1.安溪铁观音
各位团友，喝茶时间到!大家可能听说过，到泉州，要是没尝尝正宗铁观音，那就是白走这一遭。现在请大家坐下好好享用这世界上最美妙的饮料。中国人喝茶有几千年历史了。到了17世纪，英国人也爱上了喝茶，当时清政府在对英茶叶贸易中赚取了巨额顺差，英国人因此跟中国打了两场鸦片战争，用枪口逼着中国人接受鸦片，因为只有靠鸦片他们才能消除贸易赤字，继续进口他们爱喝的茶叶。
福建历来是中国茶乡，泉州安溪则是乌龙茶中最好的茶——铁观音的主要产地。现在我来考考大家的历史知识:1773年12月16日发生了什么重大事件?恭喜你，答对了!是波士顿倾茶事件!当时英国向美国商人征收高额的茶叶税，自己则垄断了美国茶叶市场。愤怒的美国人登上英国商船，把342箱茶叶倒入波士顿港，以示抗议。波士顿倾茶事件最终引发了美国独立战争，是美国历史上的一个标志性事件。
大家别误会，我不是在这里上历史课，我要讲的还是茶。为美国独立铺平道路的茶现在就摆在大家面前。那342个箱子里装的正是安溪的铁观音!
铁观音是中国十大名茶之一。茶名中有铁字，是因为取少量铁观音茶叶扔进茶壶，可以听到具有金属质感的叮当一声。观音是佛教神袛，英语也有翻译成“慈悲女神”的。关于铁观音的由来有两个传说。其一说的是一位名叫魏荫的穷苦茶农，他笃信佛教，每日在观音像前敬献清茶一杯。有一天，观音托梦给他，指点他到寺庙后的山洞里寻找一株珍贵的茶树苗。魏荫找到茶苗，精心栽培，从此世间便有了这种品质优异的茶树。另一则说的是这种茶树是在观音石下偶然发现的，因而得名。
铁观音是乌龙茶，属半发酵茶，而红茶是完全发酵的，绿茶则没有经过发酵。铁观音的制作要经过六道工序。第一步是采青，采摘标准为一芽三叶，茶树新梢顶部的芽尖长到正常茶叶一半大小。第二步是萎凋，将新鲜采摘的茶叶放在阳光下晾晒，除去部分水分，再收到室内冷却。第三步是做青，可用机械或手工摇捻茶叶，使得茶叶相互摩擦，让水分走失更快，并逐渐氧化。第四步是炒青，茶叶的青草味消失，芳香物质开始形成时，将茶叶迅速高温翻炒，破坏酶的活性，停止发酵过程，把萎凋和做青过程中形成的品质固定下来。第五步是揉捻，用布把茶叶包起来，揉捻成紧结颗粒状，然后复炒、复捻三次，促进香气形成。最后是焙火，低温烘焙，直到茶叶颜色润泽，叶表带白霜，茶味醇厚。
鉴别铁观音的品质并不难。好的铁观音茶条沉重紧结，色泽油亮墨绿，叶表带白霜，放入茶壶，发出清脆的“铛铛”之声，差的则声音暗哑。好的茶叶闻之有兰花香，冲泡之后茶味饱满醇厚，饮之齿颊留香。品质差的有烟味，还有点苦涩。大家也可以看看冲泡后的茶叶，品质好的茶叶肥厚油亮，叶脉和叶缘呈红色。铁观音价格固然昂贵，不过幸运的是，好的铁观音七泡犹有余香，这么算起来，也就不那么贵了。
要充分领略铁观音的美妙，就得喝功夫茶。功夫意味着技巧和耐心，让人在愉快的气氛中放松身心，共品佳茗。功夫茶具一般包括茶壶、公道杯、茶杯、接水用的茶盘。现在我来一步一步教大家泡简易的功夫茶，希望你们回国以后，可以请朋友来喝茶，到时候露一手。
第一步是温壶，用开水冲洗茶壶、茶杯，以免茶具冰冷，温度不够，影响茶香。
第二步是装茶，在茶壶内放入一小包茶叶，大约8克。
第三步是洗茶，将沸水冲入茶壶，20秒后倒去茶汤，这是为了洗去茶叶表面的浮尘，同时也是醒茶。
第四步是冲泡，再次将开水倒满茶壶，盖上盖子，然后在壶身上浇开水。泡20秒钟，然后打开盖子，这时茶水表面会有些沫沫，是正常的，用茶盖将浮沫撇去。
第五步是倒茶，先将茶汤全部倒入公道杯中，然后再倒入茶杯，这样每个杯子里的茶颜色和味道都是一致的。
第六步是品茶，现在大家可以拿起茶杯，观察茶汤，发酵程度较低的，茶汤偏黄，发酵程度高的汤色金黄。然后喝一小口，含在口中一会儿再吞下去，有没有感觉齿颊留香?现在可以闻闻空杯，上面还留有茶香。
好的铁观音是可以冲泡七次的，不过冲泡的时间可以逐次延长一点。铁观音有很多保健效果，比如降低体脂、降胆固醇、抗癌。大家不妨多喝点。
Cultral Attractions in Quanzhou
1.Anxi’s Teiguanyin Tea
Ladies and gentlemen，it’s tea time，now!You may have been told that you would have made this trip for nothing if you did not have a sip of some genuine Tieguanyin tea in Quanzhou.Now please take a seat and enjoy one of the best beverages in the world.Chinese people have been drinking tea for thousands of years.In the 17thcentury，tea drinking became popular in Britain.China’s Qing government then enjoyed great surplus from tea trade with Britain.The British then fought two Opium Wars and forced the drug on China at gunpoint，just so that they could balance their trade deficit and pay for their tea!
