The Ashab Mosque is a witness to the city's past as a melting pot of the world's religions. Chen Xiaodong/For China Daily

Do not hesitate to try paste noodles, a signature local dish that combines thread-like noodles, shrimps and clams in soup. The crisp oyster omelet is another must-try.

In the city's northern outskirt, Qingyuan Mountain is worth squeezing into your itinerary.

In addition to the numerous rocks and caverns, the leafy mountain boasts one of the country's largest statues of sage Lao Tzu, the founder of Chinese Taoism. Built in the Song Dynasty and carved out of a rock, the big-eared statue is 5.6 meters high, 6.85 meters thick and 8 meters wide.

The statue sits in a cross - legged position and seems to be smiling. Such craftsmanship has given the statue a serene and carefree charm that makes it a symbol of longevity long respected by local people.

Touring Quanzhou is relaxing and eye-opening. Being a less popular destination than Xiamen has a silver lining, as the lack of other tourists makes visiting the city an undoubtedly more enjoyable experience.

After a long day of sightseeing, visitors can wind down by enjoying one of the free performances of Nanyin music in several parks in the evening. It is a traditional opera sung in the Minnan - southern Fu - jian - dialect that has existed for more than 1,000 years.

Quanzhou has recently been designated as an "East Asia City of Culture", and the city has been working on popularizing the city's many traditional art forms, including the ancient music genre, which was listed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

A series of Nanyin performance activities that draw participants from all over the world will take place later this year.

If you go:

Many airlines fly to Xiamen from cities across the country.

High-speed trains connect Quanzhou with Xiamen,Fuzhou,capital of Fujian province,and Shanghai.