Xiamen

The core of the city is on Xiamen island. The term "Xiamen" is somewhat ambiguous since it can refer to the island, to the city on it, or to the whole urban area (a "prefecture-level city" in the Chinese administrative system) including suburbs not on the island. This article covers Xiamen Island; the others areas have their own articles, linked below.

On the map, Xiamen Island is the pink (Huli District) and green (Siming District) approximately circular area near the bottom. It is about 13 km (8 miles) in diameter. Gulangyu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is important for tourism and has its own article, is the green dot next to the larger island. Much of both islands is heavily built up, but both also have quite a lot of parkland and plenty of trees and flowers; this is a bustling modern city with distinct overtones of tropical paradise. Also, the terrain is hilly and quite a few hills are still covered with forest.

The areas on the mainland that are administratively part of Xiamen are Haicang in yellow, Jimei in blue, Tong'an in dark green and Xiang'an in orange. A few decades back these were largely rural areas, but all now have populations of several hundred thousand and are growing quickly; the city is expanding beyond the island. Xiamen Island is connected to Jimei by several bridges (road, rail and rapid transit), to Haicang by one bridge, and to Xiang'an by a tunnel.

The main train station, long-distance bus stations, and ferry terminals are all on Xiamen Island, though there are less important stations in other areas. The airport is also on the island, up on the north side. The bus rapid transit system (BRT) has one line running east-west across the island and another that runs north, crosses a bridge and then forks to run through parts of Jimei and Tong'an. Other districts do not yet have BRT service. See Get around below for more on BRT.

Most of the historic buildings and much of the new commercial and business core of town are in the area of Xiamen Island opposite Gulangyu, though newer development has spread out a long way east and north from there. Major streets in the old central area include Lujiang Road along the coast, Siming Road parallel to it and a bit inland, and Zhongshan Road which is a pedestrians-only shopping street perpendicular to the other two. Xiamen University is on the coast at the southern end of that downtown area.

A long and rather pretty ring road, Huándǎo Lù (X401 on the map), runs from the university along the east coast all the way to the airport on the north edge of the island; there are popular beaches along it. A large new International Conference Center with its own hotel is just off this road, about halfway up the coast.

Somewhat north of downtown on the west side of the island, there is a long, narrow lake running east-west near the map's pink-green border. Its name can be romanised as either Yundang Lake or Yuandang Lake; we use Yundang here because it is closer to the sound in Chinese, but both forms are in widespread use.

Major roads run parallel to the lake shore and a bit inland on all four sides, all with names that say which side of the lake they are on. The area around Hubin Beilu (Lakeside North Street) has several high-end hotels (the Marco Polo is a landmark), quite a few expat residents, and many restaurants and bars. Along the lake are mainly upmarket places, while the back streets have more modest establishments. Around Hubin Nanlu (Lakeside South Street) are shops and offices.

Xiahe Lu, south of Hubin Nanlu and roughly parallel to it, is one of the main streets of the newer part of the city; it has many banks, hotels and offices, several of the larger shopping centers, and the train station. The east-west BRT line runs along it.

West of the lake, between it and the seashore, is Haiwan Park which has a half-dozen bars/restaurants right on the seashore, all with large patios overlooking the water. Like the ones on the lake, these mostly offer Western food and are popular with Xiamen's large expatriate community.

Xiamen's container port, on the west side of town north of the lake, is among the 20 busiest on Earth. From the main road up the west side of the island, you can look out over hundreds of stacked containers and some enormous cranes for moving them. In the photo of Haicang Bridge on the right, some red cranes are visible beyond the bridge.

The tourist bureau has several information offices around town:

• at the airport, in the domestic arrivals area (phone +86 592 570 8273)
• at the side of the railway station, near the car booking area (+86 592 393 0058)
• on Gulangyu, on the left side of the road that runs uphill from the ferry dock
• 1st floor of the Hall of the People, 76 Hubin North Road (+86 592 512 3128)
• opposite the Brahma Temple in Tong'an (+86 592 736 8357)

They also have an administrative office for each district, but few visitors will need to interact with them. If you think you need to — for example to file an official complaint about a scamming business — ask for directions at one of the information offices.

The municipal government has a foreign affairs department but it deals mainly with companies, not individual travellers.

Xiamen is just one degree north of the Tropic of Cancer. The climate is subtropical, warm year round; even in the coldest winter months (January and February), the average nightly low is 10 °C (50 °F). Frost is extremely rare and the last time it snowed was a freak storm in 1893.

It does get hot in summer; in July and August, average daily high and low are 32 and 25 °C (~ 90 and 77 °F), and it is often humid as well. There is a fair bit of rain; average is 1350 mm (~ 53 inches) a year. October to January are the driest months.

Xiamen has cleaner air than many Chinese cities; it is right on the sea, there is not much heavy industry and almost no domestic heating with coal, and the city government is generally strict about pollution since it might drive away investment. Xiamen got an international award in a contest for most livable and environmentally aware cities in 2002; neighboring Quanzhou won the following year.

There is a risk of typhoons, mainly July to September, but Xiamen is partly sheltered from them. Typhoons come in off the Pacific; most of them cross Taiwan before reaching Xiamen, use up much of their power smashing up Taiwan, and are significantly less nasty by the time they hit Xiamen.

