Fujian Travel Notes | Quanzhou: A hodgepodge brought by the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou City under the beauty of thousands of religions

Fujian's 3,700 kilometers of coastline curves into a thick history of human marine civilization in Quanzhou. From the prosperous and lonely Citong Port, which handled the Maritime Silk Road, to the Kaiyuan Temple, which embodies the beauty of Wanjiao culture, countless religions and all kinds of folk worship bloom here. Walk slowly on Tumen Street and savor Quanzhou’s great religious tolerance. The open spirit of the Maritime Silk Road has created the harmonious coexistence of various religions here: Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Christianity, ancestral halls , just the fact that these religions separated by thousands of mountains and rivers have coexisted harmoniously in this small land for thousands of years is already amazing; The snacks on West Street are the taste buds of our ancestors floating around the world Links, the strong incense in Guandi Temple all day long, the transformation of Mazu into immortality in Thean Hou Palace, the lively boating parades, and the fascinating stories of the thousands of immortals in the palaces and temples. The tide ebbs and flows, life has its ups and downs, and after three rounds of drinking, the old man on Zhongshan Road who has experienced business wars for a long time may be the winner in life in the eyes of others, but even though he has traveled all over the world, he is still willing to be a child in Quanzhou City when he comes back here.

Yuan Miao Guan

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Kaiyuan Temple

When you come to Quanzhou, you won’t miss Kaiyuan Temple. As the largest Buddhist temple on the southeast coast, Kaiyuan Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty, which coincided with the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty being changed to "Kaiyuan". Religions have always flourished in Quanzhou. Foreign religions were attacked in the early Ming Dynasty, and the exquisite temple ruins that had been destroyed were moved here at that time: in addition to the main buildings of Buddhism, Taoism, Brahmanism, and even Christianity can be found here. Mark of. The stone pillars of the Mahavira Hall are carved with myths and legends from the ancient Indian Mahabharata and Ramayana; The Sphinx on the Sumeru Seat is the earliest It originated in ancient Egypt; the exotic fairies on the brackets are derived from the Sanskrit word "Kaling Binga". There are countless stories behind every relief in the temple waiting to be explored.

Walking on the streets of the old city of Quanzhou, you can see the two stone towers of Kaiyuan Temple at a glance; the stone towers are East and West Pagoda, with the "Zhenguo Pagoda" in the east and the "Renshou Pagoda" in the west. Initially they were all wooden pagodas. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty and was destroyed and rebuilt several times. It was made of bricks from wood and then changed from bricks to stone in the Southern Song Dynasty. Both are more than 40 meters high. They are also the tallest pair of stone towers in China. Nowadays, the East and West Towers can no longer be climbed, but you can find a coffee shop with a terrace on the West Street and have a glimpse of the stone towers and West Street at sunset.

West Street

West Street, which is a must-visit route to Kaiyuan Temple, is the earliest developed street in Quanzhou and is also the cultural context of the city. From the Kaiyuan Temple of the Tang Dynasty to the Bell Tower of the Republic of China, strolling along West Street feels like a thousand years have passed. Just a few hundred meters of street brings together all the East Asian delicacies, changing people's prejudices about Southern Fujian cuisine: petrochemical paste, frozen bamboo shoots, steamed chestnuts, Dongxing beef, chicken drumsticks, garlic branches... I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. . In the bustling traffic, there are no vendors shouting in the streets, and there are no shops using loud speakers to attract customers, but you can feel the lively business atmosphere of every house. This is the real Quanzhou.

The large and small shops on West Street are crowded with people. Which shop has the longest queue is definitely the Yafo Spring Cake Shop which has been featured on "A Bite of China"; the long-established shop Run The cake is the most famous: the combination of shredded carrots, shredded tofu and shredded kelp makes the taste unique. Laoji Noodle Paste located at the intersection of Bell Tower on West Street is also famous; Noodle Paste is a major feature of southern Fujian and a common breakfast for locals. The production process of noodle thread is quite complex. It needs to be kneaded and fermented into noodle chopsticks, and then fixed on a special rack and stretched repeatedly until it is as thin as a hair. The finished product is dried in the sun. Rich side dishes plus various kinds of braised and delicious noodle soup, the taste is very authentic.

There are signs of Yuanxiao Yuan in the streets and alleys of Quanzhou, but is different from the familiar glutinous rice balls. The skin of Quanzhou Yuanxiao Yuan is shaken out . The filling is knocked out, and there are eight processes in total. "Shaking" skin is difficult for outsiders to understand, but the production process can be seen in this Caifeng Yuanxiao Yuan shop on West Street. The important thing is that the large peanut and sesame seeds filling is really delicious, and the skin is soft and elastic. If you can’t bear it after eating, you can add an extra serving of cold peanut soup .

Tonghuai Guanyue Temple

The image of Guan Gong as "loyal, righteous, benevolent and brave" is very popular in southern Fujian. Tonghuai Guanyue Temple is also the most popular among the many temples in Quanzhou. Walking on Tumen Street, you can see the green smoke curling up from a distance and smell the strong smell of incense. Tonghuai Guanyue Temple has a history of more than 600 years from the early Ming Dynasty to the present. The colorful porcelain carvings in the Southern Fujian style, the high eaves and carved wooden doors full of annual rings give people a sense of time and space. It is said that this is the largest Guandi Temple in the country and even overseas. Many Taiwanese compatriots and overseas Chinese even come here to offer incense from thousands of miles away. When you step into the temple, you will be attracted by the constant sound of "wood planks" being knocked. The locals believe that only when two shell-shaped planks are thrown to the ground to form heads and tails, you will be allowed to ask for a fortune by Emperor Guandi.

Qingjingji Temple

On the other side of Tumen Street, there is a building that is incompatible with its surroundings. This building is the earliest existing mosque in our country. The ruins on the left hand side of the entrance were once the Fengtian Temple where Muslims worshiped every day. The lintel part was carved with the Arabic Quran. The roof has long since disappeared, leaving only the four walls of the hall made of granite and the huge Peaked windows. This hall was originally covered by a huge dome. Unfortunately, the dome collapsed in the Quanzhou earthquake in 1607 and has not been restored to this day. Today's Qingjing Temple is indeed very "clean", with few tourists visiting. The Guanyue Temple not far next door is full of incense, and there are only people watching silently, naturally silent.

Fu Confucian Temple

The Quanzhou Prefecture Confucian Temple was built in the late Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. It has undergone repairs and expansions in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It now covers an area of ​​nearly 100 acres. It is the largest Confucian temple in the southeastern coast and even Southeast Asia. as an important base for communication. In the Dacheng Hall, Kangxi's "Teacher of All Times" written by Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng's "Shengming Minjie" and Jiaqing's "Dacheng Dacheng" are eye-catching. In ancient times, the Confucian Temple was located on the left and right of the Confucius Temple. It was a place where Confucius was commemorated and where classes were held. The sound of books was loud and clear. But now the Fuwen Temple is empty, and only before the start of school and exams can you see the bustle of the past.

The name of Rouge Alley opposite the Fuwen Temple is very nice. The Rouge Alley Salted Rice hidden in the alley is also famous in the local area. The special Intestinal Enema and Intestinal Stuffed Green Onion Soup It goes well with thick salty rice. Not far from the Xian Restaurant, there is a shop called People’s Beef Snacks. The shop is inconspicuous and the furnishings are very casual. Although it is called beef snacks, its beef soup is more famous for its sea oyster omelette : fresh oysters with eggs, leeks, shredded radish and chopped green onions. Coupled with its unique sauce, it creates the most unique taste in Quanzhou.

