China: Quanzhou – Tonghuai Guanyue Temple

Right next to the Qingjing Mosque on Tumen Street sits the spectacular, hyper-vibrant Tonghuai Guanyue Temple. This one is all about people watching – massive crowds burning insane amounts of incense sticks at the fires in front of the temple – a chaotic and loud sight. The temple itself is very “loud” in architecture – it is a maximalist masterpiece of Southern Min style with roofs packed with wildly detailed colorful porcelain carvings of dragons, mythical beasts, and warriors. It is the most active and smoky temple in the entire city as local businessmen, families, and travelers crowd the entrance daily, creating a massive cloud of incense as they throw jiaobei (moon-shaped divination blocks) and pray for wealth and good fortune.