Overall, the climate is usually very pleasant year round.

The region has been inhabited since prehistoric times and Xiamen Island is mentioned in Han Dynasty records around the time of Christ. There has been a town in the area at least since the Song Dynasty, a thousand years ago. For most of that time, it was administratively a district of Quanzhou, which was historically the richest and most important city in Fujian. In the past couple of centuries, however, Xiamen has grown a great deal; now it is administered separately and is much more than just an appendage of Quanzhou.

Until 1842, the Chinese Empire allowed Western "barbarians" to trade only in Guangzhou (then known as Canton), and only under strict controls. After China lost the First Opium War, Britain took Hong Kong and China was forced to open five Treaty Ports — Canton, Xiamen (then known as Amoy), Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai — to foreign trade, and to eliminate some of their restrictions. Trade boomed and these port cities developed very quickly.

In Xiamen, the island Gulangyu became a foreign enclave with consulates and luxurious homes. Today it is a quiet area (no cars or motorcycles), five minutes by ferry from downtown, and remarkably scenic.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Fujian was a focus of missionary activity and there are many historic churches in the region. China's oldest Protestant church, the Xinjie Church, is in downtown Xiamen near the Ximing Road & Zhongshan Road intersection.

Some of the history of the China trade is darker; key commodities were tea, silk and ceramics plus "pigs and poison" — indentured labourers and opium. Some labourers were very badly treated, almost slaves, and opium caused major problems in China. Xiamen had its share of the dark side as well as the more positive side; one company there was prosecuted by the British for kidnapping potential workers.

Many overseas Chinese around the world can trace their ancestry to Fujian, often to the Minnan-speaking region around Xiamen. In particular, much of the Chinese immigration to Southeast Asia has been from Fujian, as was nearly all immigration to Taiwan before 1949. Examples of Southeast Asian cities with Minnan-speaking majorities among the Chinese community include Penang, Medan, Klang, Kuching and Manila. Some overseas Chinese maintain connections to the "old country", especially Xiamen. Tan Kah Kee, after making his fortune in Malayan rubber, started Xiamen University, an Overseas Chinese Museum nearby, and a technical college in neighboring Jimei. The Filipino chain store SM first entered the Chinese market with a store in Xiamen, the company founder's birthplace. Overseas Chinese often visit the region, some donate to various good causes in the area, and Xiamen University has many overseas Chinese students, including a large contingent from Indonesia.

In the 1980s, Xiamen was one of the first cities to become a Special Economic Zone to encourage development and open mainland China to the outside world; like other SEZs it has been booming ever since. While only Xiamen Island and Gulyangyu are in the SEZ, the whole region is flourishing. Xiamen has more Taiwanese investment than any other mainland city, partly because Taiwanese is a dialect of Minnan (Southern Min), the local language of southern Fujian. There is also a major influx of other foreign investment; among the foreign companies with large factories in Xiamen are Lifetime Products, Dell and Kodak.

Xiamen also has five large industrial development zones set up for various types of development, two in Haicang and one each in Jimei, Xiang'an and on Xiamen Island. Details on Wikipedia.

• 🌍 Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (厦门高崎国际机场 XMN  ^IATA). The airport is on Xiamen island and close to downtown, ¥30-40 and 20 minutes by taxi. It is among the dozen busiest airports in China by several different measures — passengers, freight volume or number of flights — though its exact position on the list is different for each measure and may change from year to year. 

Xiamen Airlines use XMN as their main hub. They have connections all over China, international flights to many Asian destinations, and a few beyond Asia such as Amsterdam and Sydney. Most other Chinese airlines also fly to Xiamen and there are connections to almost any major Chinese city.

Probably the most common way to fly into Xiamen from overseas is to connect through Hong Kong. Flying via Guangzhou or Shanghai is also common; both are major international hubs, have good connections to Xiamen, and are reasonably nearby. Shanghai, however, generally requires a somewhat inconvenient change of airports; most international flights come in to Pudong Airport but domestic routes use Hongqiao Airport, on the other side of the city. Connecting via Beijing is also possible, but Beijing is a long way from Xiamen.

Direct international flights to Xiamen are becoming more common, and may offer better options for many fliers. Xiamen also became a popular transfer airports for flights to/from Asia.

From Taiwan, there are numerous flights on multiple airlines from both Songshan and Taoyuan airports in Taipei to Xiamen, as well as several flights form Kaohsiung. However, these do not take the most direct routing and can be rather expensive; consider flying into Kinmen and taking a ferry to Xiamen instead.

From Southeast Asia, there are flights direct to Xiamen from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur. Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Cebu. See Discount airlines in Asia.

From North America, there are direct flights on Xiamen Airlines from Los Angeles and New York but several two-hop possibilities are available from the US, Canada or Mexico. Korean Air have direct flights to Xiamen from Seoul. They sometimes offer good discounts and Incheon International Airport is very user-friendly with free Internet and nice free lounges with couches to stretch out on. Also, unlike many other countries, Korea allows sterile transit; if you are just changing planes, then you do not have to go through Customs or Immigration and do not need a Korean visa. Japan Airlines have direct flights to Xiamen from Tokyo and Osaka, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have direct flights from Manila and Cebu Pacific also have flights from Cebu.

