A warm, green seaside city with a heritage island a short ferry ride away and earthen tulou a day trip inland.
A warm, green seaside city with a heritage island a short ferry ride away and earthen tulou a day trip inland.
A small island of old villas, gardens and lanes, reached only by ferry and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitor ferries leave from the Dongdu Passenger Terminal, not the ferry pier opposite Zhongshan Road, so book the right crossing before you go.
A large working Buddhist temple, open 8:00–18:00 (the hill behind it until 16:00). Entry needs a free advance booking.
The university campus next door to Nanputuo. Visitors must book a time slot and enter through the visitor center passage; libraries, canteens and teaching buildings are closed to them.
A village of narrow lanes on the south coast, now lined with snack stalls and cafés, and a popular place to eat in the evening.
The coastal road along the island's south and east shores, with a seaside path for walking and cycling. Rent a bike near Zengcuo'an or Baicheng Beach and ride a stretch.
Huge round and square earthen houses in southwest Fujian, 46 of them listed by UNESCO. The Tianluokeng cluster and Yunshuiyao village in Nanjing County are about 2.5 hours from Xiamen by road, so go with a driver or a day tour.
Noodles in a savory satay-style broth, topped with your pick of squid, shrimp, pork, tofu puffs or duck blood.
Small fresh oysters fried with egg and sweet potato starch, crisp at the edges and served with a sweet-spicy sauce.
Very fine rice noodles in a thick oyster broth with garlic and coriander, eaten as a snack.
Peanuts simmered for hours in a light, sweet broth, often eaten with fried dough sticks.
A cold local snack of sand worms set in their own clear jelly, eaten with a dipping sauce and chili; for the curious.
Xiamen is a port city on an island off the coast of Fujian province, in China’s southeast. It is warm, green and compact, and it suits travelers who want a slower few days by the sea after the big cities. The two reasons to come are Gulangyu, a small island of old villas and gardens a short ferry ride away, and the Fujian tulou, huge round earthen houses a day trip inland.
Xiamen fits most easily after Shanghai: about five hours by high-speed train or two hours by air. Food here means seafood and snacks rather than big banquets, and most of it costs little.
Start early at Nanputuo Temple, which opens at 8:00, then walk into Xiamen University next door on a slot you booked in advance. After lunch, take a taxi to Zengcuo’an and rent a bike for a stretch of Huandao Road along the shore, then come back to the village lanes for an evening of snacks.
Give the second day to Gulangyu. Take a morning ferry from the Dongdu terminal, walk the lanes and gardens at your own pace, and return in the late afternoon. The streets around Zhongshan Road, back on the main island, are good for dinner. If you have a third day, book a driver or a group tour to the tulou: it is a long day, with about 2.5 hours on the road each way.
Alipay’s transport QR code covers the metro and buses; set it up before you arrive with the paying in China guide.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
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