Fujian has long been China’s tea capital，and Quanzhou’s Anxi County is the chief source of the best type of Oolong tea—Tieguanyin.Well，here’s a quiz on your knowledge of American history:What happened on December 16，1773? Yes，you are right!The Boston Tea Party!The British government levied heavy tea tax on American merchants and monopolized tea trade in America.As a protest，angry American colonists boarded British ships and threw 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbor.The incident remains an iconic event of American history，because it finally led to the American War of Independence.
Don’t think I’mtrying to give a lecture on history here.It’s still about tea.The tea that kind of paved the way for American independence is right here on your table!Yes it was Anxi’s Tieguanyin Tea in the 342 crates!
Tieguanyin is one of China’s 10 famous teas.The“Tie”in Tieguanyin is translated into English as“iron”.This is because as you drop the leaves into your teapot they ring like iron as they hit the pot.“Guanyin”is a Buddhist deity also known as the Goddess of Mercy in English.There are two legends about the origin of this tea.One of them tells the story of a poor tea farmer named Wei Yin.He was a pious Buddhist and everyday he brewed a cup of tea as an offering to Guanyin.One day，Guanyin appeared to him in a dream.She told himof a cave behind the temple where a precious tea shoot could be found.Wei Yin then found the shoot and nurtured it into a tea bush with exceptional quality tea leaves.The other story says the tea plant was accidentally discovered beneath the Guanyin rock，hence the name Tieguanyin.
Tieguanyin is Oolong Tea，meaning it is half－fermented，as opposed to the fully－fermented black tea and unfermented green tea.The making of Tieguanyin consists of six steps.First is the picking of the tea leaves.A standard pick is one bud with three leaves，when the buds at the top of a bush reach one－third to half the size of am ature leaf.Second is withering.Freshly picked leaves are left to cool indoors first，then moved outdoors to sun dry，before moving indoors again for final withering.Third is bruising.Workers shake and rub the leaves using hands or machines to bruise the surface of the leaves.This exposes tea juices to air and enhances the oxidation process.Tieguanyin has fat leaves，so bruising is heavier and longer than other oolong teas.It is repeated 5 to 6 times，and left to oxidize in between.However，the oxidation is much lighter than with Wuyi Oolong.Fourth is roasting.Tea leaves are roasted after the grassy smell has dissipated，when aroma substances start to develop.In this step they roast the leaves at high temperature for a short period of time to kill the enzymes and stop the oxidation process and therefore fix the qualities the tea developed during withering and bruising.Immediately after that comes rolling.Workers wrap the leaves in cloths and roll them into tightly knitted balls and then roast the leaves again.The roasting－rolling process is repeated 3 times to further bring out the flavors.Last is the baking process.They will apply low heat to increase mellow taste until the tea acquires a glossy appearance and a white surface frost.
Generally it’s not quite difficult to distinguish good Tieguanyin tea from poor quality tea.Good Teiguanyin is supposed to be dense and heavy，tightly knitted and glossy dark green，with white frost on the surface.It makes a ringing sound when it is dropped into a pot，whereas poorer quality leaves make more of a thud.The dried leaves smell like some orchid flower and the brewed tea has a full－bodied，floral taste that lingers in your mouth，while the lower quality tea smells smoky and tastes bitter and astringent.You can also look at the tea leaves after they are brewed.Good leaves are thick and glossy green with red edges and veins.Tieguanyin is no doubta pricey tea，but luckily good Tieguanyin tea can be brewed up to seven times before it loses its flavor and aroma.That makes it less expensive than it seems.
There is no better way to enjoy Tieguanyin tea than a gongfu tea ceremony.Gong－fu means skill and patience.This ceremonial drinking style is meant to relax the mind and spirit in a convivial，shared experience.Typical gongfu tea sets consist of a teapot，a serving pitcher，tea cups and a tray for unwanted water.I’ll show you a simplified version step by step.I hope you can surprise your friends with your gongfu tea at your next tea party back home.
Step 1－Rinse tea pots and cups with boiled water.This is to prevent the cold tea set from cooling off the tea too quickly，affecting the aroma.
Step 2－Fill the teapot with one small package of tea leaves that weigh around 8 grams.
Step 3－Pour freshly boiled water into the teapot.Pour away this first infusion after 20 seconds.The first brew is intended to rinse dust off the leaves and helps to“wake up”the leaves.
Step 4－Fill the teapot with hot water again to the brim，replace the lid and pour hot water on top.Steep the tea for 20 seconds.It is normal to have a film of bubbles on the surface.This film should be removed by skimming the pot lid across the surface.
Step 5－Now pour all tea into a serving pitcher and fill the cups with this pitcher.This allows each cup to receive a tea identical in taste and color.
Step 6－Now you can hold the cup and look at the tea.For lightly oxidized Tieguanyin，it will be yellowish green.For a more oxidized one，it will be more golden yellowish.Then sip the tea and let it stay in your mouth for a while before swallowing it.Now feel the aftertaste and smell the empty tea cup as well since the aroma stays with the cups.
