# Quanzhou travel guide (泉州) Fujian Province · East China, China · 9 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/fujian/quanzhou ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Qingyuan Mountain → Tianhou Palace → West Street (Xijie) → Kaiyuan Temple → Luoyang Bridge - **Day 2:** Xiangong Mountain → Xunpu Fishing Village ## The feel of the place - **Temples and Shrines:** Quanzhou became known to the world through the Maritime Silk Road, and its opening by sea brought an exchange of religious cultures. Today, the first things visitors see in Quanzhou are churches and temples of many styles, with Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam coexisting, giving this seaside city its rich and varied character. - **Morning Markets:** Quanzhou people still have the habit of getting up early to open and visit morning markets. It is said this tradition is linked to the commercial prosperity brought by the Maritime Silk Road. - **Qiniangma's Birthday:** This is Qixi, the Double Seventh Festival, which originates from the legend of Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy. On this day, every family sets out paper sedan chairs, rouge boxes and face powder, and worships Qiniangma, the mother goddess, in hopes of her protection. - **Pudu Day:** This is the Zhongyuan Festival (Hungry Ghost Festival). Starting on the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, it lasts for a month. Households and neighbourhoods divide up the work to make offerings to ancestors, hold banquets, stage operas and invite guests. On the final day, lanterns are burned and dishes are set out, bringing the festivities to a joyful close. ## The feel of the place ### Helpful Tip When touring Quanzhou's old residences, you can buy a booklet about them at the ticket office. It is fairly detailed and can be read while you look around, helping you understand what you are seeing. ### Traditional Theatre Beyond its scenic spots and historic sites, Quanzhou offers a rich range of traditional performing arts. Puppet shows, Nanyin (southern Fujian ancient music), Liyuan opera, Gaojia opera, Dacheng opera, glove puppetry and Quanzhou opera are all worth seeing during your visit. ### Quanzhou Old Town Tourist Shuttle Line Line 1: Tianhou Palace (天后宫) → Yiquan Street (义全街) → Tianhou Road North Section (天后路北段) → Guandi Temple (关帝庙) → Fu Confucius Temple (府文庙) → Chengtian Temple (承天寺) → Zhuangyuan Street (状元街) → Yuanmiao Temple (元妙观) → Weiyuan Tower (威远楼) → Chaotian Gate (朝天门) → West Lake Park South Gate (西湖公园南门) → West Lake Park West Gate (西湖公园西门) → Mintaiyuan (闽台缘). Line 2: Mintaiyuan → West Lake Park West Gate → Kaiyuan Shengshi → Kaiyuan Temple West Gate → Jiadi Gate → Xinmen Street → Zhihuixiangkou → Tianhou Palace. Both lines run once every 2 hours and cost ¥2 per ride. ### Preparation & Information ### Language Locals commonly speak the Southern Min dialect, but Mandarin, the official language, is also widely understood. ### Climate & Best Time to Visit “Flowers bloom in all four seasons with frequent rain; winter brings no snow, only thunder.” This line of Tang poetry captures Quanzhou's climate vividly. The city is worth visiting year-round, but the best season runs from April to November. ### Festivals ## Getting there & around ### Getting To and From Quanzhou Quanzhou now has a multi-modal transport network spanning land, sea and air. The Quan-Xia and Fu-Quan expressways form its highway network, and the Zhangzhou-Quanzhou-Xiao Railway is also in operation. ### By Air Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport operates numerous domestic and international passenger routes, serving 45 cities. More than a dozen bus routes run directly from the city to Jinjiang Airport, and a taxi costs just ¥40–50. ### By Rail Quanzhou's railway development came relatively late, with genuine passenger train service beginning only at the end of 1998. Over the past 20-plus years of rapid growth, however, trains now run north to Jiangsu, Shanghai, Tianjin and Beijing, south to Guangdong and Hong Kong, and west to Chongqing, Guizhou and Yunnan. Quanzhou East Station - tip: Quanzhou East Station is a key stop on the Fuzhou–Xiamen high-speed rail line. From Quanzhou, high-speed trains take about 1 hour to Fuzhou, about 25 minutes to Xiamen, and about 1 hour 50 minutes to Longyan. ### By Road Road transport is the main way to travel between Quanzhou and other parts of Fujian. Long-distance coaches also run directly to out-of-province destinations such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wenzhou and Mount Putuo. ### Getting Around the City Thirty bus routes in the city connect all the major sights, and express shuttle buses run directly to nearby attractions. - **Quanzhou Railway Station** — (Intersection of Puxian Road and Dongxi Avenue, Fengze District, Quanzhou City) - **Quanzhou South Station** — (Shanshang, Bantou Village, Yonghe Town, Jinjiang City, Quanzhou City) - **Quanzhou Passenger Transport Centre (Long-Distance)** — (Northwest corner of the intersection of Pingshan Road and Quanxiu Street) - **Quanzhou New Bus Station (Short-Distance)** — (No. 48 South Wenling Road, Fengze District) ## Eat & drink Quanzhou's snacks are far better known than its main dishes. As early as the Tang dynasty, Quanzhou was already one of China's four great trading ports, and the exchange of goods brought a blending of food cultures. Some staple ingredients in Quanzhou snacks, such as small peanuts and sweet potatoes, were introduced from abroad. The snacks are varied, attentive to presentation and flavour, and typically light and fresh. ### Local Snacks Quanzhou has several well-known food streets, but locals rarely eat there, considering them inauthentic. They usually head to places such as Yuelai Restaurant and Shuyou Seafood Restaurant for seafood and snacks like “oyster omelette” (海蛎煎) and Tusun Jelly (土笋冻). - **Meat Zongzi** — Meat zongzi are a traditional Quanzhou snack and an essential food for the Dragon Boat Festival. Making offerings to ancestors, eating zongzi and racing dragon boats are the