Xiamen

Xiamen has reinvented itself more dramatically than perhaps any other city on China's southeastern coast. From its origins as a minor fishing village, it rose to prominence as one of the five treaty ports forced open after the First Opium War in 1842, became the staging ground for vast waves of emigration to Southeast Asia, and today ranks among China's most liveable and forward-looking cities — a place where century-old colonial architecture coexists with cutting-edge contemporary design along one of the most beautiful urban waterfronts in Asia.

The heart of Xiamen's appeal is Gulangyu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site floating just five hundred metres offshore. Banned to motor vehicles, this tiny island is a living museum of colonial architecture — over a thousand historic buildings representing styles from Art Deco to Southern Fujian vernacular to Victorian Gothic, all woven together by narrow lanes shaded by banyan trees. Once home to thirteen foreign consulates and a thriving international settlement, Gulangyu earned the nickname "Piano Island" for its extraordinary density of pianos and musical tradition; the island has produced more concert pianists per capita than anywhere else in China.

Xiamen's culinary identity is rooted in Hokkien (Southern Fujian) cooking, one of China's great regional cuisines and the ancestor of much of Southeast Asian Chinese food. Oyster omelettes, fried on screaming-hot griddles at night market stalls, are crispy, briny perfection. Satay noodles — a local invention that reflects centuries of trade with the Malay world — swim in a rich peanut-based broth that is simultaneously sweet, spicy, and deeply savoury. The spring rolls here are not the heavy fried cylinders found elsewhere but translucent, paper-thin crepes wrapped around julienned vegetables and sweet peanut crumbs.

Beyond Gulangyu, the Huandao Road scenic route circles the island of Xiamen proper, offering cycling paths and boardwalks with views across the Taiwan Strait to the islands of Kinmen — a poignant reminder of the complex geopolitics that continue to shape this region. The Nanputuo Temple, a Tang Dynasty Buddhist complex at the foot of Wulao Peak, provides a contemplative counterpoint to the city's modernity. South Putuo Beach and the botanical gardens on Wanshi Mountain offer green retreats within the urban fabric.

Xiamen is well-connected by high-speed rail to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and by direct flights to major Asian capitals. The subtropical climate is pleasant year-round, though the period from October to January offers the most comfortable temperatures and least rainfall. Ferries to Gulangyu depart frequently from the International Cruise Centre terminal; booking in advance is advisable during Chinese holidays when visitor numbers are controlled by quota.