Off-Season Strolling Through Quanzhou’s Streets and Alleys—Temples & Worship

In December, the temperature in Quanzhou is neither cold nor hot, and there aren’t many people, making it perfect for a leisurely walk. 3 days 2 nights itinerary DAY 1: Arrive in Quanzhou at 2 PM, stay at Atour Hotel on Baozhou Road, very convenient transportation, walked to Tianhou Palace → Guanyue Temple → Qingjing Mosque → Zhongshan Road → West Street DAY 2: Folk Custom Museum → Shaolin Temple → Kaiyuan Temple → Su Tingyu’s Former Residence to watch Nanyin & puppet shows DAY 3: Flower Hairpin Experience on West Street → Yusha Bay to stare at the sea → Return trip Kaiyuan Temple Recommendation Hiring a guide at Kaiyuan Temple is very necessary and worthwhile. You’ll notice many details you wouldn’t catch on your own, like the eclectic stone pillars in front of the main hall, the little figures holding up the pillars who are pirates, the sphinx stone carvings, the 24-hour working angels, the prototype of the black mythological Sun Wukong, and more. It’s easy and fun to learn many details and stories. The temple has huge banyan trees, bodhi trees, mulberry trees, and fearless pigeons, making it very pleasant to stroll around. The East and West Twin Pagodas are exquisite. On the first night, I thought they were wooden pagodas and saw a round moon, but photos couldn’t capture the beauty. The next day in daylight, I realized they are stone pagodas. West Street and Nearby Alleys Recommendation Exploring the streets and alleys of Quanzhou is very interesting. West Street is indeed quite commercialized, but the connected alleys like Chengtian Alley, Goldfish Alley, and Flower Alley are great for wandering, with many interesting small shops to browse and buy from. The rooftop of Liyu on West Street offers a great view of the Twin Pagodas, but the coffee is really average. Guanyue Temple Recommendation Since you’re in Quanzhou, how can you not experience the worship culture? Many say it’s very effective, and the incense offerings are indeed thriving. I passed by it for two consecutive days, and it was crowded from morning till night. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to worship; there are instruction booklets inside, and by observing others around you, it’s easy to learn. Don’t worry about not understanding the fortune slips; for 2 yuan you can get an explanation, or ask AI. Overall, it’s a very interesting experience. Folk Custom Museum Recommendation It’s a great way to understand local folk customs all at once. Afterward, experiencing and watching intangible cultural heritage projects will be better understood. The lanterns are truly exquisite craftsmanship. Shaolin Temple Recommendation If you visit the Folk Custom Museum, you can go here as it’s very close. The environment is very quiet, and from the highest point, you can overlook the city. Shaolin Temple has been damaged several times, so the entire temple building is new. Tianhou Palace Recommendation It is one of the earliest and largest Mazu temples, where you can learn about Mazu culture. The ridge decorations on the mountain gate have strong Minnan characteristics. Quanzhou’s Seaside Due to time constraints, I only went to Yusha Bay, which is 40 minutes from the city center. The beach is very clean, and you can see the distant city and rocky shore. The scenery is not monotonous, but in winter, there are very few people, and the shops are all closed, with only a few people flying kites by the sea.