Remember good Tieguanyin tea can be brewed for as many as seven times，but each brewing time can be slightly longer than the previous.Tieguanyin Tea has many health benefits.It helps to reduce body fat，lower cholesterol levels and decreases the risk of cancer.Please help yourself to this wonderful drink!
Vocabulary:
deficit n.赤字
levy vt.征收
iconic vadj.标志性的
dissipate vi.消散
astringent adj.涩的
pitcher n.大水罐
2.洛阳桥
福建古桥众多，东北山区一般是木拱桥，而闽南沿海一带，距离森林较远，石梁桥独领风骚，不过泉州内陆山区也有不少赏心悦目的木桥。
洛阳桥是中国南方最杰出的古桥，横跨于泉州市和惠安县的界河洛阳江上。洛阳本是千里之外的河南省地名。不过这洛阳桥倒真和河南洛阳市有些渊源，公元4世纪，北方大乱，大批河南人迁往南方，有的在泉州定居下来，把这条河命名为洛阳江以慰藉思乡之情。
洛阳桥始建于北宋，公元1053年，整个工程历时7年。洛阳桥屹立千年，即使经历了400年前的8级地震，也仅受到轻微损坏。洛阳桥最近的一次重修是在20世纪90年代初，重修后的大桥长730米，宽4.5米。不过，据史料记载，洛阳桥新建成时，长834米，宽7米，有500个石雕护栏、28只石狮子、8个亭子、9座石塔、46座桥墩。铺设桥面的石板长10米，宽1米，重达10吨。
在这波涛汹涌的潮水中造桥绝非易事。工匠们等到风平浪静，潮水低落时，把大量石条填进江里，在水底垒起一座长长的桥基。造桥工匠又在石条缝隙中养殖了大量海蛎，海蛎分泌出的天然胶合剂把石块牢牢粘合在一起。然后工匠们在桥基上建筑桥墩，同样也用“种蛎固基法”加固桥墩。这是世界上最早的生物工程技术，开创了利用活体生物加固人工建筑的先例。桥墩做成尖尖的船头形状，便于分水，以减轻洪流对桥墩的冲击力。这就是所谓的“筏形基础”，这个技术在现代桥梁工程中的应用只不过百年而已。而那些巨大的石条，则利用涨潮时开进架设，这种方法称为“浮运架设”。
洛阳桥建成后，泉州掀起了一股造桥热，在150年间，竟建桥200多座。其中就有著名的安平桥和东关桥。安平桥长达2251米，是世界上最长的石桥。东关桥是座木廊桥，但与闽东北的木拱廊桥不同，东关桥是梁桥，桥墩是石头垒砌的，也采用了筏形基础。
负责建造洛阳桥并想出如此造桥奇招的，是泉州太守蔡襄。洛阳桥南端有一座蔡襄祠，内有《万安桥记》石碑，是蔡襄亲自撰文并书写的。有趣的是，蔡襄不仅是造桥高手，他在书法和茶学研究方面名声更大。蔡襄是书法史上的“宋四家”之一，他写的《茶录》是继陆羽《茶经》之后最有影响的论茶专著。武夷山的茶博园中就有一尊蔡襄雕像。
洛阳桥北端有一座供奉义波和尚的寺庙。义波和尚曾四处化缘，将俯首讨得的每一个铜板都用于建桥。传说工地上有一天柴火烧完了，义波和尚为保证造桥工人吃得上饭，用自己的双腿当柴烧。在几十年前燃气尚不普及，还使用柴火做饭的时代，福建沿海一带的人们仍然会开玩笑地说:“没柴了，把腿架进去烧啊”。在泉州，几乎每一座桥梁的修建都有僧人的积极参与，因为造桥属于佛教倡导的修积功德的行为，造福百姓，功德无量。
洛阳桥位于洛阳江入海口，造桥难度大，政府拨款根本不够。蔡襄本人为了筹钱造桥，还变卖了老家的田产。传说就连观音也为筹集造桥资金出力。她来到工地附近，变做一名美貌女子端坐船上，告诉众人谁能用铜钱抛中自己就嫁给他，落在船上的钱将捐赠给蔡襄造桥。很快船上就装满了铜钱，不料吕洞宾捣乱，将一枚铜钱递给一个叫韦陀的青年，这枚非同一般的铜钱打中了观音的发髻。观音只得向韦陀解释自己是为了筹钱造桥，而非招亲。韦陀后来皈依佛门，成了佛教的护法神。下次大家到寺庙参观的时候，可以关注下观音和韦陀的雕像，一般都是对面而立的，民间称“对面夫妻”。
由于造桥艰辛，民间自然流传出许多传说故事来，蔡襄与洛阳桥的故事自17世纪起就被搬上舞台，而且剧目还不少。最近的一次应该算是1961年台湾地区拍摄的电影《洛阳桥》。
各位团友，洛阳桥到了，祝大家玩得开心。
2.The Luoyang Bridge
Fujian is traditionally a land of bridges.Wooden arch bridges are usually found in the mountainous northeast of Fujian，while here in Fujian’s southern coast where forest is some distance away，stone beam bridges excelled.However，more hilly inland areas of Quanzhou also have some pleasing wooden bridges.
