Quanzhou: A city that crashes navigation and excites your taste buds

Quanzhou, a city praised by Bai Yansong as "half city of fireworks, half city of immortals," is truly a living fossil of Minnan culture. Here, you might just turn a corner and meet an immortal, as temples and halls are everywhere—one every three steps, five every five steps is no exaggeration. Ready to start a Minnan journey full of vibrant life? Accommodation suggestions: The area around West Street is the top choice, with food and drinks right downstairs and attractions within walking distance. The area near Wanda is also good, perfect for those who want a good sleep, with convenient shopping and dining. Transportation tips: Fly into Jinjiang Airport, a 30-minute taxi ride to West Street. The most convenient high-speed rail station is Quanzhou Station. For exploring the ancient city, definitely try the Xiaobai electric carts, which stop on a wave—perfect for the lazy. Shared bikes are also highly recommended, as the old town’s narrow streets are so tight even ants have to queue. Day 1 Stroll West Street: Enter Kaiyuan Temple from the west gate and exit from the south gate, then head straight into the West Street food battlefield. The rooftop of Carp Café is an excellent spot to photograph the twin towers; buy a coffee and you can go up for free. The rooftop of Berry Crazy No.1 Store is also a free check-in spot. Don’t forget to find the big "Quanzhou" character poster and calendar poster, which you can locate by navigating to Quanzhou Theater and Juruo. The "Love" character wall next to the Bell Tower is also a popular photo spot. Food recommendations: Panguang Braised Noodles, Grandma Hou’s Roasted Meat Rice Dumplings (the satay flavor is amazing), Aunt Qin’s Taro Cake, Longji Fish Porridge (a local secret spot), Standan Ginger Duck (the ginger flavor is perfectly balanced by the claypot’s charred aroma). Day 2 Go to the sea: In the morning, go to Xunpu Village to try flower hairpins; 40 yuan transforms you into a fisherwoman. Alley Encounter Beef Noodles is a local’s recommended breakfast. Then head to Fushi Campground for a seafood feast; Shufen’s stall’s seaweed fried rice and fried oysters are must-orders. In the afternoon, go to Little Weihai for hand-shaken lemon tea to cool off, and finally watch the sunset at Luojia Temple, the Buddhist kingdom on the sea. Day 3 Cultural tour: Get up early to worship at Guanyue Temple (said to be very effective), then visit Qingjing Ancient Temple, Tianhou Palace, and the Confucian Temple. In the afternoon, go to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum to enjoy air conditioning and watch free performances of Nanyin music and puppet shows. Dessert time: Bingzhengtang Four Fruit Soup, Miss Xiaozhuang’s Taro Ice, Hujian’s "My Buddha Mercy Cup," and Eat Tea Three Thousand’s King Pearl Milk Tea. Photo spots: 1. Berry Crazy 3rd floor rooftop: twin towers + red brick wall 2. Bawang Chaji 4th floor: need a photographer to shoot from the next rooftop to capture the full view 3. West Street Tourist Center: street view + twin towers 4. Youli Café: atmosphere at sunset is perfect 5. Bell Tower: landmark building 6. Xiangfeng Alley: perfect blend of bustling life and ancient temples 7. Kaiyuan Temple: filming location for Black Wukong 8. Poster wall at Juruo entrance 9. Quanfuxiao Xicheng: Bai Yansong quote wall 10. Love tree opposite Zhongmin Department Store Practical tips: West Street is actually very short; two hours is enough to explore. Huaxiang Catholic Church must be visited on a sunny day; the pink church is a dream for girls. Don’t forget to try local tea drinks: Bancheng Yanhuo, Berry Crazy, and Lixiang are all very distinctive. If you have more time, Jinjiang, Shishi, and Hui’an are also worth visiting. Final reminder: When walking in Quanzhou, watch your step—you might just bump into an immortal at any moment!