This paper explores tonal encoding in Zhangzhou Southern Min, a Sinitic dialect spoken in South Fujian province of China. Results show that tones sharing an identical F0 contour can differ considerably in duration, vowel quality, voice quality, syllable coda type, and sandhi behavior. It is proper to consider tones are multidimensionally distinguished and treat each tone as a complex of phonetic features. The discussion stretches and deepens our understanding of the phonetic nature of tone, while questions the conventional definition of tone as a contrastive use of pitch. It contributes vital empirical data to the typology of tone as an important phenomenon in world's languages, and sheds important light on how tones should be defined.