Southern Fujian

The Minnan cultural region of Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, with Gulangyu, Quanzhou's old town, Zhangzhou's volcanic island and Dongshan Island's coast.

Minnan refers to Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in southern Fujian, where Minnan (Hokkien) is spoken; it was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road and is a homeland of overseas Chinese. Xiamen has Gulangyu (World Cultural Heritage), Shapowei, Nanputuo Temple, Island Ring Road and Zengcuo'an. Quanzhou is a World Heritage city, “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China”, packed with Kaiyuan Temple, Qingjing Mosque, West Street, the flower-adorned headdresses of Xunpu Village and Maritime Silk Road relics. Zhangzhou's ancient city, volcanic island and Dongshan Island coast are distinctive, and Hua'an in Zhangzhou has tulou such as Eryi Lou; Nanjing's Tianluokeng and Yongding's tulou clusters to the west belong to western Fujian and can be visited along the way. Kinmen lies just across the sea from Xiamen. A classic 5–7-day itinerary: Xiamen (2–3 days) – western Fujian tulou (1–2 days) – Quanzhou (2 days), or add Dongshan Island. The Fuzhou–Xiamen high-speed railway runs through the region, while tulou require a chartered car or a tourist bus line. Popular attractions are crowded on weekends, and Gulangyu ferry tickets must be reserved under your real name; Minnan snacks (satay noodles, sea worm jelly, four-fruit soup) are a highlight of any trip. Minnan is one of the regions where Mazu worship is most widespread, and also the birthplace of Nanyin music, glove puppetry and Minnan red-brick houses; to the north, the Mazu Ancestral Temple on Meizhou Island in Putian (part of central Fujian) draws large numbers of worshippers from China and abroad each year, while Quanzhou's diverse religious cultures coexist, bearing witness to the prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road.

Destinations

Itineraries