[2025 Jinjiang Attraction] Travel Guide for Cao'an Temple (Updated Mar)

Winter break is here! Want to explore Quanzhou? This guide is all you need! This 4-day Quanzhou itinerary will lead you through the ancient city's charm. Check out these super practical tips! -------- 🎉Itinerary: D1: Arrive in Quanzhou -> Airport/Station Transfer -> Check in to Hotel -> Free Time Arrive in Quanzhou, enjoy a convenient transfer, check in to a comfortable hotel, and enjoy your free time. D2: Kaiyuan Temple -> Ziyunping -> West Street -> Guandi Temple -> Qingjing Mosque -> Xunpu Village Hairpin Experience Visit the ancient Kaiyuan Temple, admire the beautiful scenery of Ziyunping, stroll along West Street to experience the ancient charm, visit Guandi Temple and Qingjing Mosque, and finally, experience the fun of hairpins in Xunpu Village. D3: Free Time in Quanzhou Explore Quanzhou freely, enjoy the food and fun, and your travel butler is always available to answer your questions. D4: Anping Bridge -> Cao'an Temple -> Wudian City Traditional Block -> Wanshou Pagoda -> Gusao Pagoda -> Luojia Temple Cross Anping Bridge and feel the charm of the ancient bridge, visit Cao'an Temple, stroll through Wudian City Traditional Block to experience the charm of Quanzhou's old streets, and finally, climb Wanshou Pagoda and Gusao Pagoda, and explore the mystery of Luojia Temple. 🎉End your pleasant Quanzhou trip and return home with wonderful memories! -------- Must-See Attractions: 🌟 Kaiyuan Temple 🌟🌟 Address: No. 176 West Street, Licheng District, Quanzhou City Opening Hours: 06:30-17:00 Duration: 1-2 hrs This thousand-year-old Buddhist temple has two towering east and west pagodas, and the majestic Hundred Pillar Hall exudes a profound sense of history. 🏛️ West Street 🏛️ Address: Intersection of Chengxi Road and West Street, Licheng District, Quanzhou City Opening Hours: All day Duration: 1-2 hrs Walking on West Street is like traveling through time. The well-preserved ancient buildings make it a living architectural museum. 🎈 Wudian City Traditional Block 🎈 Address: No. 1 Jinshi Road, Jinjiang City, Quanzhou City Opening Hours: All day Duration: 1-2 hrs The Minnan-style buildings complement each other, creating picturesque scenery at every turn. 🛕 Guandi Temple 🛕 Address: No. 186-198 Tumen Street, Licheng District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province Opening Hours: 06:00-18:00 Duration: 1 hr The ancient architecture of Guandi Temple is exquisite, and every couplet and inscription carries a rich history and culture. 🕍 Qingjing Mosque 🕍 Address: No. 108-110 Tumen Street, Licheng District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province Opening Hours: 09:00-17:15 Duration: 1-2 hrs As a thousand-year-old temple, Qingjing Mosque showcases the characteristics of its brick and wood structure, with every brick and piece of wood seeming to tell ancient stories. -------- Tips: - Souvenir Prices: Quanzhou has a wide variety of souvenirs. Ginger Duck and Pineapple Cakes are good choices, with affordable prices and authentic Minnan flavor.～🎁 - Food Recommendations: Four Fruit Soup is refreshing, and Earthworm Jelly is chewy and delicious. Don't miss them when you visit Quanzhou!🍲 - February Weather: Quanzhou in February is warm and comfortable during the day and slightly cool at night. Remember to bring a light jacket!🧥 - Airport Transportation: Quanzhou Airport is not far from the city center. Taxis or buses are convenient, and it's even better without traffic jams!🚖 -------- Quanzhou, a famous historical and cultural city, awaits your exploration. Don't miss any of the beautiful scenery!

