Xiamen

Flowers bloom all year round on this subtropical climate, walk 20 minutes in any direction and you'll find a park with shady banyan trees and intoxicatingly sweet flowers.

Xiamen, known for centuries as Amoy, is an ancient island gateway to China. The city was part of the Maritime Silk Road and the heart of Chinese maritime trade. Xiamen was founded in the 14th century as a Ming dynasty trade center and outpost to defend against Japanese pirates. Following the defeat of the Ming by Qing forces in 1644, Xiamen became a stronghold of resistance under the famous general Zheng Chenggong, better known in the West as Koxinga, his Ming title.

Geographically close to Taiwan, Xiamen shares similar cuisine, dialect and customs as many Taiwanese originally came from Minnan, an area of southern Fujian Province. In 1841, the British forced Xiamen to open its port and it became one of the first treaty ports in China. People in Xiamen still cling onto traditions that have long been discontinued in other parts of China – in almost every home can be found a shrine, where people light incense and give offerings of food and prayers. When meandering among the zigzagging old lanes in the evenings, you can often hear the gong and high-pitch singing of Minnan opera.

Xiamen Memorable Experience
Sipping tea amongst lotus flowers in the Nanputuo Temple while monks chant in the background.
Strolling through Gulangyu's narrow streets while being serenaded by music drifting out of open windows.
A night cruise around Xiamen, Gulangyu and Jinmen Island while listening to musicians play traditional Chinese music.