Quzhou & Longyou

Quzhou, the "Holy Land of the Southern Confucius," with the Southern Confucius Family Temple, Shuitingmen Old Street and its signature "three heads and one foot" dishes, plus nearby Lanke Mountain and the age-old mystery of the Longyou Grottoes.

Quzhou lies in western Zhejiang where the provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Anhui meet, and has long been called the "Crossroads of Four Provinces." Kong Duanyou, a 48th-generation descendant of Confucius, settled here after following the Song court south, founding the Southern branch of the Kong family, which is why Quzhou is known as the "Holy Land of the Southern Confucius." This destination uses downtown Quzhou (Kecheng and Qujiang districts) as a base and covers Longyou County to the east and Changshan County to the west; Jianglang Mountain and Nianbadu in Jiangshan to the south are listed separately as "Jiangshan, Jianglang Mountain & Nianbadu," while the Qianjiang Source and Root Palace Buddhist Kingdom in Kaihua to the northwest are included in the destination toward Wuyuan. There are three main areas. First, the old city: the Southern Confucius Family Temple, Quzhou Museum, the Bell Tower, Tianning Chan Temple, the Tianwang Pagoda, the Shuitingmen historic district and the old city walls are clustered around Fushan and can be linked on foot in half a day; in the evening, walk the Xin'an Lake greenway for the night views. Second, the outskirts: Luming Park, Yudong Peasant Painting Village, Lanke Mountain south of the city (the "immortal land of Go"), and the Yaowang Mountain waterfalls at Huangtankou; in late autumn, head up to Dongping Village in Xiachuan to see the persimmons. Third, Longyou: the mysterious Longyou Grottoes, the Longyou Folk Residence Garden, the Huzhen Sarira Pagoda and Xikou Old Street; to the west, Changshan has the Sanqu Stone Forest. The climate is subtropical monsoon; spring (Mar–May) and autumn (Oct–Nov) are the best seasons, Jun–Jul brings plum rains, and midsummer is hot. Getting there: the Shanghai–Kunming and Hangzhou–Quzhou high-speed railways stop at Quzhou and Longyou stations, about 1 hour at the fastest from Hangzhou East and about 2.5 hours from Shanghai. In the city, take a taxi or use a shared bike; for sights in the outskirts, self-driving is recommended. Allow 2–3 days. Quzhou's signature food is the "three heads and one foot" (duck heads, rabbit heads, fish heads and duck feet), which tends to be spicy; also try Quzhou baked flatbread, Longyou steamed rice cake and Changshan tribute noodles. Policy note: in recent winters Quzhou has run a "Free Travel in Quzhou for Everyone" campaign (for example, from Nov 1, 2025 to Mar 31, 2026, core sights such as the Longyou Grottoes were free, except during Chinese New Year); before you go, check whether it continues that year and whether reservations are required.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries