Getting around
Xiamen has an airport, high-speed rail and a clean metro/BRT. The island core is walkable and bikeable; ferries run to car-free Gulangyu from the designated terminals.
Updated Apr 2026 All cities
A laid-back coastal city in Fujian, famous for the car-free island of Gulangyu, palm-lined campuses and beaches, and an easy café culture.
⏱️ First 24 hours
- Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and add a foreign card.
- Buy a local SIM or activate an eSIM.
- Book a Gulangyu ferry ticket online (it sells out at peak times).
- Save a hospital contact and your hotel address in Chinese.
Explore the guide
Connectivity
Excellent coverage. An eSIM works on arrival; a local SIM is cheapest for a longer stay.
Updated Apr 2026Where to stay
Stay on Gulangyu for romance (book ahead), around Zhongshan Road for the old town, or near Xiamen University and the coast for beaches and cafés.
Updated Apr 2026Eat & drink
Min-nan and seafood specialties: oyster omelette, satay (shacha) noodles, sea-worm jelly, and sweet peanut soup. The night markets are excellent.
Updated Apr 2026Etiquette
Relaxed and friendly. On Gulangyu, keep noise down in the quiet lanes — people live there. Tipping isn’t expected.
Updated Apr 2026Safety
Very safe. Watch the weather in late summer — Fujian gets typhoons that can disrupt ferries and flights. The sun is strong by the sea.
Updated Apr 2026📜 History
An island port of merchants and emigrants, Xiamen has always faced out to the sea and the world.
Ming
A fortified port; the loyalist Koxinga uses it to resist the Qing and take Taiwan.
1842
Opened as a treaty port; foreign settlements grow on Gulangyu.
Late 19th c.
A major gateway for overseas-Chinese emigration.
1980
Becomes one of China’s first Special Economic Zones.
Top attractions
Gulangyu Island 鼓浪屿
Gǔlàngyǔ
A car-free island of colonial mansions, gardens and piano music, a UNESCO site.
Why it matters
A dreamy maze of 19th-century international villas and banyan-shaded lanes — known as “Piano Island” for its musical heritage. No cars, just footpaths.
Good to know
- ✓Ferry over; book tickets ahead.
- ✓Get pleasantly lost in the lanes.
- ✓Stay overnight to enjoy it after day-trippers leave.
Show to driver: 鼓浪屿
Nanputuo Temple 南普陀寺
Nánpǔtuó Sì
A thousand-year Buddhist temple set against a hill beside Xiamen University.
Why it matters
A serene, working temple famous for its vegetarian restaurant and the Buddhist college beside it — climb the hill behind for sea views.
Good to know
- ✓Try the famous vegetarian food.
- ✓Climb up for the view.
- ✓Right next to the university.
Show to driver: 南普陀寺
Hulishan Fortress 胡里山炮台
Húlǐshān Pàotái
A late-Qing coastal fort guarding a giant German-made Krupp cannon.
Why it matters
A reminder of Xiamen’s frontline past — the surviving Krupp coastal gun is one of the largest of its era, set on a breezy seafront.
Good to know
- ✓Catch the cannon-firing performance.
- ✓Good sea views.
- ✓Near the university and beaches.
Show to driver: 胡里山炮台
Xiamen University 厦门大学
Xiàmén Dàxué
Often called China’s most beautiful campus — seaside, palm-lined and graceful.
Why it matters
Founded by an overseas-Chinese philanthropist, its blend of Min-nan roofs and Western buildings by the beach makes it a sight in itself.
Good to know
- ✓Entry may need ID/booking — check rules.
- ✓The seaside and lotus pond are lovely.
- ✓Combine with Nanputuo next door.
Show to driver: 厦门大学
Zhongshan Road 中山路
Zhōngshān Lù
A historic seaside shopping street of arcaded “qilou” shophouses and snacks.
Why it matters
The heart of old Xiamen — covered colonnades built by returning overseas Chinese, now full of Min-nan street food and sea views at the end.
Good to know
- ✓Great for evening street snacks.
- ✓Walk to the waterfront at the end.
- ✓Busy on weekends.
Show to driver: 中山路
Don't want to go alone? Post on the board and find a travel buddy.
Find a buddy🍜 Must-eat dishes
What to eat in Xiamen
Oyster Omelette 海蛎煎
Hǎilì jiān
Plump oysters fried into a soft, starchy egg pancake with greens and a savory sauce.
💡A Min-nan street classic; eat it hot off the griddle.
Order this: 海蛎煎
Shacha Noodles 沙茶面
Shāchá miàn
Noodles in a rich, mildly spicy satay-peanut broth, topped with seafood or pork as you choose.
💡Pick your own toppings at the counter; a Xiamen breakfast favorite.
Order this: 沙茶面
Sweet Peanut Soup 花生汤
Huāshēng tāng
Peanuts simmered until meltingly soft in a light, sweet soup, often with a poached egg.
💡A classic Min-nan dessert-breakfast; comforting any time.
Order this: 花生汤
🏛️ Museums
Top museums in Xiamen
Overseas Chinese Museum 华侨博物院
FreeHuáqiáo Bówùyuàn
Founded by philanthropist Tan Kah Kee, telling the story of the Chinese diaspora that shaped Fujian and the wider world.
💡Free; a window onto why so many overseas Chinese trace their roots to Fujian.
Search this: 华侨博物院
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