Most travellers to Fujian skip Putian. That's understandable — Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Wuyi Mountain are loud on every list. Putian is quieter, and that is the argument.
The Mazu argument
Meizhou Island is one of those rare places where a global belief system has a physical origin. If you grew up with Mazu temples anywhere (Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, the US coast, Japan), this is the source. For pilgrims, it's a once-in-a-lifetime visit; for everyone else, it's one of the most interesting pieces of living religious heritage in Fujian. Don't plan your dates around the big ceremonies unless you want the crowds — the temple is at its most moving on an ordinary Tuesday morning with a few dozen elderly pilgrims and not a tour bus in sight.
The food argument
Putian braised noodles (卤面, luǔmiàn) are the dish. Chewy round noodles swim in a rich broth of oysters, razor clams and dried scallops — the ocean pulled through a wheat noodle. Every Putian native will tell you their home shop is best. Add the city's lychees (Putian is China's southernmost major lychee region, season late May–July) and its oyster omelette variant — thicker, eggier than Xiamen's.
The geography argument
High-speed rail: 30 minutes to Fuzhou, 30 minutes to Quanzhou, 1 hour to Xiamen. Putian is literally on the way. Adding it costs you 1–2 nights; skipping it costs you Meizhou.
Don't come here for
Night markets, citywalks, café scenes. Putian is not that city. If you want cafés go to Yantai Hill in Fuzhou or Shapowei in Xiamen, then come to Putian for a different kind of day.