Quanzhou Embraces the World with a Spectacular Celebration of Heritage Creativity and Global Harmony at the 2025 Silk Road Festival

Published on December 12, 2025

Quanzhou, a coastal city celebrated for its influential role on the ancient Maritime Silk Road, is preparing to host the 2025 Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Tourism Festival on 11 December. With its dual recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, the city stands as a rare example of a destination where history, creativity and global cultural exchange merge seamlessly. This year’s festival theme, “Silk Road Symphony · Global Bonding Harmony,” sets the tone for a celebration that highlights both the city’s ancient legacy and its modern vitality.

A Landscape Where Time, Nature and Architecture Intertwine

Quanzhou offers visitors an extraordinary mix of geological beauty and cultural heritage. The historic West Street, with its preserved ancient street grid, remains one of the city’s most atmospheric destinations, lined with traditional structures that narrate centuries of urban evolution. Nearby, Zhongshan Road introduces a more contemporary rhythm while retaining classic southern Fujian charm through its arcades, shopfronts and historic facades.

Nature adds its own chapter to the story. Mount Qingyuan, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, is dotted with stone sculptures carved during the Song Dynasty, each telling a story of artistry and spiritual belief. To the east, the coastal town of Chongwu pairs striking seaside scenery with a fully preserved stone-built settlement from the Ming era, offering a vivid look into the architectural techniques and defense strategies of ancient times. The renowned Luoyang Bridge further enriches the landscape with its centuries-old boat-shaped piers, still in use today and admired for their ingenious design.

A Cultural Crossroads Rooted in Maritime Legacy

For centuries, Quanzhou served as one of the world’s busiest international ports, creating an urban environment shaped by the convergence of diverse peoples and traditions. This openness gave rise to a unique cultural character, often described as a living repository of global faiths. Architecturally, the city presents a rare combination of structures that reflect Islamic, Buddhist and Taoist influences, standing within the same urban fabric and offering insight into its multicultural past.

Further emphasising this maritime identity are the Wind-Praying Inscriptions on Jiuri Hill. These stone carvings document ancient rituals carried out by mariners, imbuing the landscape with stories of seafaring hopes, fears and aspirations.

The cultural heartbeat of Quanzhou continues to thrive through the enduring traditions known collectively as the “Five Nans”—Nanyin melodies, Nanxi theatre, Nanquan martial arts, Minnan architecture, and Minnan craftsmanship. These living traditions reflect the creativity and resilience of local communities and remain essential expressions of regional identity.

A Culinary Capital Shaped by Centuries of Exchange

Quanzhou has long carried a reputation as a city where flavours travel great distances and local tastes evolve through cultural interaction. Its status as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy reflects this unique culinary heritage. Visitors can savour dishes deeply tied to local ingredients and customs, including savoury rice dumplings, aromatic rice noodle soups, ginger-infused meats and seafood favourites such as oyster omelettes.

Yet the city’s cuisine also carries unmistakable traces of its global ties. The aromatic beef soup commonly enjoyed in local markets carries echoes of historical West Asian culinary traditions. Meanwhile, the preparation of festive Yuanxiao rice balls continues customs handed down through the Central Plains. In Quanzhou, every dish tells a story—some of homegrown ingredients, others of distant flavours carried by ancient maritime routes.

A Modern Cultural Hub Where Heritage Inspires Innovation

Quanzhou has emerged as a contemporary style and design centre powered by its well-established textile, footwear and garment industries. While firmly rooted in heritage, the city has developed a unique approach to integrating fashion with cultural sites. During major creative events, arcaded streets transform into open-air runways, heritage districts become creative zones and ancient docks serve as dramatic settings for showcases that blend tradition with modern aesthetics.

Areas such as West Street, Zhongshan Road, Confucius Temple and Wudianshi now function as dynamic cultural clusters, where craft, fashion, performance and lifestyle intersect. This blend of old and new positions Quanzhou as a forward-thinking city that honours its past while embracing innovative expression.

A Festival Designed to Connect Cultures Across Continents

Running from 9 to 15 December, the festival will feature an expansive programme divided into three curated sections:

Intangible Cultural Heritage Revitalisation

This section brings together the opening ceremony, heritage-inspired fashion shows, Fujian Minnan Culture Week and performances highlighting maritime traditions.

Global Harmony

International showcases will include a world Nanyin music performance and a global puppet arts celebration, promoting cross-cultural communication through artistic exchange.

China-Chic Consumption

The inaugural Quanzhou Cup World Heritage Cultural and Creative Design Competition invites designers to reinterpret heritage through contemporary creativity.

The festival will bring together international travel organisations, artistic groups from numerous countries and overseas cultural communities, strengthening Quanzhou’s role as an influential international meeting point.

A Vibrant Invitation from a City of Living Heritage

With Zayton blossoms brightening its streets, Quanzhou extends a warm welcome to visitors seeking a destination where history, creativity and global dialogue thrive side by side. The 2025 Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Tourism Festival offers an opportunity to experience a city that continues to build connections across cultures, just as it has done for centuries.