Local people in Quanzhou city play nanyin music as a hobby in their leisure time. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Other than that, Buddhist temples, Christian churches and Confucius temples are all in the same neighborhood.

The city has the best marionette troupe in China, and has been well-known for nanyin, a slow and mesmerizing music genre.

Both art forms originated in northern China during the Tang Dynasty and were brought here by migrants. They are well preserved because the city escaped the ravages of most of the major wars in the country.

It is also a place where you can relax just wandering through the alleys or watching a nanyin performance in a centuries-old house even though, like me, you may not understand a word of the local dialect.

Spoiler alert: A total of 16 monuments and sites in Quanzhou, categorized as "historical sites and relics of navigation and trade", have been nominated by China for inclusion as a World Heritage site in 2018. It's better to visit now before the city becomes the latest must-see destination for the crowds.

Contact the writer at wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn