If you only pass through Quanzhou in a hurry, you may end up feeling disappointed. But if you are willing to slow down, to quiet yourself, and stay for ten days or even half a month, the city will gradually hold you in place.
Quanzhou is the first city in China to be recognized as an East Asian Cultural Capital. Some people call it the “City of Gods,” and that is no exaggeration. Temples are everywhere, and incense smoke is woven directly into everyday life. Belief here is not something placed on a pedestal, but something people live with. During my days in Quanzhou, it felt as if I were visiting an old friend—while also paying quiet visits to many deities along the way. Not to make wishes, but to confirm that life can indeed be lived with this level of care and seriousness.
The most special experience of this trip was encountering the Dog Guardian deity.
By navigating directly to Qinglong Ancient Grounds, you can find a temple where locals worship a figure commonly known as Goushe Ye, the Dog Guardian. This folk deity has been passed down through generations, and its form often combines features of a dog, a tiger, and a lion. According to records in Fujian Folk Beliefs, the worship of dogs originates from ancient hunting societies. Dogs were seen as brave, alert, and deeply loyal companions—close helpers to humans—and were thus revered as protectors of clans. This belief has continued through the ages and remains alive today.
Many people ask how to “play” Quanzhou. But Quanzhou is not really a city meant to be “played.” It is better suited for walking, observing, wandering, and simply feeling.
If you prefer a more artistic way of traveling, a day in Quanzhou might look like this. Browsing slowly through secondhand shops or flea markets. Spending hours in record stores and bookstores. Finding small, unnecessary but beautiful objects in general stores. Sitting quietly in museums or art galleries. Visiting free public parks to sit on swings or slides. Wandering without a destination, stopping to greet stray cats and dogs. Pausing to applaud a street musician. Starting random conversations with strangers. Shopping where locals shop, buying inexpensive but honest goods. Walking through food markets, watching vendors chop vegetables, weigh meat, and chat. Taking photos with a film camera. Collecting paper tickets and receipts. Searching for small local experiences known only to residents.
Quanzhou allows this kind of life.
For a first visit, it helps to follow a relaxed route.
On the first day, begin at Kaiyuan Temple, an ancient monastery that carries nearly half of Quanzhou’s history. The twin stone pagodas—Zhenguo Pagoda and Renshou Pagoda—are the tallest surviving Song-dynasty stone pagodas in China. Their carvings are so dense with detail that every casual photograph feels like a piece of history. Walking through Ziyun Screen and Xiangfeng Alley, red-brick houses appear beside the pagodas, and time suddenly feels thick and layered.
From there, continue along West Street toward the Clock Tower. Zhongshan Road unfolds with rows of arcade buildings, where Chinese and Western architectural styles blend beautifully, especially on rainy days. Continue on to Chengtian Temple and Guanyue Temple, where incense, crowds, and daily life intertwine. At night, Guanyue Temple glows with lanterns and smoke, creating the feeling of stepping into another world.
Then go to the puppet theater to watch a performance deeply rooted in Minnan culture.
Quanzhou string puppetry, historically known as “suspended puppets,” originated in the Qin and Han dynasties and is still performed in Quanzhou and Taiwan today. Its unique musical system, known as Puppet Tune, consists of more than thirty traditional melodies. It is the longest continuously transmitted form of puppetry in China, with extraordinary cultural depth and artistic refinement. In 2006, it was listed as one of China’s first National Intangible Cultural Heritage items. In 2012, it was inscribed on UNESCO’s Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, becoming the only Chinese entry on that list. This art form is truly worth experiencing. Two thousand years of history have shaped an exquisite performance tradition. Dozens of strings animate countless life stories, earning applause in nearly a hundred countries and regions. Quanzhou puppetry shines with the wisdom of Eastern civilization—it belongs to history and to the future, to China and to the world.
After the performance, visit the Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum and the Maritime Silk Road Museum to understand how Quanzhou connected the world during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
As a key city on the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou invites curiosity. Near Citong North Road stands the Quanzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, where you can see lacquer thread sculpture, a craft with over 1,400 years of history that was originally used to decorate Buddhist statues and is also known as “ornamental Buddha art.” There is also mud-gold line painting, a technique passed down for over 500 years across southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, and Taiwan, used in both lacquer art and traditional Chinese painting. Another craft is Jincang embroidery, a raised embroidery technique capable of creating sculptural relief effects. You will also find Anxi bamboo and rattan weaving, which emerged in the late Tang dynasty and is widely used in tea utensils and daily household items.
Or you can stop by Yesong Café beside the Maritime Silk Road Museum, savoring a cup of coffee at a leisurely pace while gradually understanding the rich soul of Citong City. Here, you can experience the perfect fusion of Minnan traditional architecture and modern aesthetics—and also find locally distinctive souvenirs to take home.
In the afternoon, head to Xunpu Village to experience slow-paced fishing village life. The floral headdress known as zan hua has become a symbol of Quanzhou. While you don’t have to visit Xunpu Village specifically—there are excellent floral styling shops in the latter half of West Street—those who do visit can watch elderly women pry oysters from rocks, enjoy freshly made oyster omelets, and take photos near Shunji Temple or in oyster-shell alleys. Around 4 p.m., the light is especially gentle.
You should try wearing the floral headdress at least once. There is a saying that wearing flowers in this life brings greater beauty in the next. In Quanzhou, every girl seems to carry a springtime garden on her head. Beneath these floral seas lies the resilience and openness of Xunpu women, a life force that moves toward beauty. Though the flowers are artificial, this frees them from seasons—allowing them to bloom endlessly. Leave behind a memory of flowers in Wulin Valley. This is not just decoration, but a conversation with tradition. The floral headdress symbolizes prosperity and good fortune, people’s hopes for a better life, light and courage, and a wholehearted love for living. If you experience it, share your photos and let others feel the romance and elegance of this ancient maritime city.
The third day is ideal for traveling farther out. Visit Wulin Traditional Village to see Western-style mansions blended with Minnan architecture—Roman columns, Gothic elements, and Southeast Asian influences standing side by side. If you visit during the Mid-Autumn Festival, you may encounter the Burning Pagoda folk ritual, a rare intangible cultural heritage experience. Continue on to Yongning Ancient City, then finally to the Golden Coast.
At Luojia Temple, when the tide rises, the temple appears to float on the sea; when it recedes, the beach emerges. The Guanyin statue faces the ocean, and at sunset, orange and pink light fills the sky, leaving visitors speechless. At night, enjoy seafood by the shore—red-roe crab, fried belt fish—while the sea breeze slows time itself.
Accommodation can be chosen according to preference. Staying near West Street or the Clock Tower is convenient for sightseeing and nightlife, though it can be noisy. The West Lake area is quieter and more affordable. The Puxi Wanda area offers modern convenience and easy transportation.
There are a few practical things to keep in mind. Be sure to try local dishes such as ginger duck, rice noodle soup, beef dishes, and sticky rice dumplings—but watch out for overpriced tourist spots. When visiting temples, avoid revealing clothing and sunglasses. Some attractions require advance reservations, and driving in the old city is not recommended due to limited parking.
In Quanzhou, you will find that Quanzhou offers many souvenirs that are truly worth bringing home for friends and family. They are not expensive, yet they carry real weight.
What these gifts have in common is this:
they are not “tourist products,” but objects that grow naturally out of Quanzhou’s daily life and belief systems. One especially popular design features the Chinese character for “heart,” placed low on the stone, symbolizing the idea of “putting the heart down.” Rather than emphasizing defense against external forces, it turns inward, toward inner calm and stability. Placing such a stone on a desk, near an entryway, or beside the bed feels less like protection and more like a quiet reminder: when things happen, first settle the heart. This reinterpretation is also a way that Quanzhou’s folk beliefs continue into contemporary life.
These souvenirs share another quality. They do not seek to be ornate, nor do they rush to be understood. They come from rooftops, stages, street corners, and everyday routines.
When you bring them home, you are not just carrying an object with you, but a bit of Quanzhou’s rhythm and a certain patience toward life itself. Giving them to friends or family becomes a gentle, unobtrusive way of sharing the city. If Quanzhou is a place that needs to be slowly understood, then these small gifts are proof that, once you do, you are willing to let something stay with you.
One such object is the Drip Beast.
The Drip Beast is a traditional architectural ornament commonly found on the eaves of Minnan buildings. It is usually placed at the edge of the roof or near drainage points to guide rainwater as it falls. Shaped like an animal—sometimes playful, sometimes slightly imposing—it appears to quietly guard the house.
In folk belief, the Drip Beast is not only functional but also symbolic, associated with protection and safeguarding the home. Rainwater flows from its mouth, as if it were “spitting water,” and at the same time carrying away unwanted things.
Bringing a small Drip Beast home does not require knowledge of architectural history, nor belief in mysticism. It is more like a blessing from Minnan daily life—a reminder that wind and rain will always find their proper place.
Another souvenir truly worth taking home is the refrigerator magnet from the puppet theater.
These magnets are not casually designed keepsakes. They are created based on real characters and forms from performances at the Quanzhou string puppet theater.
What makes them special is that they can be “pulled.” With a gentle tug on the strings, the puppet’s limbs move, allowing you to physically feel the joy and precision of string puppetry.
This makes them a wonderful gift for children, friends, or anyone interested in culture. Even without having seen a performance, simply moving the strings reveals the charm of this two-thousand-year-old art form.
It turns viewing into participation and extends a stage performance into everyday life.
There is also a small object commonly seen in Quanzhou, yet often overlooked: the Shigandang stone.
Originally, Shigandang was a stone tablet engraved with characters and placed at intersections, corners, or in front of houses to ward off negative influences.
In Quanzhou today, many Shigandang stones have been redesigned. They are smaller, gentler, and no longer intimidating in appearance.
These modern interpretations soften their meaning, transforming them from symbols of defense into quiet companions—objects that speak less of fear and more of reassurance.
What these souvenirs share is that they do not seek to be ornate, nor do they rush to be understood.
They come from rooftops, stages, street corners, and everyday life itself.
When you take them home, you are carrying more than just an object. You are bringing back a bit of Quanzhou’s rhythm and a quiet patience toward life.
Giving them to friends or family becomes a gentle, unobtrusive way of sharing the city.
Quanzhou is not a city you fall in love with at first sight. It requires time. It asks you to slow down. But once you enter its rhythm, you realize it is not a place for checklists—it is a place for living.
So if you ask me, who doesn’t love Quanzhou.
I would say, those who haven’t truly met it yet.
