Kaiyuan Temple and Old Quanzhou

Kaiyuan Temple stands at 176 Xi Street in Licheng District, the old centre of Quanzhou, about 100 km northeast of Xiamen in Fujian, China. Quanzhou was a major medieval maritime trading port, and its historic monuments form part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing. The trip takes about 35-45 minutes by high-speed train from Xiamen North or Xiamen Station, with trains every 10-20 minutes at roughly ¥40-55. From Quanzhou station, a city bus (about ¥2) or a taxi (¥15-25) reaches Xi Street, and temple entry costs around ¥5. Kaiyuan Temple is one of the largest Buddhist temples in Fujian, founded in the Tang dynasty, and is known for its twin stone pagodas, the Zhenguo and Renshou pagodas, which stand more than 40 metres tall in the Song-dynasty style. The Mahavira Hall, with its dense forest of columns and carved details, and the temple's collection of Hindu-style carvings show Quanzhou's long role as a meeting place of cultures. Nearby, the old city offers the Qingjing Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in China, the Tianhou Palace dedicated to Mazu, and the Zhongshan Road historic street with arcaded shophouses. A practical day begins with an early train, then a morning at Kaiyuan Temple when light is soft and visitors are fewer. The late morning can be spent on the nearby alleys and Xi Street, followed by lunch among Quanzhou specialities such as Quanzhou-style noodles, meat dumplings, oyster omelettes and Min-Nan sweets, which are widely sold on Zhongshan Road and in the old streets. The afternoon can be used for the mosque and the Tianhou Palace before returning to the station in the early evening. October to April offers cooler temperatures and clearer walking weather, while summer is hot and humid. Visitors should dress modestly in temples and mosques and avoid loud conversation near worshippers.