Holiday in Quanzhou

About Quanzhou

Quanzhou was once the largest port in the world — during the Song and Yuan dynasties (10th-14th century), the city even surpassed Alexandria and Venice as a hub of maritime world trade. The Arab traveler Ibn Battuta referred to Quanzhou in the 14th century as the greatest port in the world. Since 2021, the city has been recognized as an Emporium of the World — Quanzhou UNESCO World Heritage with 22 individual monuments. The Kaiyuan Temple complex is Quanzhou's spiritual center: Founded in 686, the Buddhist temple houses two impressive stone pagodas from the 13th century — the East and West Towers (Renshou Ta and Zhenguo Ta), which at 48 meters high are among the tallest stone pagodas in China. Their fine reliefs depict Buddhist, Hindu, and even Christian motifs — a reflection of the multicultural history of the port city. The Qingjing Mosque, built in 1009, is one of the oldest preserved mosques in China and the only one in the Arabic-Persian style: Its stone arches and the roofless prayer hall resemble those in Damascus. Arab traders established a thriving community in medieval Quanzhou, the traces of which are still visible today. The Maritime Museum of Quanzhou documents the 1,000-year history of maritime trade: From the junks of the Song dynasty to the shipping routes to Arabia, India, and Southeast Asia, as well as the porcelain and silk exports that made Quanzhou the richest port of the medieval world. A salvaged Song dynasty trading ship is the centerpiece of the exhibition. Quanzhou is also home to Nanyin music — the oldest surviving form of music in China (UNESCO World Heritage) — and the puppet opera, which has been alive here for over 1,000 years. The old town, with its red brick houses, carved stone portals, and narrow alleys, preserves a piece of Fujian architecture that has long disappeared in many Chinese cities.