Cultural heritage: Min-style life today
Fujian is home to five UNESCO World Heritage sites and ten intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items on UNESCO lists. Rather than merely preserving culture, Fujian has integrated it into tourism experiences.
In Fuzhou's Sanfang Qixiang (Three Lanes and Seven Alleys), over 100 public performances have been held since 2025, attracting nearly 500,000 visitors, including overseas Chinese from Canada and Singapore. New offerings such as "three hairpins" hanfu experiences and treasure hunts have revitalized the ancient commercial streets. After touring the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys on March 10, Mr Chen, a board member of the China Cultural Centre in Singapore, remarked, "Being here feels so familiar—it's like looking back at a chapter of history brimming with stories."
Quanzhou, once a Song-Yuan dynasty (960-1368) maritime trade hub, has created slow-traffic zones, ICH workshops, and maritime-themed performances since 2026, where visitors can experience "half-city hustle-bustle, half-city serenity". Mr Zhang, a visitor from Shanghai, said "Every step taken in Quanzhou is a step in history, and every bite is a taste of Min-style life."
In Zhangzhou, immersive shows like Back to Southern Fujian tell hometown stories. In Longyan, Hakka tulou buildings combine with nighttime tours, folk performances, and Hakka cuisine. Artisans are also bringing Min-style life to the forefront: Dehua porcelain artisans export to Europe and the US; Putian woodcarving and Shoushan stone carving sell via livestreaming; Hui'an female attire and Xunpu zanhua (flower headdress) have become viral symbols on social media, attracting overseas Chinese youth and encouraging local returnees to start businesses.
Culture is the soul of tourism, while life itself is the true essence of cultural travel. Fujian anchors its identity with its cultural heritage and empowers experiences through vivid real-life scenes. It transforms cultural relics into tourism products and folk customs into tangible lifestyle experiences. Domestically, it fosters cultural cohesion; internationally, it shares an Eastern aesthetic of living. Through this approach, the "Fujian-style life" becomes something with traceable roots, scenic beauty to enjoy, flavors to savor, and emotions to connect with. This paves a path of integrated development where culture enriches tourism, and tourism benefits the people.
