Jinjiang

Jinjiang (晋江; Tsìn-kang in Minnan, Jìnjiāng in Mandarin) is a mainly industrial city just across the river from Quanzhou in Fujian. Administratively, it is a county-level city in Quanzhou Prefecture, but for practical purposes it can be thought of as a suburb of Quanzhou. Population was about two million as of the 2010 census.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport (泉州晋江国际机场 JJN  ^IATA). Jinjiang is home to the main airport serving Quanzhou. However, it is a fairly minor airport; there are flights to Hong Kong and some mainland cities and some international flights to other Asian cities, but not a large choice of flights.  

The usual way to fly into the region would be via Xiamen or Fuzhou, both of which have larger airports with a broader range of flight choices.

By train

• 2 Jinjiang railway station. Jinjiang is served by Fujian's coastal high-speed railway, with frequent service to points along the Fuzhou-Xiamen axis. Some trains continue north (to Hangzhou and Shanghai, or to the interior of China), or south (to Shenzhen).  

By bus

From Quanzhou, you can reach Jinjiang by city bus (801 and 802 are two of the numbers), or by taxi.

To get there by bus from Xiamen, take a Quanzhou bus and get off when it passes through Jinjiang.

Get around

Jinjiang shares city bus service with Quanzhou; in particular buses 801 and 802 go out to Jinjiang. However is a long narrow city, spread along a river valley, so half hour bus rides are not unusual even when traffic is light. Taxis are also readily available.

It is a good city for drivers, with lots of good new roads and some shopping areas with parking available. However, see driving in China for comments on traffic conditions.

See

Prophet Mani, pretending to be a Buddha at Cao'an Temple

• 1 Cao'an Temple (草庵寺). The world's only surviving Manichean temple is on Huabiao Mountain in Jinjiang. (updated Apr 2018)

• 2 Anping Bridge (安平桥) (Between Jinjiang's Anhai Town and the neighboring Shuitou Town.). One of the ancient bridges on the old coastal road. Well restored. Free. (updated Apr 2018)
• 3 Jinjiang Museum (晋江博物馆), 382 Shiji Avenue (世纪大道382号) (Bus routes K902, 3, 9, 16, 29, 31, 33, 35, and 45), ☏ +86 595 85681046. 09:00-11:30, 14:30-17:00 (October to May), 09:00-11:30, 15:00-17:30 (June to September), closed on Mondays. Free. (updated Sep 2019)
• 4 Wudianshi Traditional Street Blocks (五店市传统街区), Meiyuan Road, Meiling Subdistrict (梅岭街道梅园路) (Bus routes 4, 6, 7, 11, 17, 18, 22, 35, 45), ☏ +86 595 36771558. Open all day. The heart of old Jinjiang, with many well-preserved historical buildings. Entry to the general area is free. (updated Sep 2019)
• 5 Longshan Temple (龙山寺，Longshan Temple), No. 242, Hai Bazhong Road (中国泉州市晋江市海八中路242号), ☏ +86 595 579 5035. free. (updated Sep 2023)
• 6 Sanli Street (三里街), East of Anpingqiao Scenic Spot (安平桥景区东侧) (bus no.3). free. (updated Sep 2023)

Buy

Jinjiang is very much an industrial city, especially shoes and clothing. Naturally, there are quite a few shops for those items. Nearby Shishi, though, has better clothing markets.

The Filipino chain store SM have only a few locations in China. One is in Jinjiang, at the end of the 801 bus route furthest from Quanzhou. It is part of a very large modern mall.

Eat

Anhai Tushundong:

Anhai Caiguo:

noodle paste:

Shenhu fish ball:

pot rice:

Quantoumu:

beef soup:

Yingdu Ma glutinous rice:

pork meal:

Sleep

• Day's Inn, Quan An Amid Road, Meiling, ☏ +86 595 36787777. 

Go next

• Quanzhou
• Xiamen