festival's traditional customs. Quanzhou's meat zongzi are glutinous yet not mushy, with tender meat that is never greasy. - **Duck Congee** — Made with a plump, tender whole duck and glutinous rice, combined with dozens of seasonings including shiitake mushrooms, old ginger, angelica root, curry oil and pork-bone broth. The rice grains are springy and tender, with a clean, sweet taste, making it an appetite-boosting favourite for summer. - **Tusun Jelly** — “Tusun” is a soft-bodied creature resembling an earthworm that lives in shallow tidal flats; it is named for its bamboo-shoot-like shape. It is simmered into a gel and chilled until it sets into blocks. It is delicious, nutritious and has medicinal value: eating it soothes a sore throat quickly. Clearing heat and reducing inflammation are its major benefits, which is why it is the most popular snack in summer. The dish is also eaten this way elsewhere in Fujian. - **Bianshi (Wonton-Style Dumplings)** — A snack similar to wonton, with thin skins, plenty of filling, and a flavourful, fresh broth. ## Shopping ### Shopping Recommendations ### Shopping Streets in Quanzhou Zhongshan Road Tourist Shopping Street, Zhuangyuan Street (tourist pedestrian street), Houcheng Tourism & Culture Street, Dong Street, Tumen Street Commodity Street, Qiaoxiang Small Commodities Street, and Xinhua Small Commodities Street at Shishi Commercial City. ### Shopping Tips for Quanzhou 1. Before buying valuable items, compare several shops and check other prices before making your decision. 2. On your first shopping trip to Shishi, specialty stores and large malls are the safest choices. 3. Enjoy the fun of haggling, but be careful: goods here are generally non-refundable, so think twice before you buy. 4. Qiaoxiang Commercial City, Universal Mall, Hualin Square, the shops near the bus station, and the Dalun Street small commodities market are the most popular. ### Quanzhou Snacks 1. Beimen Shopping Street has a good number of snack vendors gathered together. 2. Locals love buying Quanmao mung bean cakes, sold just west of the First Hospital. They come in bags of 4. ### Everyday Quanzhou Pastries Quanzhou people are very fond of everyday pastries such as Baishou Gui (longevity tortoise cakes), Baimi Gui (white rice tortoise cakes), wangao (bowl cakes), jiansong (lye-water zongzi), yuguo (taro fruit), yuanxiao wan (glutinous rice balls), juhong gao (tangerine-red cakes), mung bean cakes, and nenbing cai (tender pancake rolls with vegetables). Many ordinary families make them at home. They are not only attractive in shape but also light and fresh in flavour, so they make good gifts to bring back for relatives and friends. - **Dehua Porcelain** — Dehua is one of China's 'Three Great Porcelain Capitals'. Dehua porcelain comes in many varieties, including Jianbai white porcelain, high-white porcelain, and ordinary white porcelain, as well as newly developed types such as baoshi yellow, Jianhong red, zhuyu porcelain, white stoneware, Yixing-style purple clay pottery, and a range of colour glazes including crackle glaze and silver-thread glaze. - **Puppet Heads** — Quanzhou puppetry is renowned around the world. The finest puppet heads are carved by master Jiang Jiazou, whose surviving works, numbering more than 280 pieces, are classified as national first-class cultural relics. Quanzhou has produced many famous puppetry masters, and there are now more than 300 facial patterns, graceful in form and vividly painted. ## Where to stay Quanzhou has hotels and guesthouses of various grades to suit different travellers' needs. However, compared with cities of similar size, accommodation and other spending in Quanzhou is somewhat higher. ### Bustling Daxi Street Quanzhou's Daxi Street is a short lane between the Cultural Palace and Zhongshan Road, and it is very lively. In the early 20th century, many workshops making and selling pewter wares gathered here, which is how the street got its name, Daxi (tin-beating) Street. Though short, it has many upscale brand-name clothing shops as well as gold and jewellery stores. - **Quanzhou Taihe InterContinental Hotel** — Built along the Jinjiang River with views over the city, it is close to Taikoo Place at Donghai Bay and the Chunpu Folk Culture Village. (1005 Fenghai Road, Fengze District (near Donghai Taihe Plaza), 0595-65218888) ## Things to see - **Kaiyuan Temple** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours 6：30—17：30; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/kaiyuan-temple - **Wudianshi Historic District** (★★★★): Admission Free entry to Wudianshi; the Wudianshi Folk Museum (Northward-Facing Mansion) and the Festivals and Seasons Museum inside the district are ¥10 each; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/wudianshi-historic-district - **Qingyuanshan Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission ¥70; Opening hours 7：00—18：00; Time needed 3–6 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qingyuanshan-scenic-area - **Luoyang Bridge** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/luoyang-bridge - **Xunpu Fishing Village** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 1-3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/xunpu-fishing-village ## Day trips & beyond - **Hui'an** (★★★★): — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/hui-an - **Chongwu Ancient Town** (★★★★): Admission ¥40; Opening hours 08:30-22:00 (all year 2026); Time needed 2-3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/chongwu-ancient-town - **Cai Family Ancient Residences** (★★★): Admission ¥15; Opening hours 9：00—17：00 — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/cai-family-ancient-residences - **Shiniushan Mountain** (★★★★): Admission Entry ticket + round-trip cable car + sightseeing bus: ¥280; Opening hours 08:30-17:00 (winter, Nov 1 - Mar 31); 08:30-15:00 (summer, Apr 1 - Oct 31); Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shiniushan-mountain --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 1524–1535. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.