Quanzhou boasts rich intangible cultural heritage. The city has five entries on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Nanyin, construction techniques of traditional residential buildings in Southern Fujian, puppet show (Quanzhou Marionette and southern-style glove puppets), and watertight-bulkhead technology of Chinese junks, and wangchuan ceremony. Quanzhou is the only Chinese city with entries on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in all three categories. It has 36 entries on China’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, more than most other Chinese cities; it also has 99 entries on Fujian’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the highest number in Fujian. 

Quanzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, located within Quanzhou Qiaoxiang Sports Center, was completed in 2017 as a key project and a major facility in the city’s public cultural service system. It serves the functions of collection, exhibition, training, research and exchange. Put into use in November 2019, the museum has a total floor area of more than 9,000 square meters and an exhibition floor area of over 6,500 square meters. The exhibitions are located on the second, third, fourth and fifth floors, comprising 15 workshops, an interactive stage and an intangible cultural heritage theater. The 650-plus exhibits on display demonstrate the large number of intangible cultural heritage conservation projects in Quanzhou in a broad range of categories, including folk literature, traditional sports, gaming and acrobatics, traditional music, traditional fine arts, traditional dance, traditional skills, traditional medicine, folk art forms and folklore. Among the featured intangible cultural heritage items are four entries on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, 36 the State-level Intangible Cultural Heritage List, 11 the Provincial-level Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and three the Municipal-level Intangible Cultural Heritage List.