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, it boasts a wide gulf with deep water but without freezing and silting. The name was consequently given, which means 'the gate of China'. As one of the forerunners of the special economic zones of China, the city 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. The city 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. Xiamen  enjoys the reputation "International Garden City". It is on the verge of Taiwan strait, away from the golden gate only thousands of meters; it is the hometown of well-known overseas Chinese; also, it is the first one of the four special economic zones in China and one of the ten major tourist cities in China.

Facts of Xiamen
Chinese Name: 厦门市 (shà mén shì)
Location: in the southwest of Fujian Province, southeast China
Area: Land Area: 157.76 square kilometers, Sea Area: 390 square kilometers
Population: 4,110,000
Administrative Division: 6 districts (Siming, Haicang, Huli, Jimei, Tong’an, Xiang’an)
Area Code: 0592
Zip Code: 361000

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History of Xiamen
About 2,000 years ago, the people of Fujian lived on Xiamen Island and in its surrounding areas. Tongan county was set up in the 3rd year of Taikang of the Jin Dynasty (AD 282), the first administrative agency in history set up in Xiamen by the central government. After the governance of the Tang Dynasty, Five Dynasties, Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty, "Xiamen City" was created in the 20th year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1387), its name meaning the gate of the nation....More read: Xiamen History

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What to see in Ximen?
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, South Putuo Temple, Baicheng Beach and other areas like Jimei, Hulishan Fortress, Wanshiyan, etc. are highly recommended for a tour. A sea tourist line is also available for you to enjoy the amazing scenery of many beautiful small islands around.

Gulangyu Island	Hulishan Fortress	South Putuo Temple
Baicheng Beach	Jimei School Village	Nanxi Tulou Cluster

Being the hometown of many overseas Chinese, this city 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. This city, with distinct oriental culture and southern Fujian features, welcomes you from all over the world.

By Train: Xiamen Railway Station and North Railway Station are two passenger transport railway stations in this city.  Xiamen Railway Station is located at the No.90, Xiahe Road, Siming District. Normal speed trains in this station bound for most major cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Kunming. The station also has direct trains to main cities in Fujian Province, such as Fuzhou, Sanming and Zhangzhou. Passengers can take public bus no.3, 19A, 19B, 28, 42, 96, 113, 116, 122, 127, 659, 840, 857, 858, 940, 950, 952 or 994 to get here.

Xiamen North Railway Station is situated in Yannei Village of Houxi Town in Jimei District. It is a major conjunction of Fuzhou - Xiamen, Longyan – Xiamen and Xiamen - Shenzhen rail lines. Trains from the station are all high speed types that can take passengers to many major cities in China, such as Fuzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Chongqing. Public bus No.690, 691, 692, 790, 792, 890, 901, 905, 907, 936, 949, 950 or 980 can take you to the station.

By Bus: Going to this city by long-distance bus is very convenient. Hubin Long-distance Bus Station, Fanghu Bus Station, Wucun Bus Station, Jimei Bus Station, Xinglin Bus Station are five main bus stations in this city. Located at different districts, these stations bring much convenience for passengers. Long-distance buses head for major cities within Fujian Province as well as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guilin, Suzhou, Shanghai and Changsha and many outside the province.
 

By Ship: Xiamen Port has a wide, peaceful water area without freezing or silting, providing an excellent water transportation network. Xiamen International Cruise Terminal operates ships named "COCO Star" to/from Keelung and Taichung. The ship to Keelung departs at 18:00 every Thursday and arrives at 08:30 next morning. Vice versa, the ship is available every Sunday. It departs at 18:00 and arrives at 08:30 next morning. The ship departs for Taichung every Tuesday at 19:00 and arrives at 08:30 next morning. Vice versa, the ship is available every Wednesday. It departs at 21:00 and arrives at 08:30 next morning. Boarding address in Xiamen: Next to door no. 9, Central Hall, International Cruise Terminal, No.2 Donggang Road in Huli District. One can take bus no. B1, L5, 51, 59, 87 and 436 to get there. The check-in stops at 16:50 for both routes in Xiamen.

The sea route to the Taiwanese island of Kinmen is operated at Wutong Port. The ferry schedules are from 08:00-17:30 with the interval of 30 to 60 minutes. The duration is about 30 minutes. Wutong Port is located at No.2500, East Island Ring Road. Tourists can take Airport Shuttle Bus Line 3 or Sightseeing Bus Line 1 to there directly. Please make sure to come at least 20 minutes before the departure time to finish the boarding procedures. ...Gulangyu Island Ferry Schedule

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Xiamen Travel Tips
Xiamen Food: Xiamen cuisine is the main representative of Fujian cuisine which is famous throughout China. Besides local dishes, food of other parts of the country also can be found here, making this city a good destination for gastronomes. Being fresh, light, crispy and slightly spicy in taste, Xiamen cuisine is characterized by the following dishes: Seafood is famous for its extreme freshness. Herbal Meal has a long history in China and is celebrated at the Lujiang Restaurant in Xiamen.Vegetable Dishes in the Nanputuo Temple are made of vegetable oil, flour, beans, vegetables and fruits.Local snacks should not be missed during your trip as they are great in variety and reasonably priced.  Snacks have distinct flavors and some of them.

Xiamen Shopping: 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. This city 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.

Xiamen Nightlife: After the scheduled sightseeing during daytime, you can also appreciate the lovely night scenery and participate in the colorful nightlife activities in Xiamen. The colored and sparkling lights decorated on the tall buildings especially along the Zhongshan Road and Siming Road make Xiamen more vigorous and lively at night. Virtually there are many places to go at night. Various squares in the city provide popular nightlife venues for local people to stroll, chat, and do exercise. At the Egret Alluvion City Park, there will be musical fountain show at 8:00pm every day and singing and dancing performances during weekends. In the Huoshaoyu Islet (or Flaming Islet) Scenic Area, barbecues will be held at night and water-screen films will be on show sometimes.

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