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Quanzhou, a city that blends diverse cultures from around the world and carries the millennia-old memory of the Maritime Silk Road, greeted us with its profound historical heritage and rich cultural landscapes upon our first visit.
This trip to Quanzhou is like opening a thick history book, with each page engraved with thousands of years of stories and vivid cultural customs.
On the first day of the trip, everyone gathered at Quanzhou Station, checked in at the hotel, and then headed to West Street to start their exploration of Quanzhou's ancient streets.
West Street, the heart of Quanzhou's history, feels like stepping back in time. The afternoon sun bathes the ancient streets, where every detail, from the bluestone pavements to the ancient red-brick houses, tells a story of time.
Don't miss Mei Chao Feng (Rooftop Store 1) on West Street. The top floor is the perfect spot to check in at the Kaiyuan Temple Twin Pagodas. Through the window lattices, the thousand-year-old pagodas intertwine with modern life, creating a unique picture.
Recommended West Street snacks:
👍The taro cakes on West Street are pretty good. The freshly baked taro cakes are very fragrant and should be eaten while hot. However, it is best not to buy too much. One or two at a time is the most suitable.
👍Handmade Mochi Wu's Handmade Mochi and Huang's Handmade Mochi are located opposite each other. I heard that they are sworn enemies who love and hate each other. I bought Wu's personally. The filling of the mochi is very solid and has a rich taste. Those who like sweets can buy it.
The next day, we headed to the coastal ancient city of Chongwu. This stone fortress, perched on the shores of the East China Sea, tells a heroic story of resistance against foreign aggression. Its walls are mottled, and waves crash against the shore, where the calm of history and the might of the ocean coexist harmoniously.
In the afternoon, we moved to the Sculpture Art and Cultural Park to gain a deeper understanding of and try our hand at Hui'an shadow carving. The lifelike figures and floral and bird patterns came to life on the stone at the tapping of our fingertips, allowing us to deeply feel the charm of intangible cultural heritage.
Xiepu Village, a mysterious fishing village nestled on the East China Sea coast of Quanzhou, Fujian, is renowned for its unique oyster-shell houses and the culture of the Xiepu women. Oyster-shell houses, which inherit the traditional red-brick architecture of southern Fujian, are inlaid with oyster shells collected from the beach. The shells gleam silvery-white in the sunlight, creating a beautiful and practical home.
The Xiapu women who grew up here comb their long hair into a bun, insert ivory chopsticks in the middle, and then decorate the bun with hairpins woven from colorful flowers. During major festivals or daily life, the hairpins on their heads become more intricate and gorgeous, forming a flowing sea of flowers.
In the afternoon, we strolled through the ancient village of Wulin. The core features of the village are red brick houses and swallowtail ridge buildings. It incorporates a combination of Chinese and Western architectural styles. It has both the traditional charm of ancient southern Fujian houses and Western architectural elements brought back by overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia.
Walking through it is like traveling through time and space, feeling the tenacious spirit and deep feelings of home and country of generations of overseas Chinese.
On the fourth day, we departed Wulin and arrived at the beautiful Yunshuiyao area of Nanjing. The towering ancient banyan trees and gurgling streams complemented the earthen buildings, a World Cultural Heritage site, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
At dusk, a dragon dance performance was performed enthusiastically. Amid the joyous sounds of gongs and drums, we personally participated in this local folk feast.
The Tianluokeng Tulou complex is even more tranquil and mysterious in the early morning. Known as the "notes of the earth", these Tulou demonstrate the marvelous scene of harmonious coexistence of human wisdom and nature with their ingenious layout and solid structure.
Western countries once mistakenly believed the Tianluokeng Tulou complex was a southern Chinese nuclear base, a testament to its unique appearance and widespread influence. Professor Lu Bingjie of Shanghai Tongji University further underscored the Tianluokeng Tulou's exceptional architectural value: "If you haven't seen the Tianluokeng Tulou complex, you haven't truly seen the Tulou."
In the afternoon, we bid farewell to Quanzhou with full of memories and emotions, and set off for Xiamen North Station, bringing this unforgettable trip to Quanzhou to a perfect end.
Looking back on the five-day trip to Quanzhou, we not only appreciated the ancient charm of the ancient city and experienced the essence of intangible cultural heritage, but also felt the beauty of the local customs of southern Fujian in places such as Xiapu, Wulin, and Yunshuiyao.
Every stop, every experience, is a heartfelt tribute and embrace to Quanzhou, a city renowned for its history and culture. Anyone who has been here will understand that Quanzhou's charm lies far beyond its attractions; it lies in the sincerity and warmth that permeates its streets and flows through its very veins.
