PLACE GUIDE

Quanzhou Maritime Museum 泉州海外交通史博物馆

Quanzhou Haiwai Jiaotongshi Bowuguan

Quanzhou Maritime Museum tells the port’s overseas story through ship models, nautical material and religious stone carving.

Entrance of Quanzhou Maritime Museum · 泉州海外交通史博物馆
Entrance of Quanzhou Maritime Museum · 泉州海外交通史博物馆 Photograph date recorded by the source: 4 April 2023, 17:01:47. · Iswzo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.

Explore the region

Fujian · 福建省 →Quanzhou · 泉州市 →

About Quanzhou Maritime Museum

Tombstones and architectural fragments bearing Islamic, Christian and Hindu imagery are especially revealing evidence of the communities once linked through trade. The main museum near East Lake is distinct from the ancient-ship exhibition at Kaiyuan Temple. Keep those locations separate in the plan: the famous excavated Song ship belongs to the temple-side pavilion rather than the main Donghu Street galleries.

The museum was founded in 1959, and a new building was completed in February 1991. In 2008 it was designated a National First-Grade Museum (国家一级博物馆). By May 2014 its exhibition space covered 11,000 square metres, with displays focused on ancient overseas transport and the Maritime Silk Road.

The newer building, near East Lake Park, is designed to resemble a large sailing ship afloat on the water. Its four exhibition halls include the Quanzhou Maritime Exhibition Hall (泉州海外交通史陈列馆) and the Quanzhou Religious Stone Carving Hall (泉州宗教石刻馆), alongside halls devoted to ethnic culture and ancient ship models.

What to look for

  • Religious tombstones and architectural carvings reflecting overseas communities.
  • Ship models and objects explaining maritime transport and trade.

Background & history

The Quanzhou Maritime Museum (Chinese: 泉州海外交通史博物馆) in the Fengze District of Quanzhou, Fujian, is the only museum in China specialising in overseas relations. Established in 1959, through its comprehensive and valuable display of historical relics relating to overseas transportation, the museum reflects the development history of the major Eastern port of the Middle Ages—Citong or Zaytun (刺桐). It also showcases the important role that Quanzhou played in economic and cultural exchanges with foreign countries.

Excerpt from Wikipedia: Quanzhou Maritime Museum · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected introductory sentences; formatting simplified. Background information, not current visitor-service advice.

The surrounding area

A city base for maritime heritage, religious buildings, old lanes and a possible performance.

Location & getting there

Getting to Quanzhou Maritime Museum

For the main museum, use No 425 Donghu Street in Fengze District. The Ancient Ships Pavilion is a different venue inside the Kaiyuan Temple grounds on West Street, requiring a separate transfer and entry check.

General visit reminders

Use the Chinese name and exact local address when arranging your arrival. A city, district or neighbourhood can cover a wide area, so choose the particular streets or venues you want to visit and group nearby stops together. Check onward and return connections before committing to a distant extension.

Combine your visit

A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.

  1. Religious stone-carving displays

    Compare the visual traditions of the port’s different communities.

  2. Maritime transport displays

    Connect those communities with shipping and trade.

  3. Kaiyuan Temple ancient-ship pavilion

    If separately planned, examine the excavated vessel at its temple-side location.

This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.

AI illustration: Wooden sailing-ship model hull and rigging.
AI illustration · AI 示意图（景观类型参考，非实拍） · 木质船模船舷与索具 — A general visiting detail, not an exact view of this place.
Museums, art & science · 博物馆／艺术科技 →

Find Quanzhou Maritime Museum

泉州海外交通史博物馆 · 泉州市

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Qingjing Mosque 清净寺

2 km away

Qingjing Mosque preserves a monumental stone entrance on Quanzhou’s Tumen Street. Its sequence of vaulted arches leads towards the remains of the original prayer hall, where walls, niches and inscriptions give a sense of the…

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Guan-Yue Temple 通淮关岳庙

2 km away

Tonghuai Guan-Yue Temple places three connected halls side by side on busy Tumen Street. Wucheng Hall, Chongxian Hall and Sanyi Temple form a dense timber-built complex dedicated to martial and ancestral traditions, with Guan Yu…

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Quanzhou Tianhou Temple 泉州天后宫

3 km away

Quanzhou’s Tianhou Temple honours Mazu, whose protection was sought by sailors and trading communities. The main hall’s richly decorated double-eaved roof contrasts with the broader, simpler sleeping hall behind it. Courtyards…

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “Quanzhou Maritime Museum” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1356141765.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “Quanzhou Maritime Museum” · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "泉州海外交通史博物馆", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 93892025.

Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Quanzhou Maritime Museum", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1356141765.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07