Xiamen Airlines offers direct flights between Amsterdam and Xiamen, creating the first direct link to Europe for Xiamen. Flights are scheduled three times per week: Amsterdam-Xiamen on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Xiamen-Amsterdam on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Buses from the airport include #18 to Xiamen University and #27 to the harbour, both with stops at the train station. #37 just goes to the train station, #41 to the SM Mall area, 91 to the Exhibition Center. #105 goes north into the suburbs, to Tong'an via Jimei.

Xiamen is well connected to China's high-speed rail network; it is on a major line that runs along the South China coast from just across the border from Hong Kong all the way to Shanghai.

There are two high speed railway stations: 🌍 Xiamen Station (near downtown) and 🌍 Xiamen North Station (Xiamenbei; outside of the Xiamen Island). More high speed trains run from the latter which can be reached by metro from downtown.

From Xiamen, the routes are:

• Northeast to Fuzhou (¥85, 100 minutes), Wenzhou, Ningbo, Hangzhou and Shanghai (around ¥400 and eight hours).
• Southwest, to Zhangzhou and Longyan in southwestern Fujian, and on to places in the next province, Guangdong like Chaoshan for Chaozhou and Shantou. The line runs via Shanwei and Huizhou all the way to Shenzhen (¥150, 3½ hours). From Shenzhen, one can cross to Hong Kong, change trains for Guangzhou, or take a ferry to Zhuhai. There also direct trains from Xiamen to Hong Kong, taking a bit more than 4 hours.

Another high-speed line goes inland from Putian (north of Xiamen on the Fujian coast) to Nanchang in Jiangxi (an inland province West of Fujian). Xiamen-Nanchang time is about five hours.

There is also service on regular trains from Xiamen to various destinations in Fujian and to major cities throughout China's interior. It is inexpensive, but slow (e.g., about 20 hours to Wuhan) since the railroads travel a circuitous route through mountains.

• Quanzhou, ¥35, 1½ hours.
• Fuzhou, ¥70-90, 4 hours.
• Hong Kong, Guangzhou, or Zhuhai, around ¥200-300, overnight sleeper bus. There is a bus direct to Xiamen from Hong Kong airport. From Hong Kong, there are some buses that go all the way and some where you have to change buses at the Hong Kong-China border.
• From Hong Kong via Shenzhen: take the metro to Lo Wu border station, cross the border on foot (usually fast and easy if your visa is in order). There are small shops selling bus tickets within the border complex, with pickup nearby, or you can walk a block to the main bus station. A number of bus operators are available and bus service is frequent. A trip from Lo Wu (China side) to Xiamen will take 9 hours and cost ¥250-300. Night sleeping coaches are also available.
• Shenzhen, ¥200-300, 8 hours. Buses leave for Xiamen from the Qiaoshe long-distance bus station (侨社客运站) daily at 09:10, 09:40, 11:00, 11:40, 12:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30, 22:00 and 22:20. Tickets can be purchased at the Shenzhen Tourism Group (深圳市旅游股份有限公司) counter at Qiaoshe bus station. They take credit card or cash.

A boat service operates from Xiamen's Wutong ferry terminal (五通客运码头) to and from Kinmen's Shuitou port, which is under Taiwanese control, hourly 08:30-19:00 every day. Tickets cost NT$750 from Kinmen and ¥160 from Xiamen. Boat ride takes about 30 minutes. If you're a foreign passport holder traveling on a visa class other than family reunion or tourist visa, check with port authorities prior to departure whether your visa is permissible, as journalism and business visa holders are often required to transit through a formal port of entry such as Hong Kong.

• MV COSCO Star, ☏ +86-592-6011758, +86-592-2616735, tuteng@coscostar.cn. Provides ferry service from Taiwanese ports Taichung and Keelung to Chinese ports Xiamen, and Damaiyu, Taizhou. (updated Feb 2020)

One is the area around Yundang Lake. The north side has a large group of restaurants and bars (see below) plus a rather pretty lakeside park area with a walkway right down by the water. Around dawn and dusk, you can watch the egrets (symbol of Xiamen, used as the logo for Xiamen Airlines) flying to and from the lake.

At night, there is a bit of a light show; many buildings (especially around the south side of the lake) have laser or LED displays that attract attention, sort of an advertisement by commercial buildings and some residential complexes to draw attention to their business. This sort of thing is fairly common in Chinese cities, but Xiamen has more of it than most others. It is best seen from the north side, augmented by reflections in the lake. This is not really an attraction in itself, just a nice extra for anyone imbibing in a lakeside bar.

• 🌍 Bailuzhou Park (白鹭洲公园), 565 Bailuzhou Street, Siming District (思明区白鹭洲路565号) (On an island in the lake, crossed by a bridge, east of the Marco Polo on the north side and of the bus station on the south. Bus routes 8, 26, 97 and 758), ☏ +86 592 5082380. Open all day. A large park that includes hotels, bars, restaurants and shopping. Go around 8:30PM and enjoy the vendors, music, and dancing. Free. 

