Xiamen 厦门
Colonial island, seafood, and the closest subtropical coast to Taiwan.
- Region
- Fujian
- Best months
- Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov
- Nights to budget
- 2
- Airport
- Gaoqi International (XMN)
Why visit Xiamen
- Gulangyu is a car-free island of 19th-century consulates
- Best seafood value of any Chinese coastal city
- Direct ferries and flights onward to Taiwan
What to see
- • Gulangyu Island
- • Nanputuo Temple
- • Xiamen University and Baicheng beach
- • Zengcuoan village
- • HuanDao Road coastal cycling
- • Zhongshan Road
What to eat
- Shacha noodles
- Oyster omelette
- Peanut soup
- Fish ball soup
- Satay beef
Getting there
Xiamen North to Fuzhou 1h30; the coastal high-speed line runs the whole Fujian coast.
Xiamen has a metro, so most journeys inside the city cost ¥2–10 and avoid traffic entirely.
Practical guides for Xiamen
City-specific topic pages are being written city by city. In the meantime these national guides apply everywhere.
- Visa & entry
Whether you need a visa for China, and the three routes that get most travellers in without one.
- Payment & money apps
Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign cards.
- eSIM & connectivity
How to get online in China without losing access to Google, WhatsApp and Instagram.
- Safety
China is statistically one of the safest countries for travellers.
- Getting around
Metro, taxi, ride-hailing and buses — how each works and which to use when.
- High-speed rail
The world’s largest high-speed network — how to book, board and not miss your train.
- Food & eating
How to order, what the regional specialities actually are, and how to handle dietary needs.
- Hotels & booking
Which sites actually work for foreigners, and what to check before you pay.
- Attraction tickets
Almost every major attraction now requires a timed online reservation, often days ahead.
- Money & costs
What a day actually costs, where the money goes, and how to budget by tier.
- Language & communication
How far English gets you, and the handful of Chinese that changes the trip.
- Apps you need
The short list of apps that make the trip work, and what each one replaces.