Discover Xiamen 發現廈門

06/11/2014

Xiamen：A grand gateway to China
Famed for scenery, business, and cross-Straits culture
By FU CHAO
[email protected]

The coastal city of Xiamen in East China’s Fujian province attracts both tourists and business people from around the world with its leisure charm and investment environment.

William Brown, a US native who became the first foreigner in Fujian province to be granted permanent residency in the 1990s, has lived in the city for almost three decades. As a witness to the rise of a modern Xiamen, the professor of management at Xiamen University’s MBA Center has many stories to tell.

President’s prediction
Brown recalls US President Richard Nixon’s visit to Xiamen in 1985. Nixon was impressed by the beauty of the city, the name of which translates as “gateway to the great mansion (of China)”, saying it would one day become a major tourist spot.

Brown said that the city’s endeavors in the past 30 years proved Nixon right. Last year 46 million overseas tourists visited the city. It has also won a series of honors including International Garden City, the Best Tourist Destination in China and the Most Beautiful Chinese City.

The city’s open-minded and warmhearted people, and its well-developed management system, help create the appeal, said Brown.

Xiamen was among the first batch of cities and regions with approval from the central government to open up their local economies.

When Nixon visited the famed Turtle Garden in Jimei district, a local woman in the garden greeted him in clear English.

“Welcome to Jimei,” she said, a genuine greeting that continues today.

Sentimental value
Brown’s bond with China started in 1977 when he was serving with the US Air Force in Taiwan.

“It was a time of mainland-Taiwan hostility and one day mainland propaganda leaflets were dropped onto the air force base. Police warned us not to touch them, which made me only more curious,” he remembers.

The curiosity later became a longing to step into the mysterious land. He heard about Xiamen from an acquaintance and decided to give it a try.

Later Brown found out that Xiamen is the closest city to Taiwan and the two share traditions and cultures.

Looking back, like most people living in Taiwan, the veteran expatriate realizes the city is a place of huge sentimental value.

People living in Kinmen county in Taiwan usually take a half-hour ferry to Xiamen for routine shopping. It is also only 45 minutes by airplane from Taipei. “If people set off in the morning, they can still make it for an afternoon tea meeting,” said Brown.

The cross-Straits trip is also a highlight of tourism, with the port in Xiamen one of the earliest to start direct routes to Taiwan. In 2011, the city became one of the first to offer self-guided tours to Taiwan.

Xiamen retains a range of traditional events and food in daily life, which has unique appeal to tourists.

Among all the traditional culture of ancient Xiamen, bobing impresses Brown the most. It is an activity originally for the mid-autumn festival.

Short for bo Zhuangyuan — or gambling for topmost student in the national exam — it is not a game of chance over money, rather a game in which to pray for good luck. People toss six dice to earn points to get traditional mooncakes.

“It is widely believed that people who get the most cakes will have the best luck in the rest of the year,” Brown said.

Key to success
Besides cultural Xiamen, Brown also has a lot to say about the city’s economy.

Every September, business groups and officials gather in Xiamen for the China International Fair for Investment & Trade, known as CIFIT. The logo of the event is a golden key.

“The ‘golden key’ helps open the door to success. Every year, participants in CIFIT will have unexpected achievements,” he said.

This year’s CIFIT saw 1,455 deals with a total investment value of 463.9 billion yuan ($75.8 billion).

The city’s business environment, extensive public transport network and abundant tourism resources make it one of the best destinations for expos and conferences.

Brighter prospects
With achievements in the past and opportunities ahead, Xiamen has stepped up efforts to build itself a more beautiful city, Brown said.

He said that the ongoing “Beautiful Xiamen” project will further improve people’s living standards, the natural environment and infrastructure.

The city is also developing its surrounding areas. Before the focus was on Xiamen Island. Brown said regions like Haicang and Jimei districts are now also developed.

“There will be more business opportunities and also more beautiful scenery presented to the world.”

He also noted that, in the future, the city will launch more high-tech services like tourist apps.