The Luoyang Bridge is the most phenomenal bridge in southern China.It spans the Luoyang River which separates Quanzhou City and Hui＇an County.Luoyang itself is the name of a city in Henan Province thousands of miles away.But the bridge does have something to do with this far away city.During the 4thcentury many people moved from Henan to the south due to the turmoil in northern China.The homesick immigrants who settled down in Quanzhou named the river Luoyang River after their home city.
The construction of Luoyang Bridge began in 1053 during the Northern Song Dynasty and lasted seven years.The bridge stood proud over the thousand years.Even the magnitude 8.0 earthquake four hundred years ago did not do much damage to her.Recent renovation was conducted in the early 1990s.Now the bridge is 730 meters long and 4.5 meters wide.However，historical records relate that the bridge was 834 meters long and 7 meters wide when it was first completed，with 500 sculptured railings，28 stone lions，seven pavilions and nine stone pagodas，all rest upon the 46 piers.The granite slabs were 10 meters long and one meter wide，weighing ten tons.
The Luoyang Bridge is not the longest stone bridge in the world，but its pioneering position in bridge building history is incomparable.It is by no means an easy job to build a bridge in the ferocious currents.Thousands of stone blocks were dumped into the river during the calmnights at low tide to forma long base on which piers would be built.Live oyster were cultivated in the cracks so that their natural secretions cemented the blocks together.Then piers were builton the base，again oysters were used as super glue.This is world’s first attempt at biological engineering，a pioneering example of using a living organism to reinforce a structure.The piers were shaped as boat prows to divert the raging currents and reduce their pressure on the piers.This is the so called“raft foundation”that has been used in modern bridge building for merely one hundred years.Those mammoth granite slabs were shipped to the construction site and set in place on high tide，hence the method of“floating erection”.
The success of the Luoyang Bridge started an enthusiasm for bridge building in Quanzhou.Over 200 bridges were built in the following 150 years.Among them are the phenomenal Anping Bridge and Dongguan Bridge.Anping Bridge stretches 2，251 meters and is world’s longest stone bridge.Dongguan Bridge is a beautiful wooden covered bridge，but unlike the completely wooden arch bridges in northeast Fujian，it is a beambridge supported by stone block columns with the upstreamside shaped like ships bows.
It was Cai Xiang，the governor of Quanzhou，who commissioned the construction of the Luoyan Bridge and came up with such innovative ideas.Amemorial temple in honor of Caixiang was erected at the southern end of the Luoyang Bridge.Within is a stone tablet，“The Records of Building Wan’an Bridge，”written and inscribed by the brilliant ship builder CaiXiang himself.It is interesting to note that CaiXiang is better known as a calligrapher and a tea expert.He is among the four most famous calligraphers from the Song Dynasty and his“Notes on Tea”is considered the bestessay on tea after Lu Yu’s Classics of Tea.There is a statue of Cai Xiang in the Tea Expo in the Wuyi Mountain.
A temple in honor of Monk Yibo stood at the north end of the bridge.Monk Yibo begged alms and spent every penny on the building of the bridge.Legend goes that once fuel for cooking was lacking and he used his own legs as firewood to cook meals for the workmen.In coastal Fujian people still joked about using legs for firewood until a few decades ago when gas completely replaced firewood.In Quanzhou，monks were actively involved in the building of almost every bridge，because building a bridge is a great project benefiting millions of people and is consistent with Buddhist preaching on doing good deeds.
As the Luoyang Bridge was supposed to span the estuary of Luoyang River，the project was highly demanding and the government’s appropriation was by no means enough to cover the enormous cost.Cai Xiang himself sold his farmland back home to raise money for the project.Legend goes that even Guanyin，the goddess ofmercy，helped to raise funds.She transformed herself into a beautiful lady sitting in a boat by the construction site.She told people that she would marry anyone who could hit her with a coin，but all the coins that fell in the boat would be donated to the ship construction.She collected a heavy load of coins until a mischievous god Lu Dongbin gave a young man，Weituo，a magic coin that hit her on her hair.Guanyin explained to Weituo that her intention was to help with ship construction rather than seeking a husband.Weituo was then converted and became a guardian god of Buddhism.Next time when you visit a Buddhist temple，look out for the statue of Guanyin and Weituo.They often stood face to face across the hall.The folks call them“the cross－hall couple”.
The demanding projects gave rise to many legends.The story of Cai Xiang and the Luoyang Bridge has been portrayed in many dramas since the 17thcentury.The latest dramatic portrayal is perhaps a movie entitled“The Luoyang Bridge”made in Taiwan in 1961.
Ladies and gentlemen，here is the Luoyang Bridge.I hope you will have a good time!
