AirAsia has announced it is set to fly to Quanzhou in Fujian, China with a daily direct service from Kuala Lumpur commencing 1 May 2019.

Once one of the world’s biggest ports and the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou was known to Arab traders as Zaiton and was praised by Marco Polo as ‘one of the two greatest havens in the world for commerce’.

Thanks to its status as a major trading port for more than three centuries, Quanzhou remains a melting pot of diverse cultures and religions, and boasts many Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques and churches, as well as museums celebrating its proud maritime heritage.

“Greater accessibility to Malaysian and Chinese travellers”

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said: “AirAsia has been championing connectivity to secondary cities in China such as Guilin, Shantou and Nanning. This Kuala Lumpur-Quanzhou service further grows our footprint of unique destinations in China and will provide greater accessibility to Malaysian and Chinese travellers. As we continue to expand in China, we look forward to exploring opportunities to connect our other, secondary hubs in Malaysia to China as well.”

Top attractions in Quanzhou include Kaiyuan Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Fujian, built over 1,300 years ago; Qingjing Mosque, China’s oldest Arab-style mosque, which was inspired by the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus; Luoyang Bridge, one of the ‘Four Ancient Bridges of China’ that resembles a silver dragon lying above the green water, and more.

Guests can also visit the nearby city of Xiamen, located only 1 hour away by high-speed train.