Xiamen is generally agreed to be the most charming city in Fujian Province. Located on the southern coast of the province, directly across the straits from Taiwan, Xiamen is comprised of Xiamen Island, Gulang Island and a mainland district running along the mouth of the Jiulong River. A causeway built in 1955 has linked Xiamen Island with the mainland, effectively turning it into a peninsula. It is a sub-provincial city, so is not considered to be the political center of Fujian Province, but thanks to its inclusion on the list of Special Economic Zones set up by the Chinese Government in the 1980s it is an important city in the region, with a very fast-growing economy that has particular strengths in IT, machinery manufacturing and chemicals.

Often called the "Garden on the Sea", Xiamen is dotted with beaches, forests and winding streets that can be navigated easily by bike and pedicab. The picturesque island of Gulang Yu does not allow motor vehicles, ensuring a tranquil respite for visitors escaping hectic city life. Sights such as Sunlight Rock or the ancient fishing village of Dadeng Tri-Islet Touring Area provide ample opportunity for sunbathing, long walks and water-sports. Visiting Hulishan Cannon Platform where visitors can explore the history of the region at Rongguang Mueum, or touring the unusual instruments at the Piano Museum are alternative amusements in the region, alongside the Zheng Chenggong Memorial and Nanputuo Temple where a number of halls and statues give visitors an introduction the Buddhist Faith. The monks who live and work in the temple welcome visitors daily to eat their famous vegetarian food.

One of Xiamen's most famous former residents, is Mr Tan Kah Kee, travelled the world, returning to fund several institutions in the area such as the Jimei Study Village, at Jimei Scenic Area, resting at the foot of Tianma Mountain. He also founded the Overseas Chinese Museum, dedicated to demonstrating and recording the contributions that southeast Chinese and Fujianese immigrants have made to countries across the world. Kah Kee's tomb is another attraction of the area where planted gardens grow around a pretty long-corridor by Dragon Boat Pond, Jiageng Park, Yanping Gulei and Crocodile Garden.

Xiamen is one of the Gateways Into China, thanks to the harbor and its significance in the region. The sea also provides the city with fresh seafood, which is a specialty of the area. A multitude of restaurants over the city can introduce visitors to Fujianese and all other Chinese cuisines. One of the local delicacies visitors should be sure to try is the Yupi Peanut: crispy, flour covered nuts available all over the city as snack-foods and gifts. Visitors can indulge in a little shopping too, hunting for lacquer sculptures, porcelain, and stone carvings which have been associated with the region since the Tang Dynasty.

No Chinese city would be complete without a full calendar of festivals, and Xiamen is no exception. General Zheng's decision to keep his troops' homesickness at bay by instigating a gambling competition with the traditional moon cakes has resulted in Xiamen celebrating the Moon-cake Gambling Festival annually for the past three hundred years. Other city-wide celebrations include the International Dragon Boat Festival and the Phoenix Flower Tourism Festival, which takes place in May, when the flower's flame-red blooms blossom all over the city.

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