Another is the area around Xiamen University. In Chinese, it is 厦门大学 (Ē-mn̂g tōa-o̍h in Minnan, Xiàmén dàxué in Mandarin), usually abbreviated to 厦大 (Hā-tāi in Minnan, Xiàdà in Mandarin). This is Fujian's most prestigious university, the province's only "national key university" controlled by the central government in Beijing rather than by the provincial education department.

To get there, take a 20-minute walk south from the Zhongshan Road and Gulangyu ferry area, along either Lujiang Road or Siming Road, jump in a taxi or take a bus. Buses that go to the main gate include #1, 15, 18, 21, 29, 71 and 82. #2 or 22 go to other parts of the university.

The university has a beautiful campus with old traditional buildings, extensive gardens and a small lake. Among the attractions are a small but interesting Anthropological Museum (straight ahead and a bit to the right from the main gate) and a large bookstore with quite a few high-grade Chinese art books and (by Chinese standards) a fine selection of English books. Entrance via the main gate may be restricted on busy holidays; use one of the three smaller gates which are across from Baicheng beach.

Just outside the main university gate is the south end of Siming Road, generally referred to as Xiada Street. This is a lively area of shops, street stalls and restaurants; it is only perhaps 150 m long, but packs a lot into that space, plus a few smaller streets running off it. There is also a large bookstore here, not quite as good as the university store for art books, but better for CDs and DVDs. Because this area caters to the student market, it tends to have a lot of fairly cheap stuff. You need to bargain to get good prices. Few of the vendors speak English, but there are sometimes helpful English-speaking students about.

• 🌍 Nanputuo Temple (南普陀寺), 515 Siming South Rd, Siming District (思明区思明南路515号) (a bit north of the main university gate; Bus routes 1, 21, 45, 309, 751, 841 and b1), ☏ +86 592 2087282. 04:00-18:00. This is a large Buddhist temple parts of which are over a thousand years old, mainly dedicated to the bodhisatva Guan Yin who is sometimes described as the Goddess of Mercy. Mount Putuo in Zhejiang is one of China's "Four Great Mountains of Buddhism"; "Nanputuo" means "south Putuo". Visitors can climb the mountain behind the temple for beautiful views of Xiamen and surrounding nature. The mountain is also littered with small enclaves with hundreds of Buddhist statuettes. The temple contains multiple vegetarian restaurants. Free. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Xiamen Shimao Strait Tower, No. 180-188 Yanwu West Road, Siming District (To the west of Xiamen University Hospital. The Airport-Xiamen University Express Bus stops here. You can also take bus no. 71 or 86). Xiamen Shimao Strait Tower is an urban complex integrating hotels, office buildings, SOHO offices, sightseeing, shopping, leisure, entertainment and catering. Xiamen Shimao Strait Tower covers an area of about 30,000 square meters, the above-ground construction area of 270,000 square meters, the total construction area of about 330,000 square meters; Among them, Tower A has 64 floors on the ground and Tower B has 55 floors on the ground, with a height of 300 meters. Podium 6 floors, 3 floors underground.Xiamen Shimao Strait Tower is a "twin towers", when the top was the tallest building in Xiamen City; In 2017, Xiamen Shimao Strait Building won the first prize of "2017 National Excellent Engineering Survey and Design Industry Award". Tourists usually take photos with the "Twin Towers" as a time-stamped photo to arrive in Xiamen. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Xiamen-Above-the-Clouds Observation Deck (云上厦门观光厅), Tower B, Shimao Cross-Strait Plaza, ☏ +86 592 2563326, toll-free: +86 400 0028288. 09:00-21:00 (main observation deck on 55th floor), 09:00-20:30 (Love Balcony and Sea & Sky Walk on 58th floor). Probably the best place to see Xiamen's skyline. The observation deck sits atop Building B of the 300-metre high Shimao Cross-Strait Plaza twin-tower complex. ¥160 (adults aged under 60), ¥80 (persons over 60), ¥80 (children between 1.1 and 1.49 metres in height). Free admission is granted to children under 1.1 metres in height who are accompanied by an adult. (updated Feb 2019)

From Shoushan Road to Baishi Fortress is about ten km (six miles) of boardwalk along the beach; it runs parallel to the Huandao Lu ring road. Plans call for it to eventually extend all the way to the Conference Center, roughly doubling its current length. Along it are bicycle rental places, many food stalls and restaurants, and various other attractions:

