Destination · Fujian
Quanzhou
The start of the Maritime Silk Road — a living museum of world religions and ancient trade.
The destination
A port that once made the whole world richer
UNESCO calls Quanzhou the “Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China”. In the 13th century this was one of the richest ports on earth, where Arab, Persian, Indian and European merchants traded silk, porcelain and spices — and left behind mosques, temples and pagodas that still stand in the old city.
Today it’s a walkable, unhurried city: twin stone pagodas above West Street, a Song-dynasty mosque in the middle of town, and fishing villages on the coast where women still wear flower-hairpin headdresses.
Highlights
What makes it worth the trip
- Kaiyuan Temple & West Street — Twin 13th-century stone pagodas and the liveliest old street in Fujian.
- Qingjing Mosque — A Song-dynasty mosque founded by Arab merchants, built in local granite.
- Maritime museum — The Quanzhou Maritime Museum holds a recovered Song ship and trade relics.
- Xunpu fishing village — See the “flower-waist” women who weave blooms into their hair.
Practical info
Plan your visit
Best time
March to May and September to November are mild and dry. Summers are humid.
How long
Two nights. Three if you want a slow day on the coast.
Getting there
High-speed rail from Xiamen in about an hour; Quanzhou Jinjiang Airport is 20 minutes from town.
Food
Try oyster omelettes, beef satay rolls, and a pot of Anxi Tieguanyin tea in the old town.
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