Evidence of Hinduism in China have been found in and around Quanzhou in Fujian province, suggesting a Hindu community and particularly Tamil Hindu traders in medieval China. The evidence consists of a Tamil-Chinese bilingual inscription dated April 1281 AD devoted to deity Śiva, as well as over 300 artifacts, idols and Chola-style temple structures discovered in Fujian rovince since 1933.Archeological studies suggest at least Vaishnavism and Shaivism schools of Hinduism had arrived in China in its history.
At present, there are no Hindus in Quanzhou. However, there previously existed a Tamil Hindu community in the city who, in the late 13th century, built the Kaiyuan Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is now in ruins, but over 300 carvings are still within the city. Many are currently on display in the Quanzhou museum, and some have become a part of Buddhist temple—Kaiyuan Temple. Behind its main hall "Mahavira Hall”, there are some columns decorated by some Hinduism carvings. The carvings are dispersed across five primary sites in Quanzhou and the neighboring areas. They were made in the South Indian style, and share close similarities with 13th-century temples constructed in the Kaveri Delta region in Tamil Nadu. Nearly all the carvings were carved with greenish-gray granite, which was widely available in the nearby hills and used in the region's local architecture.Shiva-related themes depicted in Quanzhou temple include the story of Gajaranya Kshetra - an elephant worshipping a Shiva linga, the story of Saivite saint Thirumular depicted through a cow anointing a linga and two Hindu wrestler story from Indian region now called as Andhra Pradesh.
In addition to Shiva, Vishnu sculpture has been discovered in Nanjiaochang area.Two pillars on the Kaiyuan temple have seven images dedicated to Vishnu - one with Garuda, one in the man-lion Narasimha avatar, one depicting the legend of Gajendra moksha, one with Lakshmi, one as Krishna stealing milkmaids clothing to tease them, one depicting the story of Vishnu as Krishna subduing serpent Kaliya, and another of Krishna in Mahabharat
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