Xunpu Village

蟳埔村

A seaside fishing village in Fengze District, known for its oyster-shell houses and the Xunpu women's “hairpin flower wreath,” a intangible-heritage look in which fresh flowers are worn in the hair. It is Quanzhou's hottest check-in experience in recent years.

Xunpu Village lies at Donghai Subdistrict in Fengze District, where the Jinjiang River meets the sea. It is a traditional fishing village centered on Mazu worship and sea life. Its two signature features are the hairpin flower wreath of Xunpu women (hair coiled into a round bun, fixed with bone hairpins and encircled with rings of fresh flowers) and the oyster-shell houses (homes built with large oyster shells as walls; legend says the shells arrived from Africa as ballast on Song- and Yuan-dynasty trading ships). Since 2023, when celebrity photo shoots made the village famous, more than a hundred hairpin-styling shops have opened. Visitors can change into traditional Xunpu women's clothing, adorn their hair with flowers and take photos at the oyster-shell houses, Shunji Temple (a Mazu temple) and the fishing harbor. Styling costs about 30–100 yuan, and styling with costume rental and photography costs about 100–300 yuan. The village also has Shunji Temple, the Xunpu Folk Museum and seafood stalls. Entry is free. Getting there: a taxi from Quanzhou's old city takes about 20–30 minutes. Buses also stop at the village entrance. Traffic around the village is heavy on holidays, so a taxi or bicycle is recommended. Plan for half a day. Arriving before 9 a.m. helps you avoid the queues. Tips: hairpin-styling shops vary in quality, so check reviews on social media before booking. Holiday queues can last several hours. The village lanes are narrow, so respect residents' daily lives and don't wander into private homes. The Mazu Patrol Pilgrimage around the 9th day of the 3rd lunar month is the grandest folk festival.

Xunpu Village

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