Yuan Miao Guan

Yuanmiao Temple hidden in Zhuangyuan Street is a Taoist temple. It was built during the Taikang period of the Western Jin Dynasty and was originally named Baiyun Temple. It was the first Taoist temple after Taoism was introduced to Fujian. There is a "Nine Purple" stele in front of the gate of Yuanmiao Temple , which means "Purple Energy Comes from the East". The temple is divided into two halls: the Jade Emperor Hall in the front and the Sanqing Palace in the back. The two halls are separated by a patio and connected by a corridor. Like the Guanyue Temple in Tonghuai, there is also an endless stream of believers who come to Yuanmiao Temple to ask for fortunes: throw the two pieces of wood in the Holy Grail to the ground, and the different combinations that bounce out indicate the opinions of the gods, and use this to judge. Good or bad, there is a sign next to it, 2 yuan a time is enough.

The Apo Hou Meat Zongzi Shop near the west gate exit of Yuanmiao Temple is the childhood memory of generations of people in Quanzhou. The distinctive signature scallop meat rice dumplings are fat but not greasy, and the ingredients used are not soft. : Mushrooms, pork belly, salted egg yolks, large scallops, then drizzled with Shacha sauce, pound the rice dumplings and mix them together, and pair it with a bowl of meat and bird soup. No matter how small your appetite is, you will still feel unsatisfied.

Tianhou Temple

Tianhou Temple is the place where Mazu is worshiped in Quanzhou. As the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, people from southern Fujian who rely on the sea will come here to pray for smooth sailing and the health of their loved ones before going to sea. Tianhou Palace was built in the second year of Qingyuan of the Song Dynasty and has been renovated in the past dynasties. It has a history of nearly a thousand years. Although it has gone through vicissitudes of life, the wooden buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are still well preserved, and the carvings on the eaves of the main hall are beautifully decorated. The peak of worship is Mazu's birthday on March 23rd of the lunar calendar, and the "turtle begging" activity held on the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is even more lively.

Directly opposite Tianhou Palace is the ancient city gate of Quanzhou - Deji Gate Ruins , which is the only one of the seven gates in the ancient city of Quanzhou from the Song and Yuan Dynasties that has been preserved. It was still buried underground until 2001, and was not rescued until subsequent construction. A large number of religious stone carvings were unearthed from the site, witnessing the prosperous trade of Quanzhou's Maritime Silk Road. Next to Thean Hou Temple, there is also Bingzhengtang Stone Flower Paste Main Store: Order a portion of the signature Four Fruit Soup, add stone flower paste, taro paste and Mung beans, sweet but not greasy, are a must-have for relieving the heat in summer.

Li Zhi's former residence

from Tianhou Temple Come out, pass through Deji Gate Site , you will soon find the inconspicuous Former Residence of Li Zhi Compared to the bustling Tianhou Temple, this place seems so quiet. This thinker who was once regarded as a heretic in history was born in a famous family, but later embarked on the path of ideological enlightenment. He has been labeled with many labels, such as "the first madman of the Ming Dynasty", "a warrior who challenges feudal ethics", "the first ideological criminal of the Ming Dynasty", etc. People think that his thoughts are advanced and unique, and have a sense of freedom and equality, while those who criticize him think that his thoughts are radical and heretical. Today, this former residence, which is not at all impressive, has been put aside by people just like Li Zhi's remarks, but you may be able to learn about the views of this great thinker from the inscriptions in the courtyard.

Xunpu Village

蟳xúnpu Village hidden on the seaside of Quanzhou is a treasure fishing village that cannot be missed. Going from the city, the destination is like a farmer's market at the edge of the city. The clothes and language on the streets are the same as those of others. But when you turn into a long, secluded road, the scene around you seems to pull you out of the civilized world: oyster shell seafood piled at the street entrance, women wearing hairpins and those difficult to understand communication terms. Even though the lights are bustling outside, the people in Xianpu Village still devoutly pass on the lifestyle inherited by their ancestors from generation to generation.