06/11/2014

30/10/2014

厦门旅游简介
Xiamen Tourism Overview

厦门市位于中国东南沿海，台湾海峡西岸。陆地面积1573平方公里，海域面积390平方公里，常住人口373万人，年平均气温21℃，冬无严寒，夏无酷暑。厦门市是中国首批经济特区、中国东南沿海重要的国际港口风景旅游城市，曾获“国际花园城市”、“联合国人居奖”殊荣，素有“海上花园”、“最温馨的城市”之美誉。
Xiamen is located on the Southeast coast of China and on the west bank of the Taiwan Straits, with a land area of 1573 km² and a sea area of 390 km². Its registered population is 3.73 million. It enjoys mild winter and cool summer with an annual mean temperature of 21ºC. It is one of China’s first Special Economic Zones as well as an international tourist port city on the Southeast coast of China. It has been awarded Nations in Bloom and the coveted UN Habitat Scroll of Honor, hence long been fondly called “the Garden on the Sea” and “the Coziest City”.

厦门历史悠久，文化底蕴深厚。相传远古时厦门为白鹭栖息之地，故又称“鹭岛”。明代洪武二十年（1387年）开始筑“厦门城”——意寓国家大厦之门，“厦门”之名自此列入史册。1842年，厦门被辟为五口通商口岸，东西方文化开始在此交融，逐渐形成中西合璧的人文特色。厦门文化源远流长，南音是中国现存最古老的乐种之一，被誉为中国音乐的活化石，歌仔戏、高甲戏、木偶戏、拍胸舞等传统艺术争奇斗艳。厦门是中国茶的故乡，是座浸泡在茶香里的城市，英文“tea”是由厦门话“茶（te）”音译而来。博饼是厦门独有的中秋民俗文化，至今已有几百年的历史，每年农历八月，厦门的大街小巷都能听到此起彼伏的掷骰子博饼的声音。厦门不仅是地域上通往中国的大厦之门，也是通往中国的跨文化之门。
Xiamen boasts a long history with splendid cultural heritage. Legend has it that Xiamen was originally a habitat of egrets, hence the nickname “the Egret Island”. In 1387, the 20th year under the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, the town of Xiamen was built as “a grand Gateway to China”. In 1842, Xiamen was among the first five Chinese ports to open for trade. As cultures of the East and the West converges, Xiamen gradually forms a unique culture of its own by appreciating the two sides. Xiamen enjoys splendid culture, including Nanyin, one of the oldest existing folk music forms in China, and other traditional art forms such as Gezai opera, Gaojia opera, puppet show, chest-slapping dance and etc. As the origin of Chinese tea, Xiamen has everything to do with tea. Actually even the English word “tea” is a loan word from “te” in Xiamen Dialect. Mooncake gambling is a time-honored local custom to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. When the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar comes, the sound of locals throwing dice and cheering for the gambling game is heard everywhere. Xiamen is not only a grand land gateway to China, but also a gateway to the Chinese culture.

厦门，城在海上，海在城中，旅游资源丰富，旅游服务设施配套完善，形成了休闲度假、商务会展、海峡旅游、文化旅游、滨海旅游五个旅游产品体系。鼓浪屿是厦门城市名片，素有“音乐之岛”、“万国建筑博览”的美誉。厦门有旅游饭店120多家。厦门高崎国际机场是中国十大繁忙机场之一，现开通运营城市航线140条，航线遍及大陆及港澳台地区、东南亚、韩国、日本及欧美地区。从厦门，您还可以非常方便地前往世界文化和自然双遗产的武夷山、世界文化遗产的福建土楼、海上丝绸之路起点泉州等。
Xiamen, a city on the sea, boasts abundant tourism resources, well established tourism service facilities including over 120 hotels and five pillar tourism product sectors ranging from leisure vacation, business conference and exhibition to cross-strait tourism, cultural tourism and coastal tourism. Gulangyu islet, the crown jewel of Xiamen, is also known as “Music Islet” and “World Architectural Expo”. Xiamen Gaoqi international airport, one of the top ten busiest airports in China, operates more than 140 routes covering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan and regions in Europe and the United States. Xiamen also provides easy access to Mount Wuyi, a world cultural and natural heritage site, Tulou buildings, a world cultural heritage site, and Quanzhou city, the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road.

海上花园、美丽厦门热忱欢迎您的到来！
Xiamen, a beautiful garden on the sea, sincerely awaits your arrival!

