Quanzhou Nanny-Level Photography Guide

"This place was once known as the Land of Buddha, where saints roam the streets." How should one best describe Quanzhou? Here, mortals live alongside deities, with temples every few steps and halls every few paces. The incense rising from these temples carries the prayers of the people. Here, ancient houses coexist with foreign-style buildings, marking the starting point of the Song and Yuan dynasties' Maritime Silk Road. The merchant ships setting sail from the bay carry the determination of Fujian merchants to strive for greatness at sea. Just this past weekend, I visited the ancient city of Quanzhou, known as the 'office of the gods on earth,' and experienced the 'half city of fireworks, half city of immortals' lifestyle. The city is packed with attractions, making it perfect for weekend trips! Here are some excellent photo spots in the old city: Photo 1️⃣: 📍On the rooftop of Rui Bai·Yun Hotel on West Street of Quanzhou Bell Tower. Due to its popularity, the rooftop is now only open to hotel guests, so I chose to stay at this hotel. The location is excellent, with the Bell Tower and West Street just a five-minute walk away. The overall accommodation experience is on par with a standard express hotel, with slightly higher prices on weekends and holidays. Photo 2️⃣: 📍The rooftop of Mei Chao Feng Store No.1 on West Street. There's no minimum consumption required to access the rooftop, but you may have to queue for a spot. Photo 3️⃣: 📍The rooftop café of You Li on West Street. There's a 'gatekeeper' at the corner of the stairs leading to the rooftop, requiring a minimum spend of 20 yuan per person. A staff member checks the receipt before allowing entry. Compared to Mei Chao Feng, You Li is closer to the Twin Towers and offers an additional 'heart-shaped' photo spot. Photo 4️⃣: 📍The Bell Tower intersection has heavy traffic and pedestrian flow. It's safer to take photos from West Street towards the department store, as there will be fewer people in the frame. Photo 5️⃣: 📍The incense burner in the courtyard of Chengtian Zen Temple. Using the hollow part of the incense burner as a framing device, you can capture the main hall perfectly, and adding a person in the foreground can create a Zen-like atmosphere in the picture! Photo 6️⃣: 📍The entrance of Chengtian Zen Temple. Take photos from the front hall towards the outside; when the entrance is less crowded, quickly capture the shot. Photo 7️⃣: 📍The Quanzhou Wujiao Hua Company Bell Tower Shop. Enter through a very narrow entrance just below the shop's signboard. It's recommended to bring a small light source to make photos of silhouettes even cooler! Photo 8️⃣: 📍The alley next to Quanzhou Film and Drama Theatre. It's perfect for women with flower hairpins to take photos, with the character and the word 'Quanzhou' complementing each other in the background and foreground. When I went to take photos, there happened to be four women with flower hairpins who happily agreed to be in the picture, resulting in a very distinctive photo. Photo 9️⃣: 📍In front of Juruo·West Street. The most commonly seen online is the Quanzhou calendar wall, which is actually just a poster on the wall of the courtyard, already showing noticeable wrinkles and stains. Personally, I think the bamboo lantern installation next to it is more photogenic, with words like 'Quanzhou,' 'Licheng,' 'Zhao Cai' (attract wealth), and so on.