Putian's main draws are religious: the Mazu pilgrimage island of Meizhou offshore, the Southern Shaolin Monastery with its martial arts tradition, and several old temples in the city itself. The city is also the culinary gateway to Xinghua cuisine, which is distinct from both coastal Fujianese and inland Hakka cooking. Beyond religion and food, Putian rewards the curious visitor with its mix of old street life and the manufacturing city that has grown up around it.