演讲。
In her message, the Director General underlined Quanzhou's historic role as the most famous Chinese port along the Maritime Silk Roads and emphasized the city's attachment to the sea as the major route for dialogue and exchange among peoples and cultures. Ms. Bokova also highlighted the remarkable cultural heritage of Quanzhou, as illustrated by the city's presence in a number of different UNESCO heritage lists, including the World Heritage and the Intangible Heritage lists.
在联合国教科文组织总干事伊琳娜·博科娃女士撰写的开幕辞中，她强调了泉州作为海上丝绸之路最着名的中国港口的历史地位，以及这座依傍大海的城市对不同民族和文化之间的对话与交流所做的贡献。博科娃女士着重提及泉州举世瞩目的历史文化遗产，包括世界遗产和非物质遗产名录、以及收录进联合国教科文组织名录的历史文化遗产。
Special tribute was paid during the inauguration ceremony to the former director of UNESCO's Silk Road initiative, Mr. Doudou Diene, both by the UNESCO Director General and the Quanzhou authorities.
在本次展览的开幕仪式上，联合国教科文组织总干事与泉州市特别感谢联合国教科文组织丝绸之路项目前总干事杜杜·迪安先生所作出的贡献。