Fujians

Fujians are residents of Fujian Province in southeastern China, or people of Fujianese ancestry living elsewhere. The term is historical and less common in contemporary English, where “Fujianese” or “Fujian inhabitants” are preferred.

Fujian lies on the southeast coast of the mainland, facing the Taiwan Strait. Its provincial capital is Fuzhou, and its major coastal cities include Xiamen and Quanzhou. The terrain is a mix of coastline, hills, and mountains, and the climate is subtropical.

Most Fujians belong to the Han Chinese ethnic group. The primary languages are Min Nan (Hokkien) spoken in the south and west, and Mindong (Fuzhou dialect) spoken in the north, with other local varieties such as Pu-Xian also present. The Fujianese share cultural traits with other southern Chinese communities but retain distinctive culinary, festival, and linguistic traditions.

Fujian has a long global diaspora. Large communities of Fujians are found in Southeast Asia—especially Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia—as well as in Taiwan and North America. Emigration began in the 19th and 20th centuries, driven by economic pressures and political events. Overseas Fujianese communities often maintain clan associations, temples, and language schools, and they have contributed to commerce, migration networks, and cultural exchange.

Culturally, Fujian is known for tea production (notably Anxi Tieguanyin and Fujian white tea), seafood cuisine, and distinctive arts such as Fujian opera. The inland Tulou earthen structures represent a notable architectural tradition in some rural areas.