Visitors can explore breathtaking monuments to its cosmopolitan past: the Qingjing Mosque (China’s oldest Islamic mosque), the majestic Kaiyuan Temple with its twin pagodas, the Cao’an Statue of Mani (the world’s only surviving stone carving of the Manichaean prophet), and the Maritime Museum showcasing its extensive overseas trade history. The ancient city quarter boasts narrow lanes lined with Southern Fujian-style red-brick houses and arcaded buildings, where traditional arts like Nanyin music and puppet theater remain alive. As a “Museum of World Religions”, Quanzhou reveals harmonious traces of Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Stroll through its streets to feel both the lively atmosphere of a bustling port city and the spiritual legacy of its global past.
City Profile
Quanzhou · Zayton, Gateway of the Maritime Silk Road
Quanzhou, historically known as “Zayton”, is a coastal city in southeastern China recognized by UNESCO as a “World Center for Multiculturalism” and a pivotal starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. Famed for its millennia-old maritime history and remarkable cultural fusion, the city flourished as the largest port in the East during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
Kaiyuan Temple Twin Pagodas
Laojun Rock Statue
Luoyang Bridge
Nanyin Music
Xunpu Women’s Dress
