Xiamen, a beautiful coastal city, has a population of 350,000. Originally an egret--shaped island and the habitat of egrets it used to be called Lujiang at a very early date in history.
  In Song Dynasty (960--1279), for a rice stem growing on the island bearing several ears, it was renamed Jiaheyu (Best Rice Strain Island). In the Ming (1368--1644) a city was built and graced with a city tower over the city gate, going by the name of Xiamen. In Qing Dynasty (1644--1911), the name was changed to Xiamenting.

  In 1980, Xiamen was designated as a special economic zone. An island having been linked up with the mainland by a wide causeway since 1956, the city features a pleasant climate and many scenic spots.

  Gulangyu, an islet west of Xiamen has the ruins of a castle built by General Zheng Chenggong (1624--1662). The years after 1840 saw ten foreign countries, including Britain, the United States and Japan, established their consulates on the islet. Sunlight Rock forms the highest spot of the islet. It offers a panorama of the entire islet and surrounding sea. Being a "garden on the sea", Gulanyu is known for its beauty.

  The ancient South Putuo Temple has a history of more than 1,000 years.. A famous tourist site, Jimei is a beautiful town of culture, birthplace of Tan Kah-kee, and local of the Tombs of Tan Kah-kee and Homecoming Hall in honour of this great overseas Chinese patriot. A scenic attraction, the Wanshi Park has weird-shaped rocks and graceful scenery.
  Many hotels have been built in Xiamen, including the Yuehua Hotel, Jinbao Hotel, Xiamen Overseas Chinese Mansion, Lujiang Hotel, Guanghaiyuan Holiday Village and Xiamen Hotel, all well equipped and beautiful in environment. Scheduled flights help the traffic from Xiamen to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan and Fuzhou. The Yingtan--Xiamen Railway links with the Zhejiang--Jiangxi Railway.

Back