Quanzhou Maritime Museum
海交馆
China's only museum devoted to maritime exchange history. Its collection of Song and Yuan religious stone carvings is world-renowned, making it a must-see for understanding why Quanzhou is a World Heritage site.
The Quanzhou Maritime Museum is on Donghu Street in Fengze District. Founded in 1959, it is China's only museum dedicated to maritime exchange history, and the best place to begin understanding why Quanzhou became a World Heritage site. Its core hall, the Quanzhou Religious Stone Carving Museum, holds hundreds of stone carvings from Song and Yuan period Quanzhou depicting Islam, Hinduism, Christianity (Nestorianism and Catholicism) and Manichaeism. They include Arabic tombstones, a Hindu statue of Vishnu, and Christian tombstones decorated with crosses and lotuses. These artifacts show the multi-faith, cosmopolitan character of Song and Yuan Quanzhou as a port city. The China Maritime Ship World hall displays traditional ship models. The Quanzhou Bay Ancient Ship Exhibition Hall, inside Kaiyuan Temple, preserves the remains of a Song dynasty ocean-going ship excavated in 1974. Free admission, but you must scan your ID card or book in advance. An audio guide is available, and scheduled guided tours are recommended. A visit takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Getting there: About 15 minutes by taxi from the old town, or take a bus to the Haijiaoguan (Maritime Museum) stop. It is next to Donghu Park and can be scheduled in the same direction as Luoyang Bridge and Xunpu Village. Tips: Closed on Mondays. Flash photography is prohibited inside. Visiting before or after Kaiyuan Temple gives you a fuller picture.
Opening hours
9:00–17:00 (closed Mondays; last entry 16:30)
Nearby sights
- Lingshan Islamic Holy Tombs
- Chengtian Temple
- Tonghuai Guanyue Temple
- Qingjing Mosque
- Quanzhou Confucian Temple
- Zhongshan Road & Bell Tower
- Zhenwu Temple
- West Street (Xijie)