Xiamen – The Island City

Xiamen is a city in south China’s Fujian province, with the majority of the city located on the island of the same name. Xiamen has a unique feel to it compared to other cities in China. It’s a little more relaxed than other Chinese cities, and there is that beachside culture mixed with historic European architecture from the time of the European settlement on Gulangyu Island.

Xiamen is the last city I visited in China before leaving the country in 2022. I visited in summer, which is a great time to visit this city. There are a lot of outdoor activities to do, historic sites to visit, and parks to enjoy. Plus the summer weather in Xiamen is great!

Conrad Xiamen

The Shimao Cross-Strait Plaza towers, also known as the Twin Towers of Xiamen or the Conrad Xiamen (due to one of the towers hosting the hotel), are the iconic towers of Xiamen. Standing at 300m tall, they’re hard to miss.

At the base of the towers you’ll find a shopping mall, but the real reason to visit is the observation deck and walkway.

Near the top you’ll get a harness and helmet, then you can walk along a short glass walkway in the sky.

You can sit on the edge and hang your feet over, and the staff will take your photo.

On a clear day you can see the nearby Taiwanese islands Yanyu and Kinmen, and you’ll also be able to see Gulangyu. The views from the top are great and definitely worth it if you’re not scared of heights!

Xiamen Botanical Garden

The Xiamen Botanical Garden and surrounding parks are a nice way to get away from the busy streets of the city. There’s a really cool rainforest-like part where you can walk under small waterfalls, a huge range of plants and flowers, some peaks to climb for a view over the city, and one of the best views of Conrad Xiamen you can get in the city.

The garden covers quite a large area so you can spend quite a lot of the day here.

Gulangyu Island

Gulangyu is a small island off the coast of Xiamen. It can be reached by ferry and, although quite hilly, is easily walkable. You won’t have a choice as the island is pedestrian only. You can easily spend a day walking around the island, enjoying the sights, stopping for food, or maybe taking a break on one of the many beaches.

The island is famous for its beaches and architecture. The architecture on the island is mostly European in style, as European countries including Great Britain, France and the Netherlands, as well as other nations including Japan and the USA, colonised the island or built their embassies there. Walking around some of the streets makes you feel like you’ve teleported to Europe.

When I reached the island I began walking around in an anti-clockwise direction. This took me along a coastal path past some beautiful beaches.

I reached a temple at the bottom of Sunlight Rock, then took the stairs to the top.

This is the highest point on the island and will give you amazing views.

It’s also the busiest part of the island and will likely be packed at the top. I went while Covid restrictions were in place and it was still like that, so I can’t imagine how busy it will be now.

Another highlight on the island is the statue of Koxinga, a general of the Ming Empire who resisted the Qing conquest of China. This statue stands on the east of the island facing back towards the city. Koxinga is also a hero in Taiwan where he rid the island of the Dutch occupiers.

Other notable places on Gulangyu include the US consulate building, the Kulangsu Catholic Church, and the piano museum.

South Putuo temple

South Putuo Temple is an impressive Buddhist temple in Xiamen. You always see monks around the temples, but this was the first one where I saw dozens of them living there.

The temple grounds are beautiful, with a fountain display at the front backdropped by the Conrad Xiamen.

If there’s one Buddhist temple you visit in Xiamen, let it be this one!

Hulishan Cannon Fort

Hulishan Cannon Fort sits on the coast of Xiamen, overlooking the sea. The main feature of this fortress is the large 280mm Krupp cannon, the largest extant coastal cannon in the world.

There is also the fortress comprised of the barracks, watchtowers and trenches, as well as many smaller cannons around the hill.

The view out to see from the hill is also worth taking the trip to Hulishan for.

Hongshan Park and Temple

For a quieter temple and more great views across Xiamen, head to Hongshan Park. Near the entrance to the park is a Buddhist temple of the same name.

Head to the highest point of the park for the 360 degree views, and hold on because I found this to be one of the windiest points on the island!

Zhongshanlu

Zhongshanlu is a 1km long pedestrian street in the historic part of the city. Here you’ll find lots of restaurants and souvenir shops, and if you’re lucky you can walk down getting free samples from all the food places.

It’s a good street to stroll along at night. At the end you’ll come to the sea where you can watch the sunset as the lights come on over on Gulangyu.

Go Cycling

While some parts of Xiamen are quite hilly, the road around the coast is fairly flat and makes for a nice cycling route. You’ll find many rental bikes scatted around the streets of Xiamen. These can be accessed through apps like Didi and Alipay.

For a long but fairly easy ride, consider going from Zhongshanlu round to Wuyuan Bridge. This is the route I took, which is around 20-25km long. You’ll follow the coast for most of it, but unfortunately you can’t cycle too close to the sea. Still, the route is enjoyable and could probably be extended to go all the way around the island (though after Wuyuan Bridge you’ll come to the airport where routes may be more restricted).

You can choose to cycle back, or do as I did and take a taxi partway back and walk along the beach.

Go to the Beach

Being an island, Xiamen has plenty of beaches. As mentioned earlier, there are quite a few to enjoy on Gulangyu, but the main island also has plenty of options. Some of the best are on the southern and easter sides. Here you can walk along the beach for long uninterrupted stretches. You’ll also be able to see the Taiwanese islands of Yanyu and Kinmen from here.