• 🌍 Hulishan Fortress (胡里山炮台), 2 Zengcuo'an Road, Siming District (思明区曾厝埯路2号) (On the Southeastern headland of Xiamen Island. Bus routes 2, 20, 22, 29, 47, 48, 86, 87, 92, 96, 122, 135, 310, 659, 751 and 857. You can also get there on the sightseeing bus), ☏ +86 592 2099603. 08:00-18:00 (summer), 08:00-17:30 (winter). Xiamen has always been vulnerable to attack from the sea and various fortifications have been built over the centuries. The Ming built a fort to defend against Japanese pirates in 1387. The remains of Koxinga's fortifications from the late 1600s are now a tourist attraction on Gulangyu. Cold War era tourist attractions on Taiwan-controlled Kinmen off the coast include guns built for shelling Xiamen and bunkers built to protect against shells from Xiamen.
  The Hulishan Fortress was built in 1894 as part of China's Westernization Movement. The architecture is in a Qing Dynasty style. On the front of the platform there are “Wanggui platform” and “Pangui platform”, from which you can see the Dadan and Xiaodan islands through binoculars (¥4). You can even make out the sign promoting Chinese unification, installed on Dadan island by a Taiwanese general in the '80s. In the yard of the cannon platform there is a gorgeous wall sculpture named “the Soul of the Nation” and a water fountain. ¥25. 
• 🌍 Music Square (音乐广场), 318 Huandao Road South, Siming District (思明区环岛南路318号) (Bus routes 29, 47, 122, 751 and 857). A park-like area along the boardwalk with sculptures of/about many famous composers and musicians, both Western and Chinese. Look for the public toilets with the musical notes on the wall, or a large red sculpture that looks somewhat like an open fan. Free. 

There are a number of other sights outside these main areas:

• 🌍 10,000-Rock Botanical Garden (Wànshí Zhìwùyuán 万石植物园), Siming District (思明区) (The easy way to get there is by taxi. You can also walk there from Zhongshan Park metro station or take bus nos. 87, 309 or b3. Alternately, from either the university or the temple, climb the hill on the inland side (easier using the path behind the temple) and descend to the garden.), ☏ +86 592 2024785. 06:30-18:00. Over 2 km² (500 acres) of gardens, some dedicated to particular plants such as bamboo, palms or coniferous trees, with a lake, bridges, several temples, a network of footpaths, a bonsai exhibit, and an exhibit hall with over a thousand types of flowers. ¥30. 
• 🌍 Xiamen Culture and Art Centre (厦门文化艺术中心, Xiamen Wenhua Yishu Zhongxin), 95 Tiyu Road, Siming District (思明区体育路95号) (Bus nos. 24, 25, 101, 116, 126, 780, 845, 846, 859 and 954 go to the north side of the Centre. Bus nos. 8, 9, 86, 88 and 941 go to the south side). Both a museum and a performance venue. The Xiamen Library is here too. 
  • Xiamen Museum (厦门市博物馆), Xiamen Culture and Art Centre, ☏ +86 592 5371607. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays and on the eve of Chinese New Year. The city's main museum. Free. (updated Feb 2019)
  • Xiamen Science and Technology Museum (厦门科技馆), Xiamen Culture and Art Centre, ☏ +86 592 5148555. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. ¥40 (main exhibition halls), ¥40 (children's amusement park), ¥30 (film tickets). (updated Feb 2019)
  • Xiamen Culture House (厦门市文化馆), Xiamen Culture and Art Centre, ☏ +86 592 5371757, +86 592 2112751, +86 592 5371717. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays (art museum opening hours only). Incorporates the Xiamen Art Museum (美术馆). Cultural performances, including music, dance and drama shows are also held in this building. Admission to the art museum is free. Ticket prices for the performances may vary. (updated Feb 2019)
  • Xiamen Municipal Library (厦门市图书馆), Xiamen Culture and Art Centre, ☏ +86 592 5371809, tsg@xmlib.net. Main reading area: 08:00-21:00 (Monday to Thursday), 08:00-12:00 (Friday), 08:00-21:00 (weekends and public holidays. Children's reading area: 12:00-18:30 (Monday to Thursday), 08:00-21:00 (weekends and public holidays during the period from May to November), 08:00-18:30 (weekends and public holidays during the period from December to April). The library sometimes hosts special events and exhibitions. Free. (updated Feb 2019)
• 🌍 Overseas Chinese Museum (华侨博物院), No.493 Siming Nan Lu (Siming South Road), Siming District (思明区思明南路493号) (About halfway from Zhongshan Road to the university. Bus routes 1, 2, 20, 21, 22, 29, 45, 48, 71, 86, 96, 122, 135, 324, 659, 841, and 857), ☏ +86 592 2085345, fax: +86 592 2093032. 09:30-18:00, no entry after 15:30, closed on Mondays. A museum of Overseas Chinese culture and history, started by Tan Kah Kee who also founded Xiamen University. The #21 bus, from the train station to the university with a Zhongshan Road stop, has a stop at the museum. Special attention is given to overseas Chinese who returned to, invested in, or aided the homeland in some way, including activists and military volunteers. Labels are mostly in Chinese. The third floor has an extensive collection of ancient Chinese bronzeware, pottery, and other art, which is interesting even if you can't read the labels. Free. 
• 🌍 Xiamen Olympic Museum (厦门奥林匹克博物馆), 2017 Lüling Road, Siming District (思明区吕岭路2017号) (On the east side of the island. Bus routes 58, 68 and 98), ☏ +86 592 2956065, +86 592 2956066, 211@vip.163.com. 09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. A museum about the Olympic Games. Established with the approval of the International Olympic Committee and the China Olympic Committee. ¥50. (updated Feb 2019)
• 🌍 Wuyuan Bay Wetland Park (五缘湾湿地公园), Huli District (湖里区) (Bus routes 18, 435, 439a, 439b, and 641), ☏ +86 592 5220888. Open all day. Xiamen's largest wetland park, covering an area of about 85 hectares or about half the size of Gulangyu Island. Free. (updated Feb 2019)

Xiamen is host to many influential trade shows. A majority of the Xiamen exhibitions are located at the Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center (XICEC), listed as one of the world's top exhibition centers by Trade Show Executive .

