Chongwu Ancient Stone City (崇武古城) in Hui'an County, 50 km east of Quanzhou, is the best-preserved Ming-dynasty coastal defense fortress in China. Built in 1387 CE under the Hongwu Emperor to counter Japanese pirate raids, the fortress is all granite — 1.5 km of walls, 6.5 m thick, 8 m tall, with four gates and a unique "ding-shaped" (丁) layout designed for troop rotation. National key cultural relic since 1988.
Inside the walls, a living village of Ming-Qing stone houses, 200+ stone carvings, and workshops of the famous Hui'an stone sculptors — Hui'an is a world centre for granite carving, and much of the monumental statuary you see across Fujian (and a lot of Taiwan and Southeast Asia) traces back here.
Outside the walls: twelve golden-sand beaches along the rocky coastline, a large stone-sculpture park, and Hui'an County's own Hui'an women in their distinctive dress — short blue jackets, wide black trousers, silver belts, bright scarves and yellow bamboo hats — still worn by many older village women.
Practical: 40 CNY peak (Apr–Oct), 30 CNY off-season. Best: April–June (mild weather), October–November (clear coastal views). Avoid midsummer afternoons (no shade on the walls). DiDi from Quanzhou old town 45 minutes, ~130 CNY. Full day needed; lunch in the village (oyster noodles, seafood).