A super detailed guide to walking around Quanzhou! One article is all you need to eat and shop.

Here is a one-day travel guide to Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou: Morning: - 8:00 - 9:00 Arrive at Kaiyuan Temple: - Address: No. 176, West Street, Licheng District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. If you are taking public transportation, you can take bus No. 6/26/33/41/601/k602/Ancient City Tourist Line No. 2 to Kaiyuan Temple West Gate Bus Stop and walk about 150 meters to reach the temple. If you are taking a taxi or driving yourself, there are parking lots nearby, but they may be congested on holidays. - 9:00 - 10:30 Visit the Mahavira Hall: - The Mahavira Hall is the oldest and most important building in Kaiyuan Temple. The original plan was to erect 100 pillars in the hall, but this was reduced to 86 to widen the space between them, hence the name "Hall of a Hundred Pillars". The stone pillars in the hall are rich and varied, and there are 16 pairs of hexagonal greenstone pillars in the eaves between the rear corridors, which are carved with 24 stories of the ancient Hindu god Krishna and floral and grassy patterns, which are worth a closer look. There is also a square platform in front of the hall called the "Moon Platform", which has 72 greenstone sphinx and lion reliefs on the waist of its Sumeru seat, all of which are historical witnesses to friendly cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. - 10:30 - 11:30 Appreciate the East and West Pagodas: - The East Pagoda is the "Town-Pacifying Pagoda" and the West Pagoda is the "Benevolent Longevity Pagoda". Both were originally wooden pagodas built during the Tang Dynasty. After being destroyed and rebuilt several times, they were changed from wood to brick, and then from brick to stone during the Southern Song Dynasty. Both are over 40 meters high and are the tallest pair of stone pagodas in China. The East Pagoda has 80 lifelike statues carved on its outer wall, while the West Pagoda also has 80 statues. The stone carvings blend Chinese culture and Indian religious culture, and are exquisite in terms of architectural scale, form and technique. You can take photos under the pagodas and feel the weight and solemnity of history. - 11:30 - 12:30 Visit other areas: - Visit the Sweet Dew Precept Platform, one of the three surviving Precept Platforms in China, with a unique architectural style. - Next, you can visit the Sutra Library, which houses relics from the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China, as well as the calligraphy of the famous Ming Dynasty calligrapher Zhang Ruitu and the modern high monk Master Hongyi and other famous artists. - If you are interested in Buddhist culture, you can also stop by the Zen courtyard and other areas within the temple to experience the peaceful atmosphere. Noon: - 12:30 - 14:00 Lunch and rest: - After leaving Kaiyuan Temple, you can walk for a few minutes to reach West Street. There are many delicious foods to choose from on West Street, such as meat zongzi, which are glutinous and delicious with rich ingredients; mianxianhu, which has a delicious flavor; and runbing, which is a thin pancake wrapped in various vegetables, meats and sauces, with a rich flavor. You can choose a restaurant or snack bar according to your taste and enjoy lunch. Afternoon: - 14:00 - 15:30 Continue exploring Kaiyuan Temple: - When you return to Kaiyuan Temple, there will be relatively fewer tourists, so you can appreciate the places you didn't visit carefully in the morning. For example, you can visit the ancient bodhi tree in the temple and feel the passage of time. - You can also visit the Master Hongyi Memorial Hall in Kaiyuan Temple to learn about Master Hongyi's connection to Quanzhou, as well as his life and Buddhist thought. - 15:30 - 17:00 Free activities and surrounding tours: - Feed the pigeons in the square in Kaiyuan Temple and enjoy a leisurely time. - Afterwards, you can wander around the alleys surrounding Kaiyuan Temple and experience the charm of Quanzhou's ancient city. There are many traditional Minnan buildings here, full of history and culture. If you are interested in traditional handicrafts, you can also buy some special souvenirs in the surrounding shops. Evening: - 17:00 onwards: After finishing your day at Kaiyuan Temple, you can choose to have dinner at a nearby restaurant or head to other parts of Quanzhou City to continue exploring Quanzhou's nightlife. If you have time, you can also visit the Quanzhou Clock Tower, which is even more beautiful at night under the lights.