Workers found in 2001 what appears to be a stone Star of David, the first archaeological proof of Quanzhou's ancient Jewish community. Quanzhou was a haven for world religions because the emperor not only granted complete religious freedom to foreigners but also subsidized their activities.

　　The following passage comes from a contemporaneous account in 1326 by Andrew of Perugia, Zayton's Franciscan bishop, detailing the state of religion in Quanzhou at the time.

　　"After the archbishop was consecrated, we obtained an alafa from the emperor for our food and clothing. An alafa is an allowance for expenses which the emperor grants to the envoys of princes, to orators, warriors, different kinds of artists, jongleurs, paupers and all sorts of people of all sorts of conditions.

　　And the sum total of these allowances surpasses the revenue and expenditure of several of the kings of the Latin countries. (The Catholics' alafa was so generous that they used it to build churches, convents and a cathedral).

　　As to the wealth, splendor, and glory of this great emperor, the vastness of his dominion, the multitudes of people subject to him, the number and greatness of his cities, and the constitution of the empire, within which no man dares to draw a sword against his neighbor, I will say nothing, because it would be a long matter to write, and would seem incredible to those who heard it. Even I who am here in the country do hear things averred of it that I can scarcely believe...

　　Tis a fact that in this vast empire there are people of every nation under heaven, and every sect, and all sundry are allowed to live freely according to their creed."

　　皇帝资助外来宗教

　　2001年，泉州发现一块“大卫之星”石刻，这是印证古代泉州有一定数量的犹太教徒的第一件考古文物。泉州是世界各种宗教的避难所，因为在此皇帝不仅赐予外国人完全的宗教自由，还在经济上资助他们的活动。

　　1326年，刺桐天主教主教、来自帕鲁查的安德鲁写道:

　　“在泉州，大主教就任圣职后，我们从皇帝处领取津贴来购买衣食。皇帝把津贴赐给各种人等，包括太子的特使、演讲者、勇士、艺术家、诗人和乞丐。

　　这些津贴的总额超过了拉丁国家几个国王的岁入和费用。（天主教的津贴相当丰厚，他们用它盖了礼拜堂、修道院和大教堂。）

　　至于这位伟大皇帝如何富有、声名显赫，他的领土是如何广袤，臣服他的子民是如何众多，以及他的城市的数目和壮观景象，国家治理之英明（在此没人敢对邻居拔匕首），我就不说了，因为实在不胜枚举，而且听的人定会觉得不可思议。我现在亲临这个国家，确实听到这些经过验证的事情，即便如此，我也难以相信……

　　但事实的确如此！在这片辽阔的国土上，有来自天底下所有国家的人民，而且各式各样的宗教的信徒都被允许依照自己的信仰自由地生活。”