Located at the southeast coast of China, Xiamen is a tourist city of Fujian Province famous for its attractive seascape. As one of the major seaports since ancient times, Xiamen boasts a wide gulf with deep water but without freezing and silting. The name of 'Xiamen' was consequently given, which means 'a gate of China'. As one of the forerunners of the special economic zones of China, Xiamen mainly consisting of Xiamen Island, Gulangyu Island, the north bank area of the Jiulong River and Tong'an County, is connected with the mainland by the Gaoji Seawall, Xiamen Bridge, etc. Xiamen has been called the Egret Island because of the hundreds of thousands of egrets inhabiting there. This is due to the beautiful natural scenery, the fresh air and the clean environment of the city.

Being of a subtropical monsoon climate with mild weather all year round expect the typhoon months, Xiamen is an ideal tourist destination for you. It is a typical littoral city with abundant tourist attractions such as islands, mountains, temples and parks, etc., providing you with a full sightseeing schedule. The well-known Gulangyu Island, Nanputuo Temple and other tourist areas like Jimei, Wanshiyan, etc. are highly recommended. A sea tourist line is also available for you to enjoy the amazing scenery of many beautiful small islands around.

Xiamen enjoys convenient transportation. You can go there by air, by train, by coach or by sea. The transportation within the city is also satisfying. Most tourists consider the accommodation in Xiamen, consisting of many star rated hotels, convenient. Meanwhile Xiamen has plenty of special local products to be added to your shopping list, including various kinds of tealeaves, fruits like sugarcanes, olives and longans as well as sea products such as fish, prawns, crabs, abalones and lancelets

Being the hometown of many overseas Chinese, Xiamen has actually benefited from the contribution of overseas Chinese and its economy has undertaken great advancement. To promote its tourism industry, it has established not only the corresponding infrastructures, but also a great variety of entertainment centers. The folk customs of the minorities, varied local festivals and especially the particular local dishes and snacks are also appealing to visitors. Xiamen, with distinct oriental culture and southern Fujian features, welcomes you from all over the world.

Attractions

Jimei

 Admission Fee: CNY 10
 Opening Hours: 08:30 to 16:50
 Recommended Time for a Visit: 45 minutes
 Bus Routes: 18,51,106

Jimei is located in the north of Xiamen Special Economic Zone, 17 kilometers (about 11 miles) from the city center. It is opposite to Xiamen Island and is at the foot of Tianma Mountain facing the sea on three sides. Jimei is the hometown of Mr. Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng) (1874-1961), a renowned educator and leader of overseas Chinese. Nowadays, Jimei is one of the four most popular tourist sites of Xiamen City, especially for its academic atmosphere as well as pretty natural and social sights.

The most remarkable feature is without doubt the Jimei Study Village founded by Mr. Tan Kah Kee in 1913. It is the only one in China. It occupies an area of over 10 hectares (about 25 acres) on a variety of various levels and schools ranging from primary to higher education and from traditional to vocational schools. The magnificent scale of this project has no equal elsewhere in China.

Jimei University was formed by the amalgamation of five former colleges and it is now Xiamen City's major center of education and culture and has been given the general designation of Jimei Study Village. The buildings of Jimei Study Village are a combination of eastern and western styles, facing the beautiful seashore, and they are attractive places for visitors. Recently, Jimei Study Village has been selected as a protected cultural relic of the nation

Hulishan Battery Scenic Spot

 Admission Fee: CNY 25
 Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
 Bus Route 2, 22, 35, 48

Xiamen is a pretty coastal city in Fujian Province. It is characterized by a beautiful beach, ample sunshine and mild climate. Hulishan Battery Scenic Spot is one of the most exciting attractions of Xiamen. In the Scenic Spot, the Hulishan Battery and the Rongguang Museum are the main attractions.