Vocabulary:
excel vi.胜过他人
phenomenal adj.杰出的
turmoil n.混乱
ferocious adj.凶猛的
commission vt.承担施工任务
mammoth adj.巨大的
3.泉州海外交通史博物馆
大家好，今天我们要参观的是泉州海外交通史博物馆。泉州是一座历史文化名城，拥有清净寺、开元寺等众多历史文化遗迹。但是，要想全面了解泉州的历史风貌，最好的去处还是要数泉州海外交通史博物馆。泉州海外交通史博物馆是中国唯一以海外交通史为专题的博物馆。1959年创建时，利用开元寺的场地布展，新馆于1991年建成。它的外型像一艘双桅帆船，设有“泉州海外交通史陈列馆”“泉州宗教石刻馆”“泉州民俗文化陈列馆”和“中国古代船模馆”等四个展馆。
福建最早的居民是以渔猎为生的闽越人，善于造船，要是您不相信，就想想武夷山的悬崖峭壁上那些拥有4000年历史的船棺吧。公元4世纪，中原士族因永嘉之乱南迁，在闽南沿海定居下来。北方移民的到来促进了泉州的发展，海上活动渐渐活跃，开始有大船通航南洋。泉州与外国贸易的最早记载出现在公元6世纪。
到公元7世纪到10世纪之间的唐代，泉州已经成为中国四大港口之一。当时丝织品是主要的出口产品。唐朝政府在泉州指派了“海路都指挥使”，专门管理对外贸易。当时广州还是中国最大港口，但很快泉州就后来居上。公元10世纪，泉州节度使扩展城区，并沿城环植刺桐树。刺桐树每到春天便会绽开火红的花朵，您随便在泉州街头走走都会看到。从此，泉州就有了刺桐城的别名，外国人则把泉州为“宰桐”，英文是Zaytun。但是，它在阿拉伯和波斯语中的含义却是油橄榄，是和平的象征。我们猜测，也许是当时繁荣的海外贸易，促使泉州变成了一个文化熔炉，在泉州的穆斯林因此就把泉州称为“宰桐”。
宋元两朝，大约在10世纪到14世纪之间，是泉州港口贸易发展的鼎盛时期。随着对外贸易的空前繁荣，泉州逐渐成长为一个拥有百万人口的大都市，城墙也多次扩建。中世纪西方四大旅行家马可·波罗、伊本·巴图塔、马黎诺里及鄂多立克的游记中无不盛赞泉州港的开放与繁华。其中北非旅行家伊本·巴图塔把泉州比做埃及的亚历山大港，马可·波罗则称之为“世界上最大的港口之一”。这段时期内，瓷器逐渐取代丝绸成为主要出口物品。泉州的德化是重要瓷都，以白瓷著名。1987年，人们在中国南海海上丝绸之路上发现了八百年前的中国古船，这艘古船后来被命名为南海一号，并证实从泉州开出。船上满载着德化瓷器，证明当时的白瓷贸易十分繁荣。来自东南亚、印度、阿拉伯半岛，甚至是欧洲的商船云集泉州这个繁荣的贸易中心，带来异域的奇珍，又满载中国的丝绸和瓷器踏上归途。1207年，宋朝政府在泉州设置了市舶司，管理贸易活动，并下设堆放货物的市舶库和接待外宾的来远驿。
为了将优质的货物源源不断地运送到港口，泉州人在洛阳江入海口架起了中国第一座跨海石桥。这座桥采用种植牡蛎的方法，利用牡蛎的天然分泌物将桥基和桥墩的石块牢牢固结在一块，并将桥墩砌成尖尖的船头形状，以分流湍急的河水。这些都是开世界桥梁史先河的造桥技术。洛阳桥建成后，港口附近建起了许多跨海大桥，最壮观的是安平桥，长达2251米，是世界上最长的跨海石桥。
古代泉州的造船工艺十分先进。就连中国帆船的英语名称Junk这个单词，都来自“船”的闽南语发音。古代福建制造的船种叫做福船。福船的特点是有龙骨，吃水深，两头上翘。是中国船中最适合远洋航行的船种。1974年，考古学家在泉州湾两三米深的淤泥中挖掘出了一艘13世纪的中国古船，这艘船在西方被命名为“泉州船”。这是一艘从南亚返回泉州的商船，装载的主要货品是香木。泉州湾古船的船体工艺复杂，异常坚固，由12块隔水板隔成13个水密舱。西方直到19世纪才开始采用水密舱结构，而且效果也不好，泰坦尼克号的沉没就是一个例子。这艘古船的建造工艺综合了中国和东南亚的造船技术，部分造船材料也来自东南亚。泉州湾古船至今仍是中国海洋考古最重大的发现之一，证明了宋代中国的高超的造船技术和繁荣的跨国港口贸易。
1980年在泉州法石湾又发现了一艘宋代古船。在1982年的尝试性发掘中，考古人员发现了竹篾编成的席状材料，这是古人使用的价格低廉的蔑帆，用以取代相对昂贵的布帆。法石湾古船预计在2014年开始发掘。
海交馆的宗教石刻馆收藏有数量惊人的外来宗教物品，见证了泉州远洋贸易的繁荣。当年定居泉州的外国人不仅带来了伊斯兰教，还有其他形形色色的宗教。各个国家、各个教派的人都可以按照自己的信仰自由地生活。佛教、道教、基督教、天主教、伊斯兰教、印度教、摩尼教在泉州和平共处。泉州无愧于联合国教科文组织授予的“世界宗教博物馆”的称号。
明代，是中国及全世界航海史上最辉煌的一页。从1405到1433这二十八年间，郑和奉永乐及宣德皇帝之命，七下西洋，到达今天的印度尼西亚、也门、伊朗、圣城麦加，乃至东非的索马里。郑和下西洋的目的是为了弘扬明朝国威，收取各国朝贡。
1405年的那次航行中，整个船队共有船只252艘，人员近三万。宝船是船队中的旗舰，长约400尺。而半个世纪之后，哥伦布的旗舰圣玛利亚号，仅85英尺长。除了宝船之外，郑和船队里还有专门的粮船、战船、载马的马船、运载一个月量淡水的水船。
郑和船队运载的主要货物是丝绸、瓷器、漆器，欲交换异域的珍珠、香料、象牙。郑和甚至还获赠像长颈鹿、鸵鸟这样的罕见礼物。郑和和他的庞大船队，足迹遍布亚洲乃至非洲的三十多个国家，中国文化对这些地方产生了重大影响，然而并没有任何一个国家被中国殖民。郑和从没认为自己到过的地方是“重大发现”，这一点与其他航海家不同。
泉州在郑和的远航中发挥了举足轻重的作用。福船是郑和船队的主要船种，其中大量福船就是在泉州制造的。郑和也在泉州招募了大量水手、翻译。在郑和的七次远航中，途经及从泉州出发共有五次。
