In July 2021, “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China” was inscribed on the World Heritage List, with 22 heritage sites bearing witness to the bustling scene of “merchants from all over the world gathering in the port city” a thousand years ago. In October 2025, Quanzhou was further honored as a “UNESCO City of Gastronomy.” The blend of the past and the present has infused profound cultural heritage into this year’s Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Tourism Festival.
A City of Blended Mountain, Sea, and Urban Landscapes
Quanzhou enjoys a unique geographical setting that blends mountains, sea, and urban landscapes, allowing visitors to enjoy a diverse range of views in a single trip. In the old town area, the West Street preserves its millennium-old street pattern. Zhongshan Road is home to typical southern Fujian architecture, lined with many time-honored brands. Laojun Rock on Mount Qingyuan is a masterwork of stone carving from the Song Dynasty. The scenic Chongwu coastline is adjacent to a well-preserved Ming Dynasty ancient town. Luoyang Bridge, with its boat-shaped piers, demonstrates ancient architectural wisdom and remains in use today.
A Melting Pot of Diverse Cultures
Quanzhou’s culture stems from the collision between maritime and agricultural civilizations. Known as “a museum of the world’s religions,” it harmoniously houses Qingjing Mosque (Islam), Kaiyuan Temple (Buddhism), and Guanyue Temple (Taoism), showcasing its diversity and inclusiveness. The Wind-Praying Inscriptions on Jiuri Hill are important relics along the Maritime Silk Road. The “Five Nans” (Nanyin music, Nanxi opera, Nanquan martial arts, Minnan architecture, and Minnan crafts) carry forward the cultural heritage of Southern Fujian.
This cultural diversity is also reflected in its cuisine: street-side rice dumplings stuffed with meat, and fine rice noodle soup, as well as dishes like ginger duck and oyster omelet served at banquets, blend flavors from both mountains and seas; beef soup is infused with Arabic culinary influence, while Yuanxiao (glutinous rice balls) retain traditions from the Central Plains. Each dish is a testament to cultural exchange.
World Heritage Site and Fashion Capital
Building on its textile, footwear, and apparel industries with annual output valued at hundreds of billions of yuan and its status as a hub for “China-chic brands,” Quanzhou actively promotes the integration of world heritage with fashion. It is not only the birthplace of leading China-chic brands such as Anta, Septwolves, and Lilanz but also transforms world heritage sites into fashion stages through events like “Quanzhou Fashion Week”: century-old arcade buildings become runways, ancient docks serve as a stage for avant-garde menswear, and West Street and the Confucius Temple host flash mobs featuring floral headdress; historical districts like Zhongshan Road and Wudianshi have been revitalized as hot spots for China-chic brands, turning the entire city into an “immersive venue for fashion shows.”
Silk Road Grand Event Welcomes Guests to Zayton City
From December 9 to 15, the festival will launch ten activities under three sections: “Intangible Cultural Heritage Revitalization” includes the opening ceremony, intangible cultural heritage fashion shows, the Fujian Minnan Culture Intangible Cultural Heritage Week, and performances of intangible cultural heritage along the Maritime Silk Road; “Global Harmony ” consists of an international Nanyin music gala and an international puppet show; and “China-Chic Consumption” features the first Quanzhou Cup World Heritage Cultural and Creative Design Competition.
This year’s event emphasizes international exchange and the participation of overseas Chinese. It brings together dozens of representatives from foreign diplomatic missions in China, nearly a hundred international travel agents, and performance troupes and intangible cultural heritage practitioners from over forty countries and regions. Additionally, more than fifty prominent overseas Chinese leaders and outstanding young overseas Chinese are invited to participate.
With Zayton trees in bloom, guests arrive in this ancient city with a long history, which is now joining hands with friends from around the world to create a cultural extravaganza that connects the past and the present, and blends tradition with fashion.
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