Top Tourist Attractions in Putian

Meizhou Island is situated 42 kilometers southeast of downtown Putian, Fujian Province. It is merely 1.82 nautical miles away from the mainland and ranks as the second largest island in Putian. Stretching 9.6 kilometers from north to south and 1.3 kilometers from east to west, the long and narrow island resembles an eyebrow, hence the name Meizhou.

Known as "Penglai of the South", Meizhou Island boasts more than 30 scenic spots, including the marvelous Meiyu Tide Sound, Jiubaolan Golden Beach hailed as the "Oriental Hawaii", and Goose Tail Grotesque Rocks known as the "Small Stone Forest". It is also home to the Mazu Ancestral Temple, the spiritual home for 200 million Mazu believers worldwide. Every year, massive pilgrimages take place on the 23rd day of the third lunar month (Mazu’s birthday) and the ninth day of the ninth lunar month (Mazu’s ascension day). The temple is reputed as the "Mecca of the East".

Tickets: Island entry ticket ¥65 per person; ordinary ferry ¥10; yacht ¥20 Transport: Take a taxi from downtown Putian to Wenjia Wharf opposite the island (about ¥60 for a chartered car), then take a ferry to the island.

South Shaolin Temple is located in Putian, Fujian Province. Its ruins lie in Linshan Village, Jiulian Mountain, Xitianwei Town, roughly 17 kilometers from the city center. Renowned for Shaolin martial arts, it was a sacred place of kung fu in history. Together with Songshan Shaolin Temple in Henan, it was celebrated as "Northern and Southern Shaolin", famous for "Northern Legs and Southern Fists". It is the birthplace of Southern Shaolin Boxing and a precious heritage of Chinese Chan Buddhism.

Ticket: ¥10 Transport: Take Bus No.23 from Putian Long-distance Bus Station to Xitianwei Town, then transfer to a local vehicle heading to the temple.

Jiuli Lake Scenic Area is located in Zhongshan Town, Xianyou County, 31 kilometers from the county seat, with an altitude of 590 meters. It is one of the Four Great Sights of Xianyou, celebrated for four wonders: lake, caves, waterfalls and rock formations. Its cascading waterfalls are the most spectacular, earning the praise: "No waterfall under heaven can rival Jiuli’s cascades". Together with Wuyi Mountain and Yuhua Cave, it is called the "Three Unmatched Wonders of Fujian".

Ticket: ¥30 Transport:

Also known as Nanshan Guanghua Temple, it stands at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, 3 kilometers south of downtown Putian. First built in 558 during the Chen Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, it was originally named Jinxian Courtyard and renamed Jinxian Temple in 589 in the Sui Dynasty. With a history of over 1,430 years, it is a time-honored ancient monastery, listed among the Four Great Buddhist Monasteries of Fujian together with Gushan Temple in Fuzhou, Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen and Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou. The temple prospered greatly in the Song Dynasty, with 10 courtyards, 120 shrines and more than 1,000 monks. A poem from the Ming Dynasty vividly depicts its former prosperity.

Ticket: ¥30 Transport: Take Bus No.21 directly to the temple gate.

Spanning the estuary of the Mulan River at the border between Hanjiang and Huangshi districts of Putian, this stone bridge was originally a ferry crossing named Ninghai Ferry. Construction first began in 1334 during the Yuan Dynasty. Where river and seawater converge, the project was extremely difficult. The bridge collapsed six times after six attempts over more than 300 years from the Yuan to the Qing Dynasty. The seventh reconstruction started in 1732 and took 15 years to complete. The grand stone bridge arches high above the water like a magnificent rainbow.

Watching the sunrise from the bridge on the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival is a stunning spectacle. The rising sun looks like a huge bronze mirror casting golden rays, while the shimmering waves below resemble golden dragons chasing the current. This famous view, called "Sunrise over Ninghai", is one of the Twenty-Four Sights of Putian.

Ticket: Free admission Transport: Self-drive travelers can take the Shenhai Expressway, exit at Putian interchange, and drive to Qiaodou Village, Huangshi Town.

Also called Dongshan or Wushi Mountain in ancient times, it sits in the northwest of the urban area. Its shape resembles a Chinese kylin, so it is also known as Qilin Mountain. Watching the sunrise over the East China Sea at dawn here creates magnificent ever-changing scenery, known as "Dawn over Dongshan", another of Putian’s Twenty-Four Sights. Halfway up the mountain stands Bao’en Dongyan Teaching Temple, erected in 990 in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Ticket: ¥30 Transport: Take Bus No.2 or No.22 in the city