遗憾的是，中国是一个农业社会，明朝政府对贸易并无兴趣。郑和的航海壮举之后，中国经历了长达四百年的闭关锁国时期。更具讽刺意味的是，就在郑和扬帆西行的时候，明朝政府实行了严厉的海禁，禁止一切私人海事活动。从此，横行中国海域的，将是其他航海大国，日本、葡萄牙、西班牙、荷兰，最后是英国和美国。
实行海禁之后，位于今天的日本冲绳的琉球国是少数几个可以与明朝进行贸易的国家之一。明朝政府曾规定泉州为琉球入明朝贡和贸易的港口，后来考虑到福州离琉球更近，又迁到福州。为了促进两国外交往来，明朝政府于14世纪末组织闽人三十六姓移民琉球，这些移民多是学者、航海家或其他拥有一技之长的人，其中不少人来自泉州。他们不仅对中国和琉球的友好关系做出了贡献，对琉球，尤其是那霸地区的社会发展影响也很大。现在日本仍保留有这三十六姓的族谱，证明了琉球和泉州的亲缘关系。
明朝实行海禁的目的是遏制海盗势力，结果却适得其反，激发了民间反抗的海盗活动。大量沿海人民失去生计，不得已移民到东南亚地区。现在世界各地的泉州藉华侨已达人百多万。随着移民潮的出现，中外民俗文化出现了一场奇特的交融。妈祖信仰被福建移民带到世界各地。现在我们能够在世界各地的华人聚居处发现中国风格的“石敢当”，“石敢当”习俗主要是以小石碑立于桥道要冲或砌于房屋墙壁，上刻“石敢当”或“泰山石敢当”字样，以禁压不祥。另一个例子是泉州建筑也收到了东南亚建筑风格的影响。最繁华的中山路两旁的骑楼，就是典型的东南亚风格。
由于“海禁”，刺桐的官商贸易日渐衰弱，亦商亦盗的私商开始崛起。最具代表性的是郑芝龙，他的儿子就是从荷兰殖民者手中收复台湾的民族英雄郑成功。西方文献多称郑芝龙为Iquan，即一官。他于1604年出生于泉州南安，十八岁到澳门投奔舅舅，开始了经商及海盗生涯。他从对日贸易中聚敛了大量财富，组织了一个强大的海盗集团，先后打败了明朝海军，荷兰殖民者，消灭了其他海盗力量，兵力达到十万人。郑芝龙在海战中获利无数，在泉州安海建起了城墙，后来成为繁荣的贸易中心。
有趣的是，郑芝龙虽是一个海盗头子，对泉州百姓却堪称宽厚仁义。当时泉州府同安知县写给福建巡抚的文书中说郑芝龙“所到地方……未尝杀人。有彻贫者，且以钱米与之。”1626到1628年，福建两次大旱，郑芝龙组织运送数万泉州饥民移民台湾，并提供农具钱粮，帮助移民谋生。
后来郑芝龙的儿子郑成功，即西方文献中的Koxinga，接管了父亲的商船和水军。他多次向占据台湾的荷兰殖民者发起进攻，终于收复台湾。今天，台湾几乎每个县市都建有郑成功庙。
明清两朝四百年的闭关锁国之后，曾经辉煌的古刺桐港逐渐衰弱。但是，通过这个海交史陈列馆，我们不难想象出当年“缠头赤足半蕃商，大舶高樯多海宾”的辉煌岁月。
3.Quanzhou Maritime Museum
Ladies and gentlemen，welcome to Quanzhou Maritime Museum.Quanzhou is a well－known historical and cultural city，with many historical sites such as the Qingjing Mosque and the Kaiyuan Temple.However，if you want to enjoy a historical panorama of the city，your best choice is Quanzhou Maritime Museum.It is the only museumin China that features overseas communications.The museumwas housed in the Kaiyuan Temple when it was established in 1959 and a new venue was completed in 1991.The structure looks like a large ship with two full masts.The museum has four exhibition halls:Quanzhou Overseas Communications，Quanzhou Religious Sculpture and Ancient Chinese Sailboats Models.
The first inhabitants in Fujian were a fishing people called Minyueren.They were skillful boat builders.If you have any doubts about this，just think of the 4，000 year old hanging boat coffins found on the cliffs in the Wuyi Mountains.In the 4thcentury，a large number of nobles and scholars from the north migrated towards the south and settled down in Fujian’s southeastern coast.This influx of migrants spurred the development of Quanzhou and maritime activities in Quanzhou began to increase.Quanzhou began to have ocean－going ships sailing to Southeast Asia.The earliest records of trading between Quanzhou and foreign countries dated back to the 6th century.