18/09/2014

A Global Mid-autumn Carnival!
This is a world-class mid-autumn carnival, a folk-custom gala with the moon cake gambling at the core, and a tourist feast on the platform of Xiamen. In the eighth month of lunar year,
tourists from all around the world will get together in Xiamen to celebrate the gala.

5 Number One Scholars Who Bring You Good Luck
He is the number one scholar of bright future living in ancient red-brick house of Southern Fujian;
He is the number one scholar of safeness living in the blue ocean of Egret Island;
He is the number one scholar of wealth living on the seaside golden yellow beach;
He is the number one scholar of gourmet living in the green Xiamen;
He is the number one scholar of happiness living in the romantic bougainvillea speetabilis shrub;
They are the mascots of the Mid-autumn Carnival in Xiamen, China;
They will bring good luck to us, to every tourist who comes to visit Xiamen;
They will have fun together with us in this carnival.

8 Wonderful Theme Activities

01 Good Luck in Xiamen - Opening Ceremony of 2014 Mid-autumn Carnival in Xiamen, China
A carnival with Xiamen characteristics is going to open.
Pleasant surprises will rush throughout the whole opening month.
Time: 20:00, September 6, 2014 (on the 13th day of the 8th lunar month)
Venue: Egret Goddess Square, Bailuzhou Park (Egret Islet Park)
Highlights:
The global first moon cake gambling “Tourists Enjoy a Joyous Trip in Xiamen” begins here.
“Bring Good Luck to Xiamen” Mid-autumn vehicles set out from here.
Poll for the most beautiful Moon Goddess (Tourist) is held on the Internet.
Tourism animated messaging platform for mobile phone is launched.
Lively and funny Number One Scholars Cosplay adds luster to the ceremony.
Pleasant surprises come one after another.

02 Here Comes the Luck of Bright Future - Tourism Festival of Mid-autumn Moon Cake Gambling (Tourists Enjoy a Joyous Trip in Xiamen)
Time: September 6 -23, 2014
Venues: 14 foreign countries, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, 10 cities in Mainland China, 100 places in Xiamen
Highlights:
Get small surprise during the regular moon cake gambling
＋
Get big surprise during the global moon caking gambling final
What are YOU waiting for：
This is a global gala of mid-autumn moon cake gambling, sweeping over 14 foreign countries (The United States, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Australia), Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, 10 cities in Mainland China (Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Xiamen), and 100 places in Xiamen.
Contact person: Tingsha Wang (王婷莎) Tel.: 0592-968118

03 Here Comes the Luck of Gourmet - Mid-autumn Gourmet Festival
Time: August 26 - September 23, 2014
Venue: All related dining places in Xiamen
Highlights: With the theme of “Enjoy Delicious Food Together in this Joyous City”, Annual Poll of Gourmet Landmark in Xiamen and Series Activities of SM City Plaza Mid-autumn Gourmet Carnival will be launched, where the tourists and citizens can enjoy delicious food and watch the cooking shows performed by chefs from five-star hotels, taking this chance to feel the passion of Xiamen.
Contact person: Qiuchen Jin (金秋晨) Tel.: 0592-5301232
04 Here Comes the Luck of Happiness - Mid-autumn Honeymoon Festival
Time: June - September
Venue: Related scenic spots and shopping malls
Highlights:
Honeymoon festival held in the romantic Xiamen is bound to be warm and sweet. The brand-new activity “My Mid-autumn Honeymoon Travel”, Wedding Exhibition in Department Stores, and the most attractive sweet package “Ecstasy Time” form a customized tourism feast for the new couples. Moreover, Top Ten Creative Wedding Ceremonies, Top Ten Tourism Wedding Photography Agencies in Xiamen, and I Amoy Love Story Collection and other activities will be held to fully cover the wedding industry chain to attract tourists to take wedding photos and spend honeymoon in Xiamen and thus further create and improve the honeymoon tour brand of Xiamen.
Contact person: Yawen Xu （徐雅雯） Tel.: 0592-5581368

