Harbor of the gods
Updated: 2015-07-06 07:03
By Wang Kaihao(China Daily)
|
|||||||||||
Local people stop by Guanyue Temple to burn incense sticks on their way to work in Quanzhou, Fujian province, where mass pilgrimages remain part of daily life.[Photo by Wang Kaihao/China Daily] |
The ancient Maritime Silk Road's starting seaport imported a pantheon of faiths. The legacy survives not only in concrete but also in customs. Wang Kaihao reports in Quanzhou, Fujian province.
Faiths encompass every corner of the globe. They congregate in Fujian province's Quanzhou.
Neighboring Xiamen often eclipses the city's tourism.
The silver lining to this is that visitors who make the ancient Maritime Silk Road's reported starting point a port of call, discover a big trove of little-known treasures.
And with the ancient trade route's revival under President Xi Jinping's One Belt, One Road Initiative, the once-internationalized haven is set to receive a growing number of visitors from around the globe. It was among the world's busiest seaports from the 12th to 14th centuries, when it was known as Zayton.
It's this historical legacy that imbues its contemporary charm.
I abandoned the hotel's buffet breakfast for backstreet local fare - an oyster omelet and some zongzi (pyramidal glutinous-rice dumplings).
Chinese everywhere eat zongzi to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. But Quanzhou is rare in that it mixes in chilly sauce and pork.
Downtown is small and packed with attractions easily reached by foot.
Tumen street is lined with traditional two-story buildings, many of which display relics in admission-free spaces.
Locals proclaim the city a "museum of religions". Early international trade brought foreigners of myriad beliefs to Quanzhou.
Locals stop by Guanyue Temple to burn incense sticks on their way to work. The Taoist temple venerates Yue Fei and Guan Yu, celebrated ancient war heroes.
Southern Fujian natives are known for their respect for clans and ancestor worship, as well as traditional Chinese ethics.
Related Stories
Monks practice martial art at Quanzhou Shaolin Temple 2015-05-18 09:40
China's Quanzhou 'Maritime Silk Road' exhibition opens in Brunei 2015-03-24 10:09
Quanzhou Maritime Museum, rich in ocean culture 2014-11-28 10:15
Quanzhou charms 2014-03-04 08:00
Quanzhou seek regional culture capital title 2013-08-29 11:17
Today's Top News
Power Link generates momentum with UK base
Russians will 'surprise' in victory parade: Ambassador
China-France partnership 'will benefit all'
Greece in billions of financing gap over next three years
Securities regulator fires up new policies to stem market plunge
Putin to meet Iran's Rouhani at SCO summit
The future of China's 'ghost cities'
China stocks retreat in biggest three-week plunge since 1992
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Premier Li's visit to Belgium and France |
What do we know about AIIB |
Full coverage of Boao Forum for Asia |
Annual legislative and political advisory sessions |
Festival Special: Apps that make holiday shopping easier |
Listed firms caught in anti-corruption net |