Song and Yuan China, Maritime Silk Road Quanzhou If you've read Jin Yong's martial arts novel "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," you may remember the scene where the six major sects besiege the Bright Summit, and the Mingjiao members are determined to die for their faith. Although the story in the novel is fictional, the Mingjiao sect did exist in history. Mingjiao, also known as Manichaeism, was founded in the 3rd century AD in the Sassanian Empire by the Persian prophet Mani. It was introduced to China around the 6th to 7th centuries and became known as Mingjiao. Manichaeism (Mingjiao) advocated for light and opposed dark oppression. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the first emperor Zhu Yuanzhang banned and abolished Mingjiao because he thought its name conflicted with the name of the dynasty. Since then, Mingjiao gradually disappeared in China or was assimilated by other religions. Cao'an Temple is the only remaining Mani Light Buddha and Manichaeism (Mingjiao) temple in China, and the only remaining Manichaeism (Mingjiao) temple site in the world. It is located on the southern slope of Huabiao Mountain in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province. Cao'an Temple was first built during the Shaoxing period of the Song Dynasty, initially as a thatched hut. In the 5th year of the Zhiyuan period of Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty (1339 AD), it was rebuilt as a stone structure with a hip-and-gable roof. A Mani Light Buddha statue was carved into the mountain wall, which is the only remaining stone statue of Mani Light Buddha in the world. 20 meters in front of the Cao'an Temple site, archaeologists discovered a black-glazed bowl from the Yuan Dynasty, with the words "Mingjiao Association" engraved on the bottom, witnessing the historical traces of Manichaeism (Mingjiao). Cao'an Temple is built against a cliff, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof structure. It has four purlins, three bays wide (1.67 meters per bay), and two bays deep (3.04 meters). The eaves are supported by a single row of horizontal beams and brackets, simple and ancient. The most precious part is the stone carving of a Mani Light Buddha inside the temple. The stone relief depicts Mani sitting in a shallow niche with a diameter of 1.68 meters. The seated statue is 1.52 meters tall and 0.83 meters wide. Interestingly, the face of the Mani statue is light blue, the hands are pink, and the clothing is gray-white, cleverly utilizing the natural three colors of the rock. This statue was chosen as the emblem of the International Conference on Manichaean Studies held in Sweden in August 1987. The Mani Light Buddha statue in Cao'an Temple is also one of the 22 representative ancient sites in Quanzhou's World Heritage application, successfully listed in the World Heritage List. Its historical and cultural value is self-evident. 📍Address: No. 92, West Road, Sunei Village, Jinjiang City, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province 🚉Transportation: 1️⃣ From Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport, take bus Jinjiang 28 to Puzhao Station, transfer to bus Jinjiang 9 to Jinjiang Hospital Station, and walk 1.6 km. 2️⃣ From Fuzhou-Xiamen High-speed Railway Quanzhou South Station, take bus K604 to Dawutang Station, transfer to bus Jinjiang 31 to Weicuo Station, and walk 1.7 km. 3️⃣ From Jinjiang Railway Station, take bus Jinjiang 21 to Wuling Station, transfer to bus Jinjiang 29 to Haixia Food City Station, and walk 1.6 km. 4️⃣ From Fuzhou-Xiamen Railway Quanzhou Station, it is 34 km to Cao'an Temple. There are many bus transfers, so taking a taxi is recommended. 5️⃣ Driving or taking a taxi is recommended to Cao'an Temple. 🕙Opening hours: 09:00–13:30, 14:30–17:00 ⏳Visit duration: Half an hour is enough for the small temple 🎫Tickets: Free

||The only remaining site of the Mingjiao in the world. [EarPlugMonkey] originated in the Shaoxing period of the Song Dynasty and was named after it was originally built with straw. In the fifth year of the Yuan Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Shundi of the Yuan Dynasty, it was changed into a stone hip-and-gable style building and was listed as a World Cultural Heritage and a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. [EarPlugMonkey] Cao'an is the only remaining Mani Buddha and Manichean temple in my country, and also the only existing Manichean temple site in the world. Manichaeism was formerly known as "Mingjiao" in my country. It was founded by the Persian Mani in the third century AD. It worships light. The Mingjiao described by Jin Yong is related to this. [RoundNails] Location: No. 92, Sunei Village West Road, Luoshan Street, Jinjiang City, Quanzhou City [Car] Transportation: Self-driving, taxi is more convenient [Drops] Tickets: Free [Drops] Parking: Free

The legendary 【Cao'an Temple】, the only remaining Manichean site in the world, is the 'Mingjiao' from Jin Yong's novels. Ever since I was young, reading Jin Yong's novels, the Mingjiao from 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' was particularly memorable. When I learned that Jinjiang's Cao'an Temple is the only remaining Manichean (Mingjiao) temple in the world, I was already intrigued. No matter what, I had to come and see it for myself~ Cao'an Temple is not big; it is a small temple. Entering from the mountain gate 'Wanshan Meifeng', you can see Cao'an after walking about fifty meters. It is located halfway up the mountain, with giant rocks as walls, surrounded by ancient and lush trees, a very quiet place. As a niche and less popular attraction, there are not many tourists here. Transportation: 🚗 It takes about half an hour to get here by taxi from the downtown area. 🎫: Free

The legendary Cao'an Temple, the only remaining Manichean site in the world, also known as 'Mingjiao' from Jin Yong's novels, is located at the southern foot of Huabiao Mountain in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province. Cao'an Temple was established during the Shaoxing period of the Song Dynasty. Initially constructed from thatch, hence the name 'Cao'an' (Thatched Hut), it has been preserved to this day. In the fifth year of Emperor Shun of Yuan Dynasty (1339 AD), it was rebuilt into a stone structure with a hip-and-gable architectural style. Growing up reading Jin Yong's novels, the Mingjiao from 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' left a deep impression on me. Learning that Jinjiang's Cao'an Temple is the only remaining Manichean (Mingjiao) temple in the world, I felt an urge to visit it no matter what. Cao'an Temple is not large; it is a small temple. Entering from the mountain gate 'Wanshan Meifeng', you can see the temple after walking about fifty meters. It is located halfway up the mountain, with giant rocks as walls, surrounded by ancient and lush trees, a very quiet place. As a niche and less popular tourist spot, there are hardly any visitors here.