Liusheng Pagoda stands on a hill at the edge of Quanzhou's coastal region in Fujian, and it has watched a lot of ships leave. It is a seven-storey octagonal tower of granite, usually dated to the Song dynasty, and sailors once used it as a landmark and, tradition says, as a bit of spiritual insurance for the sea. Quanzhou was one of the great ports of the medieval world, which Marco Polo and Arab travellers described as a bustling trading city, so a pagoda guarding its approaches fits easily into the picture.
The surrounding country is a mix of low hills, orchards, fishing villages and the sprawl of small industrial towns, so this is more of a connecting ride than a wilderness one. The roads near the coast are well-surfaced and often busy, with trucks and scooters and the usual mild chaos of southern Chinese traffic. The best riding comes when you push inland into the hills, where lanes narrow and climb through litchi and longan trees, and a handful of bends make a welcome change. Humidity is high most of the year, and typhoons can arrive between summer and early autumn, so check conditions before setting out. Spring and late autumn are the comfortable seasons.
What strikes you here is the sense of how much trade shaped this coast. Quanzhou's old quarter holds mosques, Buddhist temples and Taoist shrines, plus the remains of Manichean and Hindu traces, all left by merchants who settled for decades or generations. The granite working in the pagoda reflects the region's long craft in stone, which you will also see in the carved temple gates, lion statues and bridges of the area. If you are interested in the sea, the nearby coast has the long Strait of Taiwan on the horizon, usually hazy, with fishing boats working out beyond the surf.
In terms of what you can count on, the small towns around, such as Dongyuan and Yongning, have fuel stations and basic food, though nothing exotic. Baiqi, the closest village, is small, so do not rely on it. Look for roadside noodle shops and fish dishes served with local sauces, and have some cash handy. A couple of hours at the pagoda and in the hills makes a gentle, rewarding half day.