Day 1: All over the country → → Quanzhou ★ Gathering day
All day
1. Today is the gathering day. Tourists from all over the country will gather in Quanzhou. Once at your designated hotel, please provide "China - Travel Note + Name" to check in. Check-in is usually after 2:00 PM. Early arrivals can leave their luggage at the front desk. Afterwards, you'll have free time!
2. Quanzhou is the city of light described by Jacob d'Ancona, the city of Citong with fiery flowers, and the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. But when you actually come to Quanzhou, you will find that it is a city that makes people feel close from the details - a tile with carved cloud patterns, a bowl of satisfying noodle soup, a plaque under a street stall - the city is small but full of surprises. It only takes one day to fall in love with Quanzhou.
Recommended attractions
Guo Moruo once said, "See Xi'an from underground, and Quanzhou from above." Quanzhou is a living museum: First, we recommend the National Treasure Museum of Overseas Transport History and the Quanzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, where you can experience the beauty of nature, folk customs, the rhythm of Quanzhou dialect, and the ingenuity of nature.
2. Visit Quanzhou Tianhou Temple to experience Mazu culture. The Deji Gate ruins here are also the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. Here you can try Quanzhou's special four-fruit soup, which uses seaweed and custom ingredients, including fruits, red beans, mung beans, pearls, and more.
3. The Quanzhou Puppet Show is truly amazing, and tourists rave about the value! Tickets are available through the WeChat official account [Quanzhou String Puppet Show Heritage and Protection Center] (30, 50, and 80 seats available). Tickets are in high demand, so be sure to buy them in advance! Shows are approximately 6:00 PM and 7:30 PM, lasting one hour. The theater is about 6 kilometers from the hotel, and a taxi ride costs about 15 yuan.
Food recommendations
Noodle soup, rice dumplings, agar-agar paste, steak, vinegar pork
Traffic Tips
Quanzhou Station is very close to the city center, and a taxi takes about 20 minutes and costs about 30 yuan. Quanzhou South Station and Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport are about 20 kilometers from the city center, about a 50-minute drive. Quanzhou East Station is about 20 kilometers from the city center, about a 40-minute drive.
Day 2 Quanzhou → Kaiyuan Temple → Qingjing Mosque → Guanyu Temple → Southern Shaolin Temple → Quanzhou City
All day
We officially started our trip to Quanzhou and visited the offices of the various gods in the human world:
1. Kaiyuan Temple: Follow a local guide to explore the temple's angel paintings, sphinxes, and thousand-year-old lotuses. Your guide will lead you to the East and West Pagodas, the filming location for the film "The Black Myth: Wukong." Then, find the elusive Great Xuanzang and Little Wukong, Monkey King and Young Tang Monk, who predate the original "Journey to the West" by 300 years, at the Guanyue Temple, and the Islamic Qingjing Mosque.
2. Guanyue Temple: Learn the unique Minnan incense-burning ritual and offer 24 incense sticks to Guan Erye, the "God of Wealth and War." If interested, you can also experience the unique divination game of throwing blocks (remember to return any wishes that come true).
3. Qingjing Mosque: One of the four ancient Islamic temples in China, listen to your guide recount the glorious past 400 years ago amidst the ruins.
4. Southern Shaolin Temple: This thousand-year-old temple was founded by the Thirteen Stick Monks of the Tang Dynasty. Follow actor Chen Kun on the same camera angle as in the blockbuster film "Chengshi" (The Legend of the Ancient Swordsman) and encounter a young monk practicing martial arts. Watch a performance by a monk showcasing the Eighteen Shaolin Kung Fu, including Iron Head Kung, Vajra Hard Qigong, and other unique Shaolin techniques (approximately 2 hours).
PS: If the monks cancel their performance due to Buddhist events, the fee will be refunded and the tour will continue as usual; if the Wu Zu Quan teacher is available, the martial arts experience will be moved to the Wenmiao Square and the performance fee will not be refunded
Wuzuquan, a representative style of the Southern Fist branch of Chinese martial arts, traces its origins to the heyday of the Tang Dynasty and includes five styles: "Bodhidharma," "Taizu," "Arhat," "Xingzhe," and "White Crane." A Quanzhou Wuzuquan inheritor will personally explain its origins, development, and heritage in Quanzhou. He'll demonstrate the techniques and teach tourists practical self-defense techniques.
Day 3 Quanzhou → Xiapu Village → Luoyang Bridge → Shadow Sculpture Experience → Hui'an Hotel
All day
Today we'll head to Xiapu Village, the port where the Maritime Silk Road began during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Here, descendants of ancient Arabs live, growing gardens on their heads and building houses out of oyster shells. We'll invite a native Xiapu woman to dress up in traditional Xiapu clothing, complete with hair styling and flowers. We'll wander the village streets, among the oyster-shell houses, and in front of the Mazu Temple, capturing beautiful photos.
What's so special about China-TravelNote's hairpins? —— In the birthplace of hairpins, the local Xiapu women have passed down the craft from generation to generation, wearing local traditional costumes.
2. In the afternoon, we'll gather and travel east to the Luoyang Bridge, known as the First Bridge in China. This is my country's oldest existing large sea-crossing stone bridge. Its "standing like the East and West Pagodas, lying like the Luoyang Bridge" symbolizes the spirit of the Quanzhou people: "staying true to one's heart" and "being open-minded." Follow your guide to uncover the three architectural mysteries of this thousand-year-old stone bridge and discover the exquisite Moonlight Bodhisattva, hidden from most viewers.
3. Continue to Hui'an. China-TravelNote has specially arranged a trial experience of Hui'an's [shadow carving]. Experienced craftsmen will guide you through Quanzhou's intangible cultural heritage, such as "Suzhou and Hangzhou embroidery on silk, and Southern Fujian embroidery on stone."
4. Today we stayed at the Seaview Hotel in Xisha Bay, which enjoys the reputation of "one of the eight most beautiful coastlines in China". We enjoyed a sandy beach and occasionally encountered the orange sunset.
Tourists traveling during statutory holidays in 2025 can fully experience the unique and fun Fujian Intangible Cultural Heritage "Bo Zhuangyuan" event. China-TravelNote has local tour guides to organize this event. Don't worry about the complicated rules; just know how to roll the dice! !
Day 4 Hotel → Chongwu Ancient City Water Gate → Jinjiang Wudian Market → Cao'an Temple → Luojia Temple → Shishi City Hotel
All day
1. In the morning, visit Chaole Water Pass in Chongwu Ancient City (the old city is not a scenic area): local folklore guardians will provide in-depth and interesting explanations of the bricks and tiles of this ancient city that resisted the Japanese invaders. Interested women can try on the unique Hui women's clothing (feudal head, democratic belly, frugal clothes, and wasteful pants) (self-service) and experience the charm of Hui women's culture (approximately 1.5 hours)
2. Continue south (approximately 1.5 hours) and arrive at Jinjiang Wudian Market. It's lunchtime and you can find food on your own (approximately 1 hour).
3. At around 1:30 PM, head to the lesser-known Manichaeism site, Cao'an (a 30-minute drive, approximately a 1-hour tour). Manichaeism? It's the Mingjiao—don't doubt it, the Mingjiao from the siege of Guangmingding. It's the very Mingjiao that Jin Yong specifically visited. The truly remarkable [Manichaeism Light Buddha Stone Statue] retains its youthful coloration over a thousand years: a pale face, pale hands, white clothing, and long hair and beard, yet maintaining a youthful appearance.
4. Around 3:00 PM, head to Luojia Temple, a Buddhist temple floating on the sea (1 hour by car, 1 hour tour). Here, you can not only continue to appreciate the charm of southern Fujian religious architecture, but also get a photo of Li Xian.
5. Today we are staying in Shishi (about a 30-minute drive). At night, we recommend visiting Bagua Old Street to experience the authentic local delicacies: Chenghuang Street, Dalun Street, Tangfang Street, and Maiyu Street... Any inconspicuous shop you pick out is more than ten years old; compared to the popular Quanzhou Ancient City, the snacks here still maintain their original appearance.
Day 5 Hotel → Wulin → Quanzhou Station ★ Disbandment Day
All day
1. In the morning, we'll head to Wulin Ancient Village, our last stop (50-minute drive, approximately 1-hour tour). This village boasts over 200 official-style mansions built between the early 20th century and the Sino-Japanese War, mixed Chinese and Western-style dwellings, Gothic architecture, and Romanesque buildings. It's truly a museum of Minnan architecture. We recommend changing into Nyonya clothing or hairpins (at your own expense). You can also sample the distinctive Nyonya cuisine for lunch.
2. Today's experience is Jinjiang's intangible cultural heritage hand puppetry (also known as glove puppetry), and tasting a Minnan tea ceremony in a red brick old house.
3. After lunch, we'll conclude our tour at an appropriate time. We'll first drop you off at Quanzhou South Station, where we recommend booking your return high-speed train after 1:30 PM. We'll then drop you off at Jinjiang Airport, where we recommend booking your return flight after 3:00 PM. Finally, we'll drop you off at Quanzhou Station, where we recommend booking your return high-speed train after 2:30 PM. In case of holidays, these departure times will be extended by one hour.
