Quanzhou was one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road. From the 10^th to the 14^th century, it flourished through vibrant international maritime trade, becoming a bustling hub where merchants from many lands converged and diverse cultures interacted, earning it the reputation as the “Largest Oriental Port” of its age.

“Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China” comprises a series of cultural properties which date back to that period and still shine. These sites are distributed throughout the Quanzhou Bay region, with today’s urban core as their center.

Heritage Showcase

Image: Official website of “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China”

Suggested Itineraries

Route 1: Jiuri Mountain Wind-Praying Inscriptions → Qingyuan Mountain & Stone Statue of Lao Tze → Islamic Tombs → Luoyang Bridge → Estuary Wharf → Zhenwu Temple

Featured Sites

Jiuri Mountain Wind-Praying Inscriptions

These cliff inscriptions record official rituals performed during the Song dynasty to pray for favorable winds for maritime voyages. They form the largest existing group of wind-praying inscriptions in China.

Luoyang Bridge

The earliest surviving cross-sea beam-style stone bridge in China, it once served as a major transportation link connecting Quanzhou with Fuzhou and the vast inland regions beyond.

Route 2: Kaiyuan Temple (The East and West Pagodas) → Site of Southern Clan Office → Confucian Temple → Qingjing Mosque → Site of the Maritime Trade Office → Tianhou Temple → Site of Deji Gate → Site of Shunji Bridge

Featured Sites

Quanzhou Kaiyuan Temple

The largest and most prominent Buddhist temple in Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan periods, and today the largest surviving Buddhist temple complex in Fujian Province.

Site of Maritime Trade Office

Established in 1087, this government office oversaw maritime trade in Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Its presence marked Quanzhou’s official status as an open national port for foreign trade.

Route 3: Wanshou Pagoda → Liusheng Pagoda → Shihu Dock → Statue of Mani in Cao’an Temple → Anping Bridge → Cizao Kilns → Dehua Kilns → Iron Production Site

Featured Sites

Wanshou Pagoda

Rising above Quanzhou Bay, the Wanshou Pagoda was a well-known navigational landmark during the Song and Yuan periods and stood as a symbolic beacon of the port.

Anping Bridge

Anping Bridge is the longest surviving cross-sea beam-style stone bridge in China.

Featured Experiences

Xunpu Zanhuawei

The customs of Xunpu women are a distinctive traditional way of life found in southern Fujian. "Wearing zanhuawei, or flower hairpins, on the head, draped in a loose long-sleeved outer garment, dressed in wide-legged trousers, and wearing lilac-shaped dangling earrings" forms the classic image of Xunpu fisherwomen in Quanzhou. Among these elements, zanhuawei is a type of headwear and is also known as a "walking garden." Commonly used flowers include Spanish jasmine, jasmine, magnolia, banana shrub, kamala, chrysanthemum, night-blooming jasmine, rose, carnation, and more. Locals believe that wearing flowers reflects a deep love for life and the wish to "live beautifully." In 2008, the customs of Xunpu women, represented by zanhuawei, were included in the national list of representative intangible cultural heritage items.

Ceramic Making

Dehua County in Quanzhou is known as the "World Ceramics Capital." As early as the Song and Yuan dynasties, Dehua ceramics had already become an important export product along the Maritime Silk Road, and "Blanc de Chine" has become synonymous with Dehua ceramics.

In 2006, the firing techniques of Dehua white porcelain were included in the first batch of China's national representative intangible cultural heritage items. Dehua porcelain is celebrated worldwide for its warm, delicate texture, crystal-clear translucence, refined and elegant porcelain sculptures, and craftsmanship of extraordinary ingenuity.

Dehua is home to many ceramic experience centers. From clay to finished piece, visitors can take part in making their own ceramic object, blending traditional craftsmanship with personal creativity to create an everyday aesthetic of their own.