Learn How to Pronounce Chinchew | YouPronounce.it
How to Pronounce Chinchew
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Meaning and Context
Quanzhou, historically known in the West as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city on the southeastern coast of Fujian Province, China, renowned as a pivotal terminus of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its "Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China," the city's profound maritime history is etched into landmarks like the iconic Kaiyuan Temple with its twin stone pagodas, the Qingjing Mosque (one of China's oldest), and the enduring legacy of the Quanzhou shipbuilding industry. This port city served as a critical hub for medieval global trade, facilitating cultural exchange and leaving an indelible mark through its diverse religious monuments and vibrant Minnan culture. Today, it remains a key destination for cultural tourism and a vital economic center within the Fujian province, attracting visitors and historians keen to explore its ancient temples and unparalleled historical significance.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
The historical exonym "Chinchew" is a romanization derived from older Southern Min dialects and represents one of several historical Western spellings for the city now standardized as Quanzhou. Common variants encountered in historical texts include "Zayton," "Zaiton," or "Citong," which originate from the city's role as a center for the silk and satin trade. Frequent modern misspellings or typos for "Chinchew" include "Chinchew," "Chinchu," or "Chinchew," often stemming from phonetic guesses. It is also sometimes incorrectly conflated with "Fuzhou" or "Xiamen," other major cities in Fujian. When searching for historical information, using the alternate keyword "Zayton" can yield specialized academic results about its medieval trade history.
Example Sentences
Many medieval European travelers, including Marco Polo, documented the splendors of the great port they called Chinchew.
Historians studying the Maritime Silk Road often note that Chinchew was among the world's busiest harbors during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
To visit the famous Kaiyuan Temple, one must travel to the modern city of Quanzhou, which was historically known as Chinchew.
The term "Zayton," a corruption of "Citong," is another historical name for Chinchew, famously linked to its silk exports.
When referencing ancient maps and trade logs, researchers must be aware that the toponym Chinchew refers unequivocally to present-day Quanzhou.
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