Rencently, Quanzhou travel has been very popular in China. This coastal city located in the southeast of China. It’s well-known as the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. During the Song and Yuan periods (10th-14th century) it was the largest port in the east and also a global trade center. In 2021, Quanzhou was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site.
Within Quanzhou is the oyster fishing village of Xunpu. It equally become famous for its distinctive “zan hua wei”, or flower hairpins, popular in the village. There is an old saying in Xunpu: “put flowers in your hair in this life and you’ll also be pretty in the afterlife”.
UNESCO has dubbed Quanzhou as a “Museum of World Religions”. It has been a mecca for merchants from Arabia, Persia, India, Africa, and also Europe for centuries. The merchants brought Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism there. The harmonious coexistence of different cultures is an important feature of Quanzhou. Standing at the Quanzhou West Street, the Buddhist Kaiyuan Temple is on the east. While the Christian Quanxi Church is on the west, there are also two stone columns engraved with Hindu carvings in Tianhou Temple.
Quanzhou is also the witness to Chinese maritime civilization. The three historical official prayer ceremonies, named Jiurishan Zhaohui Temple, Fashi Zhenwu Temple, Tianhou Palace, have witnessed the rise and prosperity of the city’s marine trade and commerce. Among them, the Tianhou Palace is also one of the largest and oldest temples dedicated to the maritime goddess Mazu in China. Every year, overseas Chinese from all over the world come to Quanzhou to worship her.
Written by Liu Sha, pictures created by Wang Di.
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