Xiamen (厦门)

Attractions in Xiamen

Gulangyu Island pedestrian-only, Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen University, Zhongshan Road, Huandao Road, Wanshi Botanical Garden, Hulishan Fortress, Jimei School Village, Zengcuoan village.

Popular Routes

Day 1: Gulangyu Island day trip → Zhongshan Road; Day 2: Nanputuo Temple → Xiamen University → Huandao Road; Day 3: Jimei School Village → Hulishan Fortress → Zengcuoan.

Food & Dining

Satay noodles Shacha mian, Oyster omelet, Xiamen fish balls, Peanut soup, Spring rolls, Worm jelly Tusundong, Seafood porridge, Fried shrimp cake, Gulangyu pie.

Shopping

Zhongshan Road, Gulangyu Island boutiques, SM City, Wanda Plaza, Xiamen International Conference Center, Zengcuoan crafts, Nanputuo Temple vegetarian snacks, Seafood market at Bashi.

Local Vibe & Fun Facts

Local Vibe: Xiamen is China's island city of coffee, sea breeze, and slow afternoons. Locals are polite, tea-loving, and proud of their Gulangyu Island, a car-free music-themed island just offshore. The city feels more Southeast Asian than northern Chinese.

Fun Facts:

• Xiamen is famous for Gulangyu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site with colonial-era villas and no cars.

• The city faces Taiwan across the strait and is one of the main gateways between the two sides.

• Xiamen University is often ranked as one of China's most beautiful campuses.

Speak Like a Local

Xiamen locals speak their own flavor of Mandarin. Try these phrases to earn a smile:

哇 (wá) — Wow / surprise — a very Xiamen-style exclamation.

三小 (sān xiǎo) — What? — a mild, casual Hokkien-influenced expression.

免客气 (miǎn kè qì) — You're welcome — polite and common in Xiamen.

Famous People

• Tan Kah Kee — A Xiamen-born businessman and philanthropist who funded schools and universities across China and Southeast Asia.

• Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) — The Ming loyalist who expelled the Dutch from Taiwan set out from the Xiamen region.

• Shu Ting — A famous contemporary poet from Xiamen and a leading figure in the Misty Poets movement.