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"Xi Jinping and Aladdin In November 2001, when then Fujian Governor Xi Jinping made me an Honorary Citizen of Fujian, he said at dinner that evening, ""China knows the world but the world still does not know China."" He added, ""You have written about Xiamen, your 2nd home. You should also write about Quanzhou, your 3rd home."" Xi Jinping was keen on Quanzhou's history and culture because, as he said during the National People's Congress (NPC) almost 20 years later, in 2019: ""Fujian was the start of the ancient maritime silk road, and is the core of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road."" Fujian was the maritime silk road's starting point, but the greatest port in Fujian, indeed in all the world, was Quanzhou. It was Quanzhou's ancient trade network that inspired Xi Jinping's vision of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-and Quanzhou is playing a leading role in the twenty-first century's BRI as well. In 2021, Quanzhou's GDP reached 1,130.417 billion yuan.1 In 2019, the gross value of foreign trade between Quanzhou and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road partners reached 105.355 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 24.6%. And, Quanzhou's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Pilot Zone is helping to lead China's expansion of international economic and cultural exchanges. But I knew little of this back in 2001, and I had little interest in writing more books (except for management textbooks). But that changed in 2003 when I agreed to help Quanzhou enter the International Awards for Livable Communities and discovered that this legendary city had almost no materials in English to share with the judges and audience in Europe. So, heeding Xi Jinping's encouragement over a year earlier to write a book on Quanzhou, I spent over 6 weeks driving to every corner of the city and exploring its history, culture, geography, and cuisine. And as I spent eight months researching the presentation that I would give in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, I became entranced by Quanzhou's astonishing rich history and heritage. I learned that Marco Polo had"

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