Editor's note: This report focuses on Quanzhou as part of our special series, "Rising Star Cities," about Chinese cities whose annual GDP exceeds 1 trillion yuan ($155 billion). At the end of 2021, there were 24 such cities. Click here for more stories on Quanzhou, an ancient trading hub known for its cultural diversity. You can also explore our earlier coverage of Ningbo, Changsha and Chongqing.

Experts consider electricity consumption a key barometer of economic activity and, in Fujian Province, the city of Quanzhou has taken the lead, exceeding 60 billion kilowatt-hours per year for the past decade.