Quanzhou was a major Chinese port of the maritime Silk Road.
Located on China’s southeastern coast in Fujian, Quanzhou grew into an international harbor during the Tang and Song periods and remained highly influential under the Yuan dynasty. Ships connected it with Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa.
The port attracted merchants and religious communities from across the Indian Ocean world. Archaeological remains and inscriptions document mosques, tombs, temples, warehouses, and other evidence of a cosmopolitan trading society. Chinese ceramics, silk, tea, and metal goods moved outward, while foreign products and cultural influences arrived by sea.
UNESCO inscribed “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China” as a World Heritage property in 2021. Quanzhou is distinct from Guangzhou, another important southern Chinese port; both participated in maritime trade, but they are separate cities.