05 Here Comes the Luck of Safeness - Lucky Mid-autumn Vehicles Bring Good Luck to the Whole City.
Time: September 6 - 23, 2014
Venue: Siming District, Huli District, Haicang District, Jimei District, Tong’an District, Xiang’an District
Highlights:
Every day, 5 lucky vehicles full of gifts will set out and stop at designated places in the six districts to provide free moon cake gambling for the citizens. Moreover, 4 lucky houses will be built to organize moon cake gambling and distribute gifts. Through all these activities, more tourists will be able to experience the moon cake gambling culture of Xiamen.
Contact person: Bing Wang （王斌） Tel.: 0592-5552282, 15060770065

06 Luck and Prosperity - Enjoy Mid-autumn in Five Lucky Routes
Time: August - October 2014
Venue: Five lucky routes
Highlights:
Five routes are elaborately selected to bring you unique lucks and surprises.
Free “Map of Five Lucky Routes” are available at the places such as Tourism Service Center of Xiamen Airport, Tourist Reception Center of Gulangyu Islet, Gift Pick-up Outlet at Zengcuoan and Tourist Service Center of North Railway Station. Tourists can visit the scenic spots in Xiamen and surrounding cities according to the routes shown in the map. Tourists who take photo with the “Card of Five Lucky Routes” on the map and send the photos to the official Weibo and Wechat of Xiamen Tourism Bureau may obtain a surprising gift.
Contact person: Bing Wang （王斌） Tel.: 0592-5552282, 15060770065

Five Lucky Routes
Luck of Happiness - Blessings of Romance
Gulangyu Islet - Zengcuoan - Guanyin Mountain Fantasy Beach - Wuyuan Bay - Fantawild Dreamland - Trithorn Hot Spring Resort - Yunshuiyao (Zhangzhou) - Yongchun North Stream (Quanzhou) - Guanzhi Mountain (Longyan) - Shuitou Village (Kinmen) - Nan’ao Island (Shantou) - Phoenix Heaven Pond (Chaozhou)
Luck of Safeness - Blessings of Auspiciousness
Xiamen Botanical Garden - Nanputuo Temple - East Ring Seaview (Huadao Road) - Qingjiao Ciji Palace - Tianzhu Mountain Forest Park - Riyuegu Hotspring Resort - Brahma Temple - Meishan Temple - Nanshan Temple (Zhangzhou) - Kaiyuan Temple (Quanzhou) - Jiupeng Stream (Longyan) - Taiwu Mountain (Kinmen) - Lingshan Temple (Shantou) - Kaiyuan Temple (Chaozhou)
Luck of Wealth - Blessings of Fortune
Zhongshan Road - Tourist Area of Haicang Bridge (Niutou Mount Moon Cake Gambling Cultural Garden) - SM City Plaza - Lujiang River Night Tour - Taiwan Duty Free Park on Dadeng Island - Haicang Agate Street - Tritonbay Saltwater Hotspring Resort (Zhangzhou) - Town God’s Temple (Quanzhou) - Dongxiao Forest Park (Longyan) - Kinmen National Park (Kinmen) - Treasure Island (Shantou) - Jinshan (Chaozhou)
Luck of Gourmet - Blessings of Delicious Food
Yundang Coffee Street - Lotus Villa - Ruijing Niuzhuang - Snack Street at Zhongshan Road and Renhe Road - Zengcuoan Seafood Street at Huadao Road - Dongyu Seafood Street - Xiaodeng Island - Nanjing Earthen Building (Zhangzhou) - Qingshui Rock (Quanzhou) - Yongding Earthen Building (Longyan) - Outing Food Street (Shantou) - Memorial Archway Street (Chaozhou)

Luck of Bright Future - Blessings of Great Prospect
Xiamen University - Hulishan Cannon Fort - Yundang Tour - Jimei School Village - Tan Kah Kee Park (Turtle Garden) - Horticulture Expo Garden - Tong’an Film Studio - Volcanic Island (Zhangzhou) - Hui’an Chongwu Ancient City (Quanzhou) - Tiangong Mountain (Longyan) - Juguang Tower (Kinmen) - Symbolic Tower of the Tropic of Cancer (Shantou) - Han Wengong Ancestral Temple (Chaozhou)
07 Here Comes the Luck of Wealth - Mobile Phone