Park of China
Overview
| Name | Quanzhou 泉州 |
| Web address | https://parkofchina.com/en/cityquanzhou.html |
| Province | Fujian |
| Location | Fujian |
| Latitude, longitude | 24.87, 118.68 Google Maps |
| Top sights | Kaiyuan Temple, Qingjing Mosque, Luoyang Bridge, statue of Laozi on Mount Qingyuan, Temple of the Sea Goddess |
About
Quanzhou, on the south-east coast of Fujian at the lower Jin River, is one of the first National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities. In the past the city was planted with coral trees (citong), so it was called the “Citong City”, which Arab and European travellers recorded as Zayton. See also Cities of China.
Under the Song and Yuan, Quanzhou was one of China’s greatest ports for foreign trade, with ships sailing to South-East Asia, the Indian Ocean and Arabia; Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta both came here and described it. Merchants from many countries settled in the city and brought their religions, and remains of Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Manichaeism and Hinduism survive; they form the core of the World Cultural Heritage site Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China.
On West Street in the old town, Kaiyuan Temple is one of the largest Buddhist temples in Fujian; its east and west stone pagodas, built in the Southern Song, are the tallest pair of ancient stone pagodas in China. The Qingjing Mosque on Tumen Street is one of the oldest surviving mosques in China. Mount Qingyuan north of the city is a national scenic area, and at its foot is a Song stone statue of Laozi. East of the city, Luoyang Bridge across the mouth of the Luoyang River is a stone sea bridge built under the direction of Cai Xiang in the Northern Song.
Quanzhou is a centre of southern Fujian culture, known for nanyin music, marionette theatre and Liyuan opera, and a famous home of overseas Chinese, many of whom set out from here.
Travel tips
Getting there: Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport is south of the city; high-speed trains run to Quanzhou and Quanzhou South stations, under half an hour from Xiamen.
Sightseeing: Kaiyuan Temple, the Qingjing Mosque, the Temple of the Sea Goddess and West Street are in the old town and take a day on foot; the Laozi statue on Mount Qingyuan and Luoyang Bridge need half a day each.
Photo credits: Zhenguo Pagoda, Kaiyuan Temple: User:Vmenkov (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons); Qingjing Mosque: Windmemories (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Luoyang Bridge: N509FZ (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)