The Min River, the mother river of Fujian, originates from Sanming. Here in Wanshou Rock ancient historical relics are discovered to be the origin of the Min people, which shows that human activities in Fujian can date back to 180,000 years ago. Sanming is also the ancestral homeland for the Hakkas.

Sanming, as the major forest zone in Fujian province, has the highest output per unit in Ninghua ancient firs and the largest area of Castanopsis kawakamii in Xinkou, Sanming. The city has been approved by the State Council as the National Pilot Reform for Collective Forest Areas and the only National Collective Forestry Pilot Area for Property Rights System Reform by the State Forestry Administration and the Pilot Area for Cross-Straits Modern Forestry Cooperation.

Symbols of Sanming are: City Tree – Sophora xanthantha and Bauhinia blakeana; City Flower – Azalea.

Sanming, a national model city of civil ethics and clean environment