Quanzhou was founded in 718, the sixth year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty, with other names "Coraltree City", "Carp City" and Wenling. Located on the lower reaches of the Jin River in the southeast of Fujian by the sea, it is a time- honoured city of civilization and a famous hometown for numerous overseas Chinese and Taiwan compatriots.

From old Quanzhou Frefecture to today's Quanzhou City, it has always been a political , economic and cultural centre of the Jin River basin. The present city administrates Jinjiang, Nanan, Huian, Anxi, Yongchun and Dehua, covering an area of 10,865 km2,with 5,200,000 population.

Quanzhou was a busy city for ocean transportation and foreign trades in anicent times. As early as the Neolithic Age, man began to settle here, and later developments enabled it to become a prosperous open port city in the Tang and five Dynasties.

The Song and Yuan dynasties saw the old "Coraltree Port" become one of the World's major port and the starting point of the "Silk Road on the Sea", marking the golden age of ocean transportation and foreign trades, tieh its dealing with about a huandred nations.

Quanzhou is well endowed with beautiful scenery and natural resources, and is distinctive for its ancient and unsophisticatted custom. The historic sites enjoying a long history of reputation include the East and Weat Pagodas at the Kaiyuan Temple, the He Zuo's Tomb at the Qingjing Mosque, Stone Old Saint, ruins of Manichaean church, Luoyang Bridge and Five-Mile Bridge, among the two huandred attracttions. The native products such as Tieguanyin Tea, Dehua porcelain and Huian stonecarving have long been sought after for their high quality and fame. The ancient Southern Music, Gaojia Opera and Liyuan Opera, like the melodious local dialect flavour of Jin and Tang Dynasties.

East and West Pagodas

The majestic East and West Pagodas stand as a symbol and the pride of ancient Quanzhou City. Rising up before the Ziyun Hall in the Kaiyuan Temple, they remain intact after dozens of severe earthquakes in the course of the thousands of years, and deserv the title of the pearl of architecture in China.

The East Pagode is named Zhengguo, and the West Renshou, meaning "nation-protecting"and "merits and longvity" respectively. The riginal pagodas were built of wood and later changed into brick, and then in the Southern Song Dynasty changed again into stone ones, what are seen today. From the base to the top, the whole pagodas are covered with exquisitely carved, vivid relief sculptures. Each of the octagonal pagodas has five storeys and upturned eaves. On each storey, there are warriors standing on both sides of the niches. Following the steps inside the pagodas, one can climb up to each storey and enjoy a delightful bird's-eye-view of whole Quanzhou City.