• The China Xiamen Machinery and Electronics Exhibition (CXMEE), also called the Straits Fair since it is run as a joint venture with a Taiwan organisation, is downtown (on Hubin Bei Lu) in the Spring.
• The China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) is held at XICEC.
• The annual China International Garden and Flower Exposition takes place in a different city each year. It was in Xiamen in 2007, and a large Water Garden Expo Park was built to host it (details at Jimei#See); presumably it will return there sometime.
• There is an annual Xiamen International Stone Fair at the XICEC from March 6–9 and reserved for industry professionals.
• The biannual Xiamen Buddhist Fair is held in the Spring and Autumn. Is generally open to the public, but is oriented towards industry professionals.
• An annual Xiamen Tea Fair takes place in October and is open to the public for retail purchases of tea products. It is the world's largest of its kind. See Chinese cuisine#Tea for background.

Two areas with many cheap local restaurants are around the university and the many smaller streets near Zhongshan Rd, inland from the ferry terminus.

There is an old restaurant on the east end of Zhongshan Rd (intersection of Xinhua Rd) which serves the local dish Shachamian, noodles with peanut soup.

Gulangyu also has much cheap food, though prices there are higher than Xiamen.

The area from the north side of Yundang Lake over to Haiwan Park has a large number of bars, cafes and restaurants. Most are mid-to-high priced, though there are exceptions. Many are popular with Xiamen's large community of expatriates.

There is a whole strip of about twenty cafes and bars along the lake on Xidi Coffee Street (西堤咖啡一条街) running West from the Marco Polo Hotel. Most of them are in villa-style homes converted to cafes with patios or balconies with a view of the lake; these are upmarket establishments whose clients include tourists and expats, but are mainly well-off locals. The parking area along the lake always has many BMWs, Audis and SUVs, and often a Ferrari or two.

Most of these serve Western food, but many have Chinese dishes as well and there are some with other specialties. The area also has some stores, also mostly upmarket, selling things like ceramics and lacquerwork.

• 🌍 Coyote Cafe & Cantina, 58-2 Ganglong Huayuan (Off the main road east of Marco Polo, right down on the lake shore), ☏ +86 592 5046623. Lunch and dinner. Tex-Mex food made with fresh ingredients. Excellent cheesecake. 
• 🌍 Geo Geo Cafe, No. 3, Yundang Road (Xidi Coffee Street) (on the corner a block west of Marco Polo), ☏ +86 592-533-0111. Serves good Italian and American food and coffee. 
• Marco Polo Hotel. Does a good Sunday international buffet for ¥120 plus service. 
• Old Villa Western Food Restaurant, No. 3-9 Yuandang Rd, ☏ +86 5033377. 
• Samadhi, A-115, Xidi Villa, Yundang Rd (2nd block from Marco Polo, beyond Geo Geo). Vegetarian 
• Shogun (on the 3rd floor of the Marco Polo). Japanese food 

On the side streets off the lake are more places, some of them more modest in decor and pricing.

• Tutto Bene, Jien Ye Road 1-16 (across the street from Marco Polo), ☏ +86 592-504-6026. A very good Italian place. 
• Mama Mia (next door to Tutto Bene). Another Italian place, which for some reason chose a location right next door to an existing one 
• Burger Bar, Guanren Lu (one road north of The Londoner). Good quality burgers made with Australian Wagyu beef. A build your own menu with different size patties, including a cheese stuffed option. Not many seats inside but service is quick. 
• 🌍 Chongching (down the side street next to Geo Geo). Excellent Sichuan food, moderate prices, plain decor. Staff do not speak English, but there is English on the menu. 
• The Londoner, 5-8 Guanren Lu (on a street of bars behind Marco Polo), ☏ +86 592-5089783. noon to late, every day. British-themed pub with a range of draft beers, home of the Xiamen Typhoons Rugby Union Football Club. 

Inland of the lake, behind a KFC, at 27 Hubin Bei Lu (Lakeside North Street) is a cluster of shops called Haiwan Xincheng. It has several other places:

• Tuscany Cafe (厦门市湖滨北路27号海湾新城102之二), Shop 102-2. Mainly European dishes with a few Mexican dishes. The owner/chef is a former chef of the Four Seaons Hotel, Hong Kong. The prices are reasonable, with most items under ¥50 with free bruschetta. They also have a special lunch menu which is quite cheap. The staff are able to speak English. 
• Xiamen Sports Cafe, Shop 103 (in the back left corner of the group of shops). Nice sports bar popular with some locals but mainly expats. The bar has a reasonably priced food menu, with the pizza being of high quality. Daily happy hour with cheap pints of Tiger. Especially good if it is your first time to Xiamen and you are looking for some advice on things to do 
• Tastes of South-East Asia (厦门滨北中行肯德基后面), Shop 106, ☏ +86 592-514 3227. 11:00-21:00. Bright, clean and colourful, TOSEA serves a selection of fresh homemade food from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia. All at very reasonable prices. English/Chinese menus. ¥15-35. 
• Greg's Restaurant, 1C N 10 Hubin Bei Road, ☏ +86 13950107808, greg@gregs.com.cn. 10:00-22:00. Greg's is a little piece of France in China. They serve traditional French dishes, from bouillabaisse to the lamb shank, including Gillardeau oysters from Arcachon. The chef adapts his recipes for each customer, personalising the sauce and way of cooking. He also changes the menu seasonally, featuring fresh seasonal products. ¥200. (updated Nov 2016)