Hulishan Battery lies to the south of the Xiamen Island. Construction began in 1894 during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) and ended in 1896. It covers an area of more than 70,000 square meters (about 17 acres) and is composed of barracks, a tunnel, a magazine and other fortified buildings, all surrounded by a granite wall. The ground on which the battery is built is quite solid because it is made of a mixture of ash, mud and sand with glutinous rice and brown sugar. Two large cannons once guarded the east and the south sides, but only one remains. These cannons, produced in 1886, were bought from a German arsenal at a cost of 80,000 taels of silver each. The remaining cannon is more than 13 meters (about 42.7 feet) long and weighs 50 tons. It has a range of 1,600 meters (about one mile). It is the largest and oldest 19th century breechloader in existence. Additionally, there are more than 50 iron cannons made during in the Ming (1368 - 1644) and the Qing Dynasties on the grounds. Between the eastern and the southern batteries is a tunnel in which 29 cannonballs are now on display. At the exit of the tunnel are the barracks. Hulishan Battery was an important defensive factor during the war against Japanese aggression in 1900 and 1937.

In the Rongguang Museum, tourists can see ancient firecrackers, guns, swords and unusual natural stones from around the world. Exhibits include the world's smallest cannon, which was made by the Portuguese in the 13th century. It has a length of 11 centimeters (about 4.33 inches) and a weight of 0.22 kilograms (about half a pound). Its diameter and caliber are 22 centimeters (about 8.67 inches) and 0.8 centimeters (about 0.31 inches) respectively. Included in the exhibit of stones are two unusual ones. The first is a Burman stone with a weight of 2.5 tons, which has a long, wavy stripe from the northeast to the southwest that looks like 'a picture of huge amount of water pouring from the sky'. The second one is even more interesting; it bears an astonishing resemblance to a piece of meat with skin, fat and muscle.

Around Hulishan Battery, there are many other attractions, including Wanggui Platform and Pangui Platform from which tourists can see Dadan Island and Erdan Island through a telescope. All in all, the Hulishan Battery Scenic Spot is worth your visit.

South Putuo Temple

 Admission Fee: CNY 3
 Opening Hours: 05:40 to 18:00
 Recommended Time for a Visit: Half an hour
 Bus Route: 17

South Putuo Temple is an ancient temple with great fame in Xiamen. It has the name of Southern Putuo for the reason of its main conformity to Guanyin and Bodhisattva as well as its location to the south of Putuo Mountain, one of the four great Buddhist fields in Zhoushan of Zhejiang province.

Southern Putuo temple has a grand scale with a total area of 25.8 hectares and a building area of 21270 square meters. Sitting on the principal axis from the south to the north are the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Precious Hall of Great Hero, the Hall of Great Mercy and the Buddhist Scripture Garret. There are annexes on both sides of the axis, such as corridors, Bell and Drum Towers, Haihui Hall, Puzhao Hall, Taixu library, classrooms of the Buddhist Institute, and so on. All these buildings are spread over a mountain slop of complicated topography with a generally solemn and magnificent atmosphere.

Over the recent years, to the south of the Hall of Heavenly Kings lie the Free Life Pond, two newly built Longevity Towers, two pavilions and a lotus pond, etc. Between the two ponds is the Seven Buddha Tower, which is composed of seven statues of Buddha, such as Sakyamuni and Kasyapa. The Longevity Towers have 11 layers in the style of Buddhist buildings of South Asia, enriching the scenery of South Putuo Temple.

There is the Buddhist Institute of South Fujian in the temple, the earliest Buddhist institute in our country, which is established in 1925. The Buddhist institute ran the school again in 1985, establishing the Yangzheng College, the preparatory class, the formal class of two-year system. It also set additional a two-year research class, exerting an extensive influence at home and Southeast Asia.

Gulangyu Islet

Admission Fee: CNY 95 (including fees Sunlight Rock and Shuzhuang Garden)
CNY 50 (Electric bus)
Opening Hours: 06:00 to 17:50
Recommended Time for a Visit: All the day
Bus Route: 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 25 to Ferry, Then transfer to ferryboat

Gulangyu Islet is located just southwest of Xiamen City. Visitors can reach it by steamship from Xiamen City in about 5 minutes. Gulangyu Islet is renowned for its delicate natural beauty, its ancient relics, and its varied architecture. The Islet is on China's list of National Scenic Spots and also ranks at the top of the list of the ten most-scenic areas in Fujian Province.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Islet was called 'Yuanshazhou Islet'. It got its present name from the huge reef surrounding it. When the tide comes in, the waves pound the reef and it sounds like the beating of a drum. The Islet came to be named 'Gulang'. Gu in Chinese means 'drum', and Lang, 'waves'.

