I visited Xiamen in April with my parents, who were visiting relatives nearby.
Xiamen city is both modern and traditional at the same time. Take a walk through Zhongshan Park in the morning or evening, and you will see a hive of activities that will make you feel you are right in the heart of China. I really like this park for its design, tradition, and activities. So much like what a park should be. It's a microcosm of life in China. There are also many other parks in Xiamen. In fact, Xiamen is known as the Garden city of China.
By evening, take a walk along Zhongshan Street pedestrian Mall. This is a huge shopping street with no traffic, and you can walk and shop till you drop. Don't forget to taste the peanut roll ice-cream costing 15 RMB each. Unique, and a very neat way to eat ice-cream. Call it popiah ice-cream if you like. If you go there on a Saturday evening, enjoy the big crowd and the vibrancy of the place. Nearby are many seafood restaurants that Xiamen is noted for. Contrary to stereotyped opinion about Chinese food, the food here is not salty and oily. In fact, Xiamen's cooking is light and natural. The beer they serve over there are light with only 3% or slightly more alcohol content. A dinner for eight with about 8 dishes costs only 200+ RMB.
Don't forget a visit to the NanPutuo temple (南普陀寺), and taste the delightful vegetarian food at the restaurant. Many VIPs have been there, even PM Lee. If you are fit, try climbing up the steep hill behind the temple.
A visit to Jimei University is a must. It is a beautiful and sprawling campus that is strongly associated with Tan Kah Kee, a man who emigrated to Singapore and who founded the university with money from his successful business. When I was there, I was quite visibly moved by a young woman who bowed three times before his memorial. A man greatly revered in Xiamen, but largely forgotten in Singapore.
Gulanyu, needless to say, is the most famous place in Xiamen. This island is steeped in history and interesting anecdotes. So, you really need a well-informed guide to make your visit to the island worthwhile. When Chiang Kai Shek fled to Taiwan, one of the chalets on Gulanyu was a transit point to hide the huge amount of gold bars to be transported to Taiwan. These gold bars became the foundation for Taiwan's economy.
Xiamen has that unique spirit of tourism, able to retain the old, yet keeping up with the new. There are many other places outside of Xiamen that are within 1 to 2 hours journey by car. The expressways there are now very modern and fast.
If you have the time, try to go to Qingshuiyan (请水岩). A beautiful mountain top temple in the Penglai mountain of Anxi county. When I was there, it was raining lightly and the whole place was shrouded in rain and mist. It brings to life the famous poem: 南朝四百八十寺,多少楼台烟雨中. The poem roughly means that of all the temples in the era of 南朝 ( a period preceding the Tang dynasty and when Buddhism was popular), how many are shrouded in rain and mist. The full poem is highly regarded for depicting vividly the scene of Southern China in just 4 sentences.
Fujian province has hundreds, if not thousands of Tulou (mud house). The name is a misnomer as the tulou is very solidly constructed with granite rocks and hardwood beams. An interesting anecdote has it that during the Cold War era, the Americans were using satellites to spy on China, and they were visibly shocked when they saw pictures of the rounded Tulou, thinking they were rocket silos built in preparation for the ultimate reclaiming of Taiwan. So, they sent their spies over to take a look on the ground. They must be credited for making the Fujian tulou famous. Incidentally, one of the tulous houses the ancestral tablets of Lee Kuan Yew's ancestors. As for Lee Teng Hui, they removed his, since he has declared that he is a Japanese, not a Chinese.
If you visit the Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, 4 rounded mud houses surrounding a square one, you should also make an extra visit to YunShuiYao (云水谣), a quaint and romantic riverside village characterized by the many ancient Banyan trees dotting the riverbank. It has inspired many artists to go and paint the scenery there.
If you still have time, a visit to the Goddess Mazu Temple (妈祖) on Meizhou Island (湄洲岛) is highly recommended. It is a huge temple complex very popular with Taiwanese tourists. The island itself is very elegant and has a beautiful stretch of beach. The whole culture there is dedicated to the Goddess Mazu. Even the serial Mazu is filmed entirely there.
