Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Xiamen - China's Hidden Treasure

In the mid-2000s I had heard of Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guagzhou hitting the world headlines but had never heard, or knew of Xiamen. It was during a chance visit to this island city that was my first introduction to mainland China.



My flight connected me from Hong Kong International airport to Xiamen via a smooth short journey. There were actually 5 connections daily from Hong Kong. Landing at the airport, one was reminded of the large scale socialist type architecture but still impressive. Xiamen is a city which maintains special status from the government so it has more relaxed laws on commerce and it is considered a green garden state. It is part of the Fujian Province and Fujian seafood is the main cuisine there.

My hotel (Crowne Plaza Harbour View, now known as the Millennium Harbour View) was located at the Southern tip of the island. There are two approaches, one through the city and one around the island which is a longer and scenic but takes a shorter time. This longer route is well worth it if one wants to enjoy the first glimpses of the natural beauty of the island which is reminiscent of Classic Chinese Landscape art. Beautiful outcrops of mountain on the land side and smooth sandy beaches on the other. The taxi system, like in most of large Chinese cities is very systematic and safe. Due to this special status, there are also laws on no honking and strict speed limits so the city is literally very peaceful.

My first trip was to the extremely serene and beautiful Wanshi (Xiamen) Botanical Park. It is only a ten minutes taxi ride from the Hotel. The place should be best visited during the day time to early afternoon. The Garden/Park is a carefully designed heritage site in the central part of the city - the best part about the trip is starting at one point and ending in another part of the city! The Oolong Tea ceremony should not be missed while catching a breath.

One of the key features of the city is the artificial inland lake/canal system in the Northern Central part of the city. Once again it takes 20 minutes to reach there. This like, the rest of the city is beautified with a park running along the length of it. During this walk, one can catch the famous Amoy Maiden Statue. In the evenings the walk from the western end to the end of the canal and choose from a variety of restaurants as well as nightclubs and bars. Binlang Road and the Bailuzhou area are the best bet for some riveting nightlife.

The South Eastern Coast of the Island is the part of the island with sandy beaches which are scenic and beautiful but better left for driving along, cycling or going for walks rather than swimming. The best and possibly the highlight of Xiamen is a trip to the Gulangyu island literally across the Southern coast. It can be crossed by regular ferries for $2. Gulangyu island requires at least a day or half to really enjoy. The Islet is famous for producing China's most famous pianists. Once again it has been developed in majestic landscaping form. The typical tour is to walk all around the island which will take a good 2 hours. The Islet was also famous for Colonial Embassies which are now preserved buildings which add to the charm. Great seafood, fresh from the aerated tanks is the choice of the cuisine in the famous subtle Fujian style. Walking into the islet, one eventually reaches the highest point from where some great views of the Southern Xiamen coastline can be seen. Do not forget to buy the famous mooncakes, the meat ones are terrific! For the enthusiasts of nature, there is also a large open air aviary.

Xiamen is small city with a population of 2 millions and is mostly untouched by the concrete development as in other larger cities of China. For someone traveling to the main cities, it is a perfect place to drop by and relax and soak in some authentic Chinese culture in a very relaxed and non-commercial way. It may be small, but the infrastructure is fantastic and shopping and cuisine are at amazing prices.

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