莆田市

Why this place

Putian is the home of Mazu, the sea goddess worshipped by fishing communities across southeast China and Taiwan, China — her ancestral temple is here and draws pilgrims from across the straits. The city is also one of China's largest footwear manufacturers.

What to see

• The Mazu ancestral temple on Meizhou Island, with its vast pilgrimage crowds on her feast days
• Guanghua Temple, an important early Buddhist site in the city
• The Jiulishan waterfalls and the rural lanes of the Hanjiang plain

What to eat

• Putian is known for its seafood and its 'braised' mixed dishes
• Litchi and longan in season; the local rice noodles

Best time

March–May and October–December; Mazu's birthday falls in the third lunar month