By the Tang Dynasty，which ruled China between the 7th and 10th century，Quanzhou had already become one of China’s four greatest ports.At that time silk was the main exported product.The Tang government appointed a special official in Quanzhou to manage foreign trade.In those days，Guangzhou was China’s greatest seaport，which，however，was soon surpassed by Quanzhou.During the 10th century，the governor of Quanzhou expanded the city and had Citong，the paulownia trees bearing fiery red flowers every spring，planted widely in the region.You can’t miss them if you walk around Quanzhou.It was then that Quanzhou began to be known as the city of Citong.The foreigners living in Quanzhou then called the city Zaytun.Zaytun is also the word for olive and the symbol of peace in the Arabic and Persian languages.So，the name might be given by the Muslims in honour of Quanzhou for her being a cultural melting pot at the time due to the flourishing trade culture.
Quanzhou’s heyday as a trading port was during the Song and Yuan Dynasties，roughly from the 10th century to the 14thcentury.As the foreign trade thrived，the city finally grew into a metropolis with a population of one million.Quanzhou’s city walls were expanded several times to accommodate the growth.The four great travelers of the medieval West，Marco Polo，Ibn Battuta，Giovanni Marignolli and Odoric，all wrote of the openness and prosperity of Quanzhou.The North African traveler Ibn Battuta compared it to the Egyptian port of Alexandria，and Marco Polo described it as“one of the largest ports in the world.”During that time，porcelain overtook silk as the main exported product and at that time，Dehua，Quanzhou，well known for its ceramic white ware，was an important white ware capital.An 800－year－old merchant ship was discovered in 1987 on the Maritime Silk Route of the South China Sea.The ship was later named Nanhai No.1 and proved to be a ship setting out from Quanzhou.The whole load of Dehua’s porcelain on the ship testifies to the once flourishing white ware trade.Merchant ships from Southeast Asia，India，the Arabian Peninsula and even Europe flocked to this booming trade center.Businessmen carried with them all sorts of precious and exotic items，and went back fully loaded with Chinese silk and porcelain.In 1027，the Maritime Trade Administration with affiliated warehouses and hotels was set up in Quanzhou by the Song government to manage foreign trade.
In order to transport cargo to the harbor more conveniently，Quanzhou people built the first cross－sea stone bridge across the estuary of the Luoyang River.Live oysters were cultivated on the bridge’s foundation and piers so that their natural secretions cemented the blocks together.The piers were shaped as boat prows to divert the raging currents.These were world’s pioneering bridge building techniques.Many cross－sea stone bridges were built near the harbor following the success of the Luoyang Bridge.Themost spectacular of themis world’s longest stone beam bridge，the 2，251 meter long Anping Bridge.
Quanzhou boasted excellent shipbuilding techniques in those times.Even the English word“junk’came from Quanzhou people’s pronunciation of“boat”in the local dialect.The kind of junks built in Fujian were called Fuchuan junks.They were China’s best ocean going ships，with a keeled hull，upturn bow and stern and a deep draught.In 1974，archaeologists excavated a 13thcentury shipwreck frombeneath 2－3 meters of mud on a beach at Quanzhou Bay.The wreck was known as the Quanzhou ship in the west.It was a merchant vessel returning to Quanzhou from Southeast Asia.The primary cargo of the ship was incense wood.The Quanzhou ship has a sophisticated and incredibly strong hull.It was divided by 12 bulkheads into 13 watertight compartments.Western shipbuilders did not adopt the technique until iron ships were built in the 19thcentury，and even then it did not always prove satisfactory，as was evidenced by the sinking of the Titanic.The construction of the Quanzhou Ship was a hybrid of both Chinese coast and Southeast Asian ship building techniques.Some of the materials came from Southeast Asia，too.It remains one of the most important marine archaeological finds in China，and is an important piece of physical evidence about the shipbuilding techniques of the Song Chinese and the international maritime trade of the period.
In 1980，another Song Dynasty shipwreck was discovered at Fashi Bay of Quanzhou.Mats plaited with bamboo rods were retrieved in a tentative excavation attempt in 1982.The bamboo mats were probably used as cheap alternatives for fabric sails.The wreck is scheduled to be excavated in 2014.
Evidence of the seafaring trade of the day is also provided by the museum’s fascinating collection of foreign religious artifacts housed in the Religious Sculpture Exhibition Center.Quanzhou’s early foreign settlers brought with them not only Islam but every other religion imaginable.People of every nation and every sect were allowed to live freely according to their creed.Buddhism，Taoism，Christianity，Catholicism，Islamism，Hindu and Manichaeism peacefully coexisted.Quanzhou deserves the title of“World Museum of Religions”given by UNESCO.
The Ming Dynasty was a phenomenal age in China’s maritime history.Between 1405 and 1433，upon the orders of the emperor Yongle and his successor，Xuande，Zheng He commanded seven expeditions which sailed to Java in today’s Indonesia，Yemen，Iran and the Holy City of Islam Mecca and further west to today’s Somalia in East Africa.The object of the voyages was to display the glory and might of the Chinese Ming dynasty and to collect tribute.