Haiwan Park (Haiwan Gongyuan in Chinese), just west of the lake, also has a number of places:

• Havana Beach, Haiwan Park (among the group of bars by the sea.). Latin American food and often live latin music. 
• Jiangfeng Yuhuo, Haiwan Park. Seafood on a charcoal grill. 
• JJ Bar and Grill, Haiwan Park (near the south end of the group of bars by the sea.). A neon sign above the entrance says "Welcome to Texas" and that is the theme. For an American looking for a taste of home, this is good choice – steaks, barbecue, fajitas, and a lot of classic US-style appetizers. If you're really sporty, there is even a mechanical bull. Band at night plays mostly western classics. Frequent dinner stop for expats. Just around the corner are the popular nightclubs. 
• 🌍 Me & You 2, No.1 Hou Hai Ting, Haiwan Park (at the north end of the strip of bars by the sea.). Owner is a cheerful Scandinavian; decor includes some Viking-themed items. Good menu with both Asian and Western options including a large range of pizzas from ¥45-65 (they also deliver). They have Becks, Tiger and Stella on tap. Happy hour until 20:00 (Becks and Tiger are half price). Live music sometimes (in English). 

The park has a lot of other stuff as well, including a lot of flowerbeds and lawns, popular with picnicking locals, an amusement park with several rides, several swimming pools, a roller skate and skateboard area, and a number of discos and nightclubs (see next section).

The Avenue of the Stars in the park is 300 m long by 40 wide and has over 2000 LEDs in the pavement which do computer-controlled light shows. A musical fountain down its center has 240 water nozzles, also computer-controlled.

Buses 11, 22, 31, 43, 54, 66, 71,102, 504, 520, 533, 625, 803, 808 and 810 stop just outside the park at the Haiwan Gongyuan stop. From the westernmost stop on the BRT, it is a ten-minute walk north along the seacoast to reach the south end of the park. From the area around the Marco Polo, a ten-minute walk west on Hubin Bei Lu puts you at the north end of the park.

Xiada Street, between the university main gate and Nanputuo Temple, has many restaurants. These mainly cater to the student trade, so they tend to be relatively plain but to offer good value. Neither English menus nor English-speaking staff are common.

Along the boardwalk by the beach, from near the university out toward Hulishan Fortress, are many more restaurants and food stalls.

• Red Armadillo, 18 Zeng Cuo An, Huandao Rd, ☏ +86 592-256-4128. A restaurant serving American and Mexican food. 
• Prague Cafe. A Czech restaurant with hamburgers, homemade sandwiches, Czech beer, and organic Xiamen-made bread. Sometimes there is goulash as well. Prices are good (about ¥45 for a very large hamburger with fries). Owner/manager is Czech and speaks English. Across from Xiada. 
• 🌍 Dafang (大方素食馆), 408 Siming South Road 思明南路408号. Upscale all-vegetarian restaurant. ¥60–100. (updated Mar 2024)

There are also restaurants and bars at various other locations around town.

• Lujiang Harbourview Hotel, Lujiang Road & Zhongshan Rd (Just south of the Gulangyu ferry terminal). Has a nice sixth floor al fresco restaurant looking out at Gulangyu Island. The restaurant has an English menu and serves Fujian specialities. Highlight was some excellent wasabi marinated cucumber slices. 
• Indiano John's, 69 Jian Tou Bei Lu (SM Mall area), ☏ +86 592-5557699. Indian food 
• Temptation of Spicy Fragrance (香辣诱惑川菜馆), No.625, Xianyue Road (inside the Smart Hero Club 骏豪会) (SM Mall area), ☏ +86 592-555-1111. An upmarket Sichuan place. 
• Little Chili (Xiao La Jiao), Xiahe Commercial Building (厦禾商厦), No.323, Xiahe Rd, ☏ +86 592-291-7773. daily 11:00-22:00. Offers excellent Chinese food, mainly spicy Sichuan food, at an affordable price. There is English on the menu, but staff do not speak English. 

