Quanzhou 泉州

Quanzhou 泉州

7 Jan'2007

Quanzhou - Not a interesting town.

After seeing my Beijing friend off and applied my visa extension, I had explore other part of Xiamen town area for a few days before I went to Quanzhou.

Quanzhou is still within the Fujian Province; Chongwu town is not far from Quanzhou town, if I was alone went to Chongwu, I'll also go to Quanzhou since I was so close.

Quanzhou is not a plan trip to visit but because I was waiting for my visa and I've no other place to visit, so I make my way there to visit and see any interesting place I can explore around.

Quanzhou is a city life and a small town; it was once a great international port city and an instrumental stop on the maritime silk route. Marco Polo, back in the 13^th century, called it Zaiton. It was one of the two ports in the world with the biggest flow of merchandise.

Quanzhou's Muslim population can still be detected amount the city's residents and buildings.

When I arrived in Quanzhou in the late afternoon, I was looking for place to stay. The lonely planet stated the price of the hotel will be cost more than RMB100, so I asked a few hotels, it was winter and low season, the price was about RMB80 per night, of course, I'm a budget traveler, this price is still very high rate for me to stay, if I would to stay at this kind of price, my money will run low and less than two weeks I've to go home.

I try to approach the local hotel, I asked for the rate and I got it a better deal, it come with toilet attached, TV set and telephone in the room. I check in to the hotel and went out to explore around.

I walked for few hours, I've found nothing get my attention to stop my footstep to look at thing.

The weather in Quanzhou was colder than in Xiamen, I'd left my big bag in the Youth hostel, it was winter, I was having a small bag with me and I don't have extra clothing with me, it was terrible cold when I was walking on the street.

Later, I spotted an Internet café, since there was nothing interesting outside and it was so cold, the best place to keep myself busy with was to go online chat with my friends and wrote emails and reply emails. I spent a few hours in the Internet café before I went for my dinner.

When I went back, I get shower and read up bit information before go to bed.

Next day, I plan to go to visit Kaiyuan Si (temple), I had took a local bus and landed at the wrong bus-stop so I walk and explore around and I found a Museum, I paid and went in, it was not worth the money to go in, very limited things to see.

I came out of museum and walk and explore around, while walking to my next destination, my Hunan friend call me on my mobile, asking me what was the hotel number and she will call me at night. As she knew she was making an international call to reach me and I was paying for International call to answer her call so our conversation was keeping very short.

When I finally reach the place of interest, I was hungry and I went for my lunch first before I explore further. After lunch, I was about to pay and go in to Kaiyuan Si (temple), I look from outside, it was very small area, the book mention is RMB4 but when I was there it was already RMB10 just to see the tall pagodas, I choose not to go in.

As the museum I visited was disappointing, therefore, I was not ready for another disappointment visit. Entrance fees of RMB10 is a small amount to many people but it is not the amount of the money that counts, it is the value things that I'm going to visit and see, does it worth to pay to go in. This is what I normally judge when I visit a place.

Some gardens in the China you have to pay to go in but some I've visited there was nothing to see. Some gardens I visited and I don't have to pay and I see a lot of activities event going on. So it is the over all things I see that how I feel about it that really border me.

I know some people will pay to go in and see everything that they can in the country or town without thinking how much they are paying, they have make all the way there, therefore, they don't want to waste time and cover everything they could.

Well, I'm a budget traveler, I can't do the way others do it, and if I do the same, I'll end up visit few places, see fewer things and go home earlier. In order to make every money of mine worth spending, I've to choose what I want to see.

Since I never get in to Kaiyuan Si (temple), I make my day to explore the area with all the little shops around and take my time walking back to my hotel. It was very far journey to walk from Kaiyuan Si back to my hotel, a few Kilometers away and I manage to explore and walk back. By the time I reach near my hotel, it was time for dinner and I went dinner before I went back to my hotel.

At night, my Hunan friend called me; we were on the phone for a long chat before I went to bed.

Next day, I woke up early the morning to catch the bus to Qingyuan Shan (mountain). I took the local bus all the way there, away from town. The book does not mention on the rate, when I reached the entrance, I read out the map, there were few location and it is scattered with a few caves, tombs and statues. Everyone needs to pay for the path to go up, if I was going up all the way to the top, it will cost me a lot of money just to go up. I saw the pictures at the entrance doesn't look like is historical place, asking me to pay so much money to go up and see what is not real, I drop the idea of trekking up. If it is RMB10 to explore all the area to the top, may be I'll still do it but paying more than that I wouldn't do it, is not worth the effort and money. It doesn't look like a tourist spot, it look very much like the local spot and there are a lot of threes all the way up to the mountain, I was alone and I rather not take the risk to go up alone. It was really quiet place.

So if you are planning to go Quanzhou, I strongly advise you not to go, there is nothing much to offer, you can skip this town.

I was planning to go visit Meizhou for another two days but I've to pay more on transport fares and hotel stay. Meizhou is an Island and there are temples and beaches there.

Due to it was winter, I don't have enough clothes with me, it was too cold to stay at the beach, so I decided not to go and make a trip back to Xiamen.

When I was back to Xiamen, I check in to the Youth Hostel again, I try to explore other part of the town area until I get my visa.

The Youth Hostel I've stay I was disturb everyday morning at 8am sharp without fail, the renovation works started early, the drilling noise, the hammer noise and worse thing the hostel staff shouting from 3^rd floor ladies toilet to the staff on the first floor. I was getting mad when I stay there for too long, I've never had one day a peaceful slept till I woke up on my own. Everyday woke up at 8am without choice because of the noise.

I was glad when I finally get my visa extended. I was getting too bore to stay in Xiamen for too long. I bought my long distance bus all the way to Changsha to visit my Hunan friend. It was a long journey from Xiamen to Changsha by bus.

To read on my time spent in Changsha, click on next.

To read other journal of mine, click on the link: - http://realtravel.com/member-m652835-afa.html