Millennia-Old “Iron City” Keeps Its Heritage as Green Shaowu Shows a New Face
Shaowu, China – November 11, 2026 – The city of Shaowu in Fujian Province recently brought its signature calling cards—the national-level intangible cultural heritage Shaowu Nuo dance, the national geographical indication product Suitong tea (literally “copper-crushing tea”), and “Wuyi Bamboo Cube,” China’s first regional public brand for the bamboo industry—to the cultural exchange showcase of the 7th World Media Summit. Through intangible heritage performances, product displays and a city presentation, it introduced the history and culture, ecological strengths and industrial achievements of a thousand-year-old city to Chinese and foreign media guests.
Shaowu lies in northwest Fujian and is also known as the “Iron City.” It has been a county for more than 1,700 years and sits close to two World Heritage sites, Mount Wuyi and Taining, earning it the name “South Wuyi.” The city currently has 512 immovable cultural relics of various levels on record, 57 intangible cultural heritage items, forest coverage of nearly 80 percent, and a year-round rate of 100 percent of days with good or excellent air quality. During the event, Vice Mayor Deng Weihua cited a local saying—”each rapid rises a fathom higher, and Shaowu sits up in the sky”—and summed up Shaowu as “a living ancient city,” “a green new city with real substance,” and “a livable and inclusive small city.”
Summit guests sample Suitong tea at the event.
Shaowu Nuo dance.
Ge Wang, general manager of Fujian Shaowu Bamboo Cube Brand Operation Co., Ltd., introduces bamboo products to summit guests.
Shaowu’s distinctive culture drew the attention of Chinese and foreign guests at the showcase. The national-level intangible heritage Shaowu Nuo dance originated in the Song Dynasty; dancers wear masks and express traditional folk culture through an archaic style of movement, and it is known as a “living fossil” of ancient Nuo. Suitong tea, cultivated for a thousand years, is said to take its name from the claim that it can break copper coins when chewed together with them, and it drew guests to taste it on site. Jean Musy, president of the Foreign Press Association of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, said after tasting it: “It is really fragrant on the palate, and together with the legend of chewing up copper coins, it left a deep impression on me.”
Beyond traditional culture, Shaowu’s green industrial development was another highlight. The city has 673,000 mu (about 44,900 hectares) of bamboo forest, and in 2024 its bamboo industry generated total output value of RMB 8.59 billion. Its production of bamboo chopsticks and bamboo knives, forks and spoons accounts for 60 percent and 90 percent of the national total, respectively. The “Wuyi Bamboo Cube” brand is valued at more than RMB 22.3 billion. In recent years, Shaowu has continued to explore “bamboo as a substitute for plastic,” with a single bamboo pole able to be made into more than 5,000 kinds of creative products, including keyboards and bicycles. This October, Shaowu was selected for the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Green Cities Network. The event also promoted tourism resources such as the “World Heritage No. 1 Scenic Route,” which links the World Heritage sites of Mount Wuyi and Taining, further showcasing Shaowu’s achievements in ecological protection and green development.
About 7th World Media Summit
Shaowu brought the national-level intangible cultural heritage Shaowu Nuo dance, the national geographical indication product Suitong tea and “Wuyi Bamboo Cube,” China’s first regional public brand for the bamboo industry, to the cultural exchange showcase of the 7th World Media Summit. Through intangible heritage performances, product displays and a city presentation, it showed Chinese and foreign media guests the history and culture, ecological advantages and industrial development of a thousand-year-old city.
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Company Name: Xinhua News & Information Service Center, Fujian
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City: Fuzhou
State: Fujian
Country: China
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