The 1405 expedition consisted of30，000 men and a fleet252 ships.Zheng He’s 400 feet long“Baochuan”ship，or treasure ship，was the flagship in the fleet，whereas.the St.Maria，a flagship，which Columbus embarked on half a century later，was but 85 feet in length.Aside from the treasure ship，Zheng He’s fleet also contained a variety of other specialized vessels:warships，supply ships，“equine ships”for carrying horses and water tankers with 1 month’s supply of fresh water.All this had taken place about half a century before the famous European sailor Columbus＇voyage to America.
Zheng He carried a cargo of silk，porcelain，and lacquer ware that the Chinese wanted to trade for pearls，spices and ivory.He even acquired unusual gifts like a giraffe and ostriches.Zheng He and his enormous delegation had set foot in more than 30 countries in Asia and Africa and brought about great cultural impact on these places，but no nation was ever colonized by China.Unlike some other navigators，Zheng never regarded the places he had visited as“great discoveries.”
Quanzhou played an important part in Zheng He’s expeditions.Fuchuan Junks made up the main force of Zheng He’s fleet.Many of the junks were built in Quanzhou.Many sailors and translators were recruited fromthe city as well.Zheng He’s fleet either started or stopped by Quanzhou in five of his seven voyages.
Sadly，China was basicly an agricultural society and the Ming government showed no interest in trade.The empire underwent a 400－year－long shutting down period following Zheng He’s great expeditions.More ironically，even during Zheng He’s expeditions strict bans were enforced on private maritime activities.Through this default，China’s own coast would be dominated by a succession of non－Chinese seafaring peoples—the Japanese，the Portuguese and Spanish，the Dutch，and finally the British and the Americans.
During the Ming Dynasty’s maritime ban，Ryukyu Kingdomin today’s Okinawa，Japan was one of the few countries that were allowed to trade with China.Quanzhou was once the port designated for Ryukyu’s tributary trip and China－Ryukyu trade，though later Fuzhou took the place of Quanzhou because it was closer to Ryukyu.In order to support the diplomatic affairs between China and the Ryukyu，Chinese families from36 clans consisting of scholars，navigators and other professionals were sent to Ryukyu in the late 14thcentury，many of them were from Quanzhou.These Fujian emigrants played an important role not only in the relation between China and Ryukyu but also in Ryukyu’s，especially Naha’s social development.Genealogies of the 36 clan families are still preserved in Japan.They are the witness of the kinship between Quanzhou and Okinawa.
The purpose of the Ming Dynasty’s maritime prohibition was to curb piracy，but the law seemed to have yielded just the opposite result.It instead stimulated rebellions and piracy and deprived coastal dwellers of their livelihood，resulting in a great wave of emigrants to Southeast Asia.Quanzhou is now the home place of more than one million overseas Chinese.Following the waves of Fujian emigrants，there appeared an interesting merge of Chinese and foreign folk customs.The local Mazu belief was brought to all parts of the world by Chinese emigrants.The Chinese shigandang customis found in settlements of overseas Chinese all around the world.The general practice of the customis to erect a small stone tablet at a crucial place on a bridge or to set a stone tablet on the wall of one’s house.On the stone tablet，words like shigandang or Mount Taishan Shigandang are carved to suppress evil spirits.Another example is the Southeast Asian influence in Quanzhou’s buildings.Quanzhou’s busiest street，Zhongshan Street is flanked by buildings with verandas，which is typical of traditional Southeast Asian architecture.
As legitimate sea trade at Quanzhou quickly went downhill，pirate－merchants began to rise.The most influential one was Zheng Zhilong，the father of the national hero Zheng Chenggong，who recovered Taiwan fromthe Dutch.Zheng Zhilong is better known in the west as Iquan.He was born on 1604 at Nan’an，Quanzhou.He went to Macau to join his uncle when he was18 and started his career both as a merchant and a pirate.He amassed an enormous wealth from trading with Japan and later started a powerful pirate organization with a combined force ofmore than 100，000 people，who successively defeated the Ming Dynasty’s navy，the Dutch fleet and other pirates.The spoils of these victories made him fabulously wealthy.He built a walled town south of Quanzhou in Anhai，which became a prosperous trading center.
It’s interesting to note that Zheng Zhilong was seen as a benevolent leader by the people in Quanzhou in spite of his status as a pirate tycoon.The magistrate of Tong’an once reported to the governor of Quanzhou，saying that Zheng Zhilong never killed anyone in the city，and that he often provided those in abject poverty with rice and money.Between 1626 and 1628，serious droughts plagued Fujian Twice.Zheng Zhilong shipped tens of thousands of starving Quanzhou people to Taiwan.He even provided farming tools and money for the immigrants to start their life in Taiwan.
Later Zheng Zhilong’s son Zheng Chenggong，better known in the west as Koxinga，took command of his father’smerchant fleet and navy.He launched several attacks against the Dutch colonists in Taiwan and eventually recaptured the island.Today there are temples in honor of Zheng Chenggong in almost every city of Taiwan.
The once glorious Zayton harbor finally faded as a result of the Ming and Qing Dynasty’s policy of seclusion or self－isolation，but Quanzhou Maritime Museum will give you clues to imagine a time when most of the ocean－going ships flocking the Quanzhou Harbor were coming from afar and mearly half of the people in streets were foreign merchants.
Vocabulary:
secretion n.分泌物
draught n.(船舶)吃水深度
archaeology n.考古学
designate vt.指定
curb n.抑制
amass vt.积累
tycoon n.巨头;大亨
isolation n.隔离
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