Quanzhou highlights on private tour from Xiamen

Located in West Street of Quanzhou, Kaiyuan Temple was Hindu-Buddhist temple constructed in the second year of the Chuigong reign of the Tang Dynasty, with a history of more than 1,300 years. Kaiyuan Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Fujian province with an area of 78,000 square meters (840,000 square feet) and also one of the very few surviving Hindu temple in mainland China. It was originally named Lotus Temple, Xingjiao Temple or Longxing Temple, and the present name was adopted in the 26th year of the Kaiyuan Reign (738 AD) of the Tang Dynasty. Kaiyuan Temple enjoys the equal reputation with Guangji Temple in Beijing, Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou and South Putuo Temple in Xiamen. Now Kaiyuan Temple is with an area of 50 MU and is the largest one among the temples of the same names.

The Qingjing Mosque, also known as the Ashab Mosque, is a mosque located in the city of Quanzhou, Fujian, China. It is found on Tumen Street. Constructed in 1009, the Arab style mosque is the oldest of its kind in China. Its area is 2,500 square metres. Many Song dynasty mosques were built in this Arabian style in coastal cities, due to communities of Arab merchants living in them. The entrance of Quanzhou Qingjingsi Mosque is the only example of stone entrances in mainland China. The inscriptions of the Quanzhou Qingjingsi mosque was dominated by the Arabic language.

Quanzhou, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metropolitan region. Nonetheless, Quanzhou was one of the 24 famous historic cultural cities first approved by the Chinese government. Medieval Quanzhou was long one of the most cosmopolitan Chinese cities, with Chinese folk religious temples, Buddhist temples, Taoist temples and Hindu temples; Islamic mosques; and Christian churches, including Nestorian and a cathedral (financed by a rich Armenian lady) and two Franciscan friaries. Locals speak the Quanzhou variety of Min Nan essentially the same as the Amoy dialect spoken in Xiamen, and similar to South East Asian Hokkien and Taiwanese. Around the "Southern Min triangle area," which includes Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou, locals all speak Minnan languages. The dialects they speak are similar but have different intonations.

Dedicated to two Chinese generals, Guan Yu and Yue Fe, this temple is a hive of activity all day and well into the evening. As well as idols for the two main generals there are many more idols representing other generals and military heroes. You will see locals praying, offering incense and burning special paper money for their ancestors to spend in the afterlife in a large pagoda decorated with some skillfully crafted carvings.

If you want to witness a historical panorama of the city, your best choice is the Quanzhou Maritime Museum. The museum was created in 1959, and in 1991 some exhibits were moved to a new location. The original location was at the Kaiyuan Temple, and its new location is east of the picturesque East Lake Park. Displays are housed in a structure shaped like a brig (a ship equipped with two full masts), and cover an area of 7,000 sq kilometers (2,703 sq miles). The museum has four exhibition halls: Quanzhou Overseas Communications, Quanzhou Religious Sculpture, Ancient Chinese Sailboats Models, and Quanzhou Customs and Culture.

Located at the southeast coast of China, Xiamen is a tourist city of Fujian Province famous for its attractive seascape. As one of the major seaports since ancient times, it boasts a wide gulf with deep water but without freezing and silting. The name was consequently given, which means 'the gate of China'. As one of the forerunners of the special economic zones of China, the city mainly consisting of Xiamen Island, Gulangyu Island, the north bank area of the Jiulong River and Tong'an County, is connected with the mainland by the Gaoji Seawall, Xiamen Bridge, etc. The city has been called the Egret Island because of the hundreds of thousands of egrets inhabiting there. This is due to the beautiful natural scenery, the fresh air and the clean environment of the city.