During the later Ming Dynasty, the troops of national hero Zheng Chenggong were stationed here. After the Opium War in 1842, 13 countries including Great Britain, France and Japan established consulates, churches, and hospitals, turning the Islet into a common concession. In 1942, Japan occupied the Islet until the end of the War of Resistance against Japan.

Gulangyu Islet has about 20,000 permanent residents, all of whom enjoy a comfortable, relaxing life. Only electric-powered vehicles are permitted on the Islet, so the environment is free from the noise and pollution of combustion engines. Breathing the clean air, appreciating the ever-present green trees and lovely flowers, anyone here can feel like they are in heaven. With classical and romantic European-style architecture, the Islet truly deserves to be called the'Architecture Museum'. It is also known as the 'Cradle of Musicians' and 'Islet of Music' because of its reputation for music appreciation.

The Islet Ring Road, which circles the Islet, allows you to fully enjoy all the sights of this small, charming Islet.

Among the many scenic spots on the Islet, the most attractive are Sunlight Rock and the Shuzhuang Garden.

Dining in Xiamen

Xiamen cuisine is the main representative of Fujian cuisine which is famous throughout China. Besides Xiamen dishes, food of other parts of the country also can be found here, making Xiamen a good destination for gastronomes. Being fresh, light, crispy and slightly spicy in taste, Xiamen cuisine is characterized by the following dishes:

Seafood in Xiamen is famous for its extreme freshness. The location of Xiamen on the southeast coast of China provides it with abundant sea products. Dating from the Qing Dynasty, the seafood locally is always a traditional delicacy make from fresh local fish, prawns, crabs and more, with the flavor depending on the various seasonings.

Herbal Meal has a long history in China and is celebrated at the Lujiang Restaurant in Xiamen. Here, the herbal meal is delicately made according to the seasons and the various effects of the herbs. It is delicious in flavor and very nourishing.

Vegetable Dishes in the Nanputuo Temple are made of vegetable oil, flour, beans, vegetables and fruits. In accordance with the disciplines of the traditional Buddhist diet, the vegetable dishes made here mainly depict the Buddhist ideas and topics, attracting many tourists from both home and abroad.

Snacks in Xiamen should not be missed during your trip as they are great in variety and reasonably priced. Xiamen snacks have distinct flavors and some of them are listed below:

Tu Sun Dong is made from a sea product called 'Xing Chong' and is eaten with the seasonings including sauce, vinegar, chili, catsup, mustard and garlic. It is now becoming one of the most important cold dishes in any banquets.

Peanut Soup is simply made from peanuts but with very complicated production process. It has a sugary flavor and is best eaten with some dim sum dishes such as deep-fried twisted dough sticks, steamed stuffed buns and similar. Many believe the best Peanut Soup is served at Huangzehe Restaurant in Zhongshang Road, Xiamen.

Spring Roll is a fried rolled pancake filled with slices of various vegetables, meats and seafood. The local people of Xiamen like to have Spring Rolls as traditional snacks during festivals.

There are plenty of snacks that are not only well-known but also truly delicious including the Xiamen Pie, Oyster Pancake, Rice Dumplings and Shacha Noodles.

Shopping in Xiamen

An advantageous geographical location and distinct natural environment endow Xiamen with plenty of special local products including sugarcane, fruits such as olives and longans as well as various sea products such as fish, prawns, crabs, abalone and lancelets. Among such abundant special local products, the pies on Gulangyu Island, the vegetarian cakes in Nanputuo Temple, and the dried sea products and tea leaves sold along Xiaxi Road should certainly be on your shopping list.

Xiamen has seen great advances in modern development in recent years, including many large commercial areas, huge shopping malls, supermarkets, and small stores with their own unique features. Consequently, the various choices will be sure to make your trip to Xiamen an exciting shopping experience.

Nowadays, there are five main commercial areas in Xiamen:

Zhongshan Road

Zhongshan Road is one of the most prosperous traditional and comprehensive commercial areas in Xiamen. With a very long history, the architecture along the road is a combined style of East and West. The large shopping centers, together with a variety of small retail stores here, are characterized by an abundance of items as well as a fairness of price, attracting many tourists. The Buses Nos.2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 23, 25, 27, and 30 pass the road, making it not only easy to get to but also so crowded that many stores are open from nine o'clock in the morning until very late at night. North and South Siming Road and Lady Street nearby are also good places for shopping.