Ganpu Village is famous for 蟳pu女 and Oyster Shell House. You can see beautiful women sitting in front of the door knocking on oyster shells or walking with burdens everywhere. The tops and loose wide-legged trousers can be recognized at a glance, but the most distinctive thing is their headdress. Their headdress of "wearing a hairpin wreath and inserting ivory chopsticks" is said to have originated from Central Asia in the Song Dynasty. spread.

Ganpu is an important port at the starting point of the Quanzhou Maritime Silk Road. Most of the merchant ships loaded with silk and porcelain set sail from Ganpu, sailed along the coast of southern Fujian to Nanyang, passed through the Indian Ocean and the east coast of Africa, and then unloaded on the north coast. . When returning, if there is no cargo in the cabin, the ship will be empty, and the unstable center of gravity will be detrimental to navigation. Therefore, the crew loaded the oyster shells scattered on the seaside into the ship's ballast, and after bringing them back, they piled them on the beach of Xianpu. . Local fishermen turned waste into treasure and built characteristic buildings with oyster shells as the main body. In the Minnan dialect, a house means a house, and an oyster is an oyster. The architectural shape of Oyster shell house is the same as that of a traditional southern Fujian red brick house, with a granite wall base, red brick upper and lower square frames, and windows. Frame, red and white, bright and simple southern Fujian red brick houses have a distinctive style.

From Quanzhou City to Xunpu Village, you can take bus K301 and get off at Xunpu Vegetable Market Station (also known as Xunpu Vegetable Market) . The village entrance is Across the road from the bus station, you can find it quickly by following the footsteps of the Xampu girl. The 蟳puMazu Temple in the village holds a Mazu sacrifice on the 29th of the first lunar month every year. Visitors from the whole village will be invited to the villagers’ homes to celebrate together. If you meet them, don’t miss it. .

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Traffic in the city

Arrival and departure airport

Quanzhou and Jinjiang share an international airport. The airport is about 13 kilometers away from Quanzhou city. There is no airport bus, but the convenient and fast buses K602 and K603 can take you to the city in just 40 minutes. Taking a taxi from the airport to Quanzhou city costs about 50-70 yuan.

Arrival and departure from high-speed rail station

The Quanzhou High-speed Railway Station, located about 10 kilometers north of the city, has now opened the Fuzhou-Xiamen High-speed Railway. The high-speed railway is convenient and fast and connects Xiamen, Fuzhou and Shanghai and Nanjing in the Yangtze River Delta, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta and other places. At 21:00 in the evening: Before 00, there will be buses to and from the city from the high-speed rail station.

the bus

Quanzhou's bus system is convenient and fast. The fare of 1 yuan basically covers all scenic spots in the city. It should be noted that the buses in Quanzhou stop when you wave. You must ring the bell before getting off to remind the driver that you need to get off, otherwise the driver will There will be no special stops to reach the station.

West Street and Kaiyuan Temple

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Around Quanzhou

Chongwu ancient city

Chongwu Ancient City is located on the southeast coast of Hui'an County, Quanzhou, on the edge of the Taiwan Strait. It was built by Jiangxia Hou Zhou Dexing in 1387 (the 20th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty) to resist Japanese pirates when he was conducting a coastal defense plan. It was also built by the Ming government to fight against Japanese invaders. It is one of the more than 60 guard castles built in the sea area that is still well preserved. The name Chongwu means "advocating military equipment". As the forefront of coastal defense, Chongwu Ancient City once bore the brunt of the Japanese invasion in the Ming Dynasty and was repeatedly attacked; it was also defeated and fell into the city. For hundreds of years, generations of soldiers and civilians in the ancient city have relied on natural barriers and solid stone walls, and have gone through the baptism of blood and fire, writing with their lives the tragic history of the Chinese nation defying violence to defend China's dignity. Today, many temples in the city are The ancient city was built by the soldiers and civilians to commemorate the heroes who sacrificed their lives in the anti-Japanese war.