• 🌍 Xiamen Old Town Hostel (厦门古街青年旅舍), Kaihe Road, 24 Jiutiao alley (开禾路-九条巷24) (from Train Station take the BRT in front of the station #3/#2/#1 exit at Kaihe Road stop (开禾路). The hostel is a little hard to find, deep in a maze of narrow alleys, but the neighbors seem to know that travelers are looking for this place. From the airport it is best to take a taxi to intersection of Xiahe road (厦禾路) and Kaihe Road (开禾路). From there, call the hostel and staff will come find you.), ☏ +86 13313848939, xiamenhostel@hotmail.com. Check-in: 12:30, check-out: 12:00. A family-run hostel in a three-floor house located in one of the oldest parts of Xiamen, very central. The hostel has a large rooftop garden with a view of the city and harbour, wireless Internet, and big community kitchen. It is right off of the Kaihe road food market, one of the largest open air markets in China with lots of fresh veggies and seafood. You can also eat some the cheapest food in China at many small local eateries. ¥60 4-bed dormitories. Single rooms start at ¥120. 
• Hostel Locanda, No.35 Minzu Rd, Siming District, ☏ +86 592 2082918. One block from the waterfront with Gulangyu island across the water. It is a 10-minute walk to Zhongshan Road and Lundu Ferry and 20-minute walk to Xiamen University. Lovely double rooms upstairs, but the dorms on the ground floor are cramped and the shared bathrooms far from clean. Garden but no kitchen at all. 
• Xiamen Baijiacun International Youth Hostel, 20 Liaohua Lu (蓼花路20) (from Songbo (松柏) bus station, take bus #86/#616 to Gongyuan Dong Lu (公园东路), the hostel is on the opposite side with a red wall, taxi ¥17), ☏ +86 592 2131010, baijiacunhostel@hotmail.com. Clean, spacious hostel in a great location at Zhongshan Gongyuan (中山公园). ¥50 8-bed dormitory. 
• Xiamen International Youth Hostel, 41 Nanhua Road, Siming District, ☏ +86 592 2082345, fax: +86 592 2199876, yhaxm@yhaxm.com. Very well kept YHA hostel, dorms or rooms are impeccably clean and comfortable. Friendly, small kitchen, bar, space to sit. Close to Xiamen university and easily reached by bus (1 or 21 from the railway station, ¥1). 
• Meihulu Hotel (美湖鹭酒店), 52-5 Hubin Nan Lu (湖滨南路52-5号), Siming District (Almost invisible on the opposite left of the long-distance bus station), ☏ +86 2572255. Small place that accepts foreign passports and is quiet, yet conveniently located. From ¥70. 
• Xiamen Travellers' Home (旅行者之家), No.23 Zeng Cuo An, Island Ring Road 厦门环岛路曾厝垵23号, ☏ +86 592 2516180 -136 0693 7090. A very homy place to stay for holiday. clean, great hospitality, 5 rooms ensure small number of guests staying. low seaon – ¥200, high season ¥280/night. 

• Gem Hotel. Beautiful Japanese-style rooms overlooking much of downtown Xiamen. Includes Chinese buffet breakfast and free wired internet access. Most of the staff speak English well and are extremely helpful. ¥200+. 
• Jing Hua Hotel, 1130 Xiahe Rd, Siming District, ☏ +86 592 5819898. Three-star hotel offering 146 air-conditioned rooms, all of which have Internet access, satellite TV, and mini-bar. Some of its amenities include KTV, fitness center, and sauna. Best rates on official website start at ¥258. 
• 🌍 Lujiang Harbourview Hotel, 54 Lujiang Rd (100 metres south of the ferry station, at the foot of Zhongshan Road), ☏ +86 592 2022922. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. A grand old place, very central, near the Gulangyu ferry terminal. The restaurant has authentic dim sum. 
• 🌍 Somerset Software Park Xiamen, No.2 Jinshan Rd, Siming District, ☏ +86-592-3236-888, enquiry.china@the-ascott.com. With 167 apartments ranging from studio to three bedroom apartments, the property is equipped with a breakfast lounge, children's playground, gymnasium and a video room. (updated Oct 2017)

• Le Méridien Xiamen (厦门艾美酒店), 7 Guanjun Rd, ☏ +86 592 770 9999, fax: +86 592 770 9998, reservation.xiamen@lemeridien.com. Surrounded by open spaces and lush vegetation. Nestled on a slope of Xianyue Hill. Breathtaking views of Xiamen Bay. 
• 🌍 Marco Polo Hotel. This hotel is on Yundang Lake, and offers a very good international buffet and a great atmosphere. 
• Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen, 12-8 Zhenhai Rd, ☏ +86 592 2023333, fax: +86 592 2036666, bc@millenniumxiamen.com. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. Located in downtown Xiamen which is a major shopping and business district, the hotel is only minutes away on foot to the ferry to Gulangyu Island. It features a 22-story building that houses 352 rooms that include various business facilities including a work-desk and high speed Internet access. 
• Pan Pacific Xiamen, 19 Hubin Bei Lu (Lakeside North Road), ☏ +86 592 507 8888, toll-free: 0800 0850 229, fax: +86 592 507 8899, enquiry.ppxmn@panpacific.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A super modern hotel with stunning sea views and natural scenery. The rooms use a lot of glass and modern design techniques. The hotel also has an excellent ¥100 lunch buffet. Facilities include a fitness center, spa and pool. Rooms start at ¥630. 
• Sheraton Xiamen Hotel, 386-1 Jiahe Rd, ☏ +86 592 5525888. The latest international chain hotel to grace Xiamen's shores. It is very plush, and the Waves Pan Asian buffet is very good. 
• Xiamen Fliport Software Park Hotel. Luxury hotel in a software park development area near the airport