Kaiyuan Temple main view
Culture·Verified Trust

Kaiyuan Temple

Quanzhou, Quanzhou

4.6(3100 reviews)
Tang DynastyTwin PagodasUNESCO

One of China's great Tang-era temples, its twin stone pagodas guarding a thousand years of maritime trade.

Kaiyuan Temple has stood in Quanzhou since 686, growing with the city into the wealthiest port on earth. The twin pagodas - carved from granite, five stories tall - have watched ships come and go for a millennium.

Quanzhou's UNESCO listing made it famous, and Kaiyuan is its crown. Go early for the morning chant, and climb the pagoda courtyards for the old-town rooftops.

Best for: The pagodas that watched a thousand years of ships.

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