波斯商人后裔携茉莉花茶文化重返福州 续写千年丝路情缘
福州新闻网讯 - 澳大利亚纽卡斯尔大学副校长阿西夫·伊克巴尔近日结束了对福州的工作访问，这位有着伊朗和巴基斯坦血统的学者，带着被他称为"最正宗"的茉莉花茶踏上归途。
这位精通四国语言的学者与福州有着特殊的渊源 - 他的祖先在盛唐时期曾沿着海上丝绸之路来到福州经商，并将茉莉花传入这座古城。
Multilingual Scholar with Silk Road Heritage - Professor Asif Iqbal, fluent in four languages, traces his ancestry back to Persian merchants who traveled the Maritime Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty, introducing jasmine flowers to Fuzhou.
阿西夫对茉莉花茶的了解令人惊叹。前晚记者见到他时，他正娴熟地冲泡茉莉花茶，每个动作都透着专业。他介绍说："我的祖先不仅带来了贸易，还带来了茉莉花种植技术。"
Historical records confirm that Arab and Persian merchants were active in Fuzhou during the Tang Dynasty. The city served as a vital hub where merchants would unload goods from their ships and transport them inland via the Min River.
茉莉花茶的千年传奇
茉莉花原产于古罗马帝国，通过海上丝绸之路传到波斯和印度。宋代兴起的香料入茶风潮中，茉莉花茶脱颖而出，至今占据中国花茶市场的96%份额。
The Millennium-Old Legend of Jasmine Tea
Originating in ancient Rome, jasmine flowers traveled along the Silk Road to Persia and India before reaching Fuzhou. During the Song Dynasty, jasmine tea emerged as the most popular among dozens of floral teas, now accounting for 96% of China's scented tea market.
阿西夫此次来访带着特殊使命 - 与华南女子学院开展创新合作项目。两校推出的"2+2"本科分段式教学，让学生先在福州学习两年，再赴澳大利亚完成学业。
Professor Iqbal came with a special mission - establishing an innovative "2+2" joint program with Hwa Nan Women's College. Students will study two years in Fuzhou before transferring to Newcastle University in Australia.
"我知道福建正在建设21世纪海上丝绸之路核心区，"阿西夫说，"我们带来的多是国际商务类专业，希望能为海丝建设培养人才。"
"Fujian is building itself as a core area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road," said Professor Iqbal. "We're focusing on international business programs to nurture talent for this initiative."
这位副校长正在努力学习中文，希望汉语能成为他掌握的第五种语言。用餐时，他坚持使用筷子，虽然动作还不熟练，但乐在其中。
The professor is diligently learning Mandarin, aspiring to make it his fifth language. At meals, he insists on using chopsticks despite the challenge, finding joy in the learning process.
阿西夫有个新构想：将茉莉花茶工艺引入大学课程，让这一海上丝绸之路的结晶造福更多人。他期待下次来访时能拜访茶王、参观茉莉花茶博物馆和万亩茉莉花园。
Professor Iqbal envisions incorporating jasmine tea craftsmanship into university curricula, sharing this Silk Road treasure with more people. He looks forward to visiting tea masters, the Jasmine Tea Museum, and vast jasmine fields on his next trip.