The governmental team tasked with finding China's finest blossoms has arrived in Quanzhou. They are standing by the biggest historical museum in Quanzhou. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

"It is a City of Light. When night falls, countless lamps and torches light up all the streets and lanes, and the whole city, viewed from afar, turns into a sea of lights," described Jacob d'Ancona, a scholarly Jewish merchant, in a manuscript.

Quanzhou is situated on the southeastern coast of east China's Fujian Province, and was an important harbor and starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. In ancient times, citong, or the paulownia trees, characterized by fiery red flowers each spring, were cultivated widely in the region, leading to the nickname of Quanzhou, "Citong City". Visitors from the Middle East mistook the tree for the olive tree, or zaitun, in Arabic.

During the Maritime Silk Road years, the name of no city was more resonant than Zaitun, where hundreds of huge ships docked in the bay. Boats loaded with goods would shuttle back and forth between the ships and the wharves, the latter already piled high with goods. After unloading items such as spices, ivory, pearls, hawksbill turtles, and rhinoceros horns, the ships would then take on silk, porcelain, tea, and Chinese arts and crafts before sailing back home.

A small coastal fishing village, about ten miles away from Quanzhou called Xunpu, still keeps its rich traditions. Women of Xunpu are known for their elaborate and unique hairdos which often attract the attention of tourists. They are the face of local people, who live on fishing, in Quanzhou's tourist campaign to promote the coastal business in Quanzhou.

Many people in China's south-eastern coastal areas and the island of Taiwan live by fishing. Day in and day out, they sail on the turbulent sea, a dangerous feat. At the start of each trip, fishermen hope to return safely with a big catch every time they set out. To help with this task, they've created a sea goddess who blesses and protects. The goddess is Mazu, which is also known as "Heavenly Queen".

Every year, on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, which is said to be the birthday of Mazu, fishermen go to the Mazu temple to worship the goddess with great piety instead of fishing. The image of Mazu is a kind-looking lady wearing a crown and dragon robe. During the Mazu Festival, some middle-aged and elderly women dress in traditional style, wearing a flat hair coil, red coat and black pants. These devout women burn incense to pay tribute to Mazu.