When searching for Chongwu Ancient City on the map, what usually pops up is Chongwu Ancient City Scenic Area. It is said to be a scenic spot, but it is actually called: Chinese Stone Sculpture Craft Expo Park; Hui'an stone carving technology is well-known throughout the country. , many stone carvings have been implanted in the Expo Park, from ancient Greek mythology to the martial saint Guan Gong. Many tourists who spend money to buy tickets to enter the Chongwu Ancient City Scenic Area will feel puzzled when they see these: "Where is the Chongwu Ancient City I want to see?" ?” Actually, you don’t have to pay the 45 yuan ticket. Instead, after arriving at Chongwu Ancient City, walk along the city wall in the opposite direction to the Stone Sculpture Expo Park and walk to a small place called Shuiguan Gate From the city gate, you can climb up the ancient city wall. This entrance is actually where the residents of the city usually go in and out. Inside the city wall is the ancient city of Chongwu. If you walk along the city wall in a complete circle, you won't miss any of the worth-seeing scenery.

The earliest residents of Chongwu still live in the ancient city, who are the descendants of those who fought against the Japanese. Their ancestors gathered here from all over the world to fight the war. There are 98 surnames in the 0.5 square kilometers of Chongwu ancient city. This is also the origin of Chongwu's "hundred families with ten thousand people". The Lighthouse at the southeast corner of the city wall is the highest point in the entire Chongwu Ancient City. From here, you can overlook the entire ancient city and the coastline. There are also Haichao Temple and Guandi Temple in the city. , the former residence of cloth poet Huang Wuye, and more than 30 temples built in the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties are waiting for you to explore.

Quanzhou Passenger Transport Center (intersection of Pingshan Road and Quanxiu Road) There is a shuttle bus to Chongwu every day (15 yuan; 07:00-18:30, every 15 minutes) bus stops at Chongwu Bus Terminal, the bus station is 2 kilometers away from Chongwu Ancient City. Motorcycles and taxis are very convenient. It should be noted that many motorcycle taxis soliciting customers will take you to the free entrance. This entrance has actually been mentioned above. After arriving at Chongwu Ancient City, walk from the ticket office along the city wall in the other direction. That’s it.

Chongwu's fish rolls are very famous, and the Ruifang fish rolls are the best. There are two ways to eat them locally: dry and wet. Dry is fried, and wet is served in soup, with various toppings. A variety of sweet and spicy sauces, full of fish flavor and not greasy.

Cai's ancient residence

It is unimaginable that such a magnificent group of southern Fujian buildings is hidden in such a remote village. Cai's Ancient House was built in the late Qing Dynasty by Chinese businessman Cai Qichang and his son. Its biggest feature is its red color. As soon as you enter the gate, you will be greeted by rows of brick houses. The overall structure of the houses is basically the same. They are all based on stone strips and covered with red bricks. The main entrances of each house are slightly different, but the exquisite carvings are amazing. , wood carvings, stone carvings, brick carvings, and tile carvings are reflected in every corner of the house. Most of the residents here are still descendants of the Cai family, and most of the young people have moved away, leaving only the elderly to accompany these houses that retain their time.

From Quanzhou City to Cai's Ancient House , you can start from Quanzhou Bus Station and take the bus K207 to Military and Civilian Tongxin At the intersection station , get off the bus and walk forward, then turn into the path leading to the ancient houses. The ancient houses have been developed in enclosures, and the entrance fee is 15 yuan, but they are often unmanaged and very irregular. From National Highway G324 to Military-Civil Tongxin Road and then detour to the back road of ancient residential buildings, you can easily enter the scenic spot "free of charge". Most of the houses in the ancient residences are still private residences for residents, and only a few buildings are open to the public. If you accidentally break into a local resident's home, you should get out as soon as possible.

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Tourism in Quanzhou is open all year round, and there is no absolute peak season: Spring is the most suitable time for temperature when the flowers are warm and the flowers are blooming. In addition to being humid and hot in summer, you also need to pay attention to the coming of typhoons. The seafood in autumn is the most delicious, and various kinds of food in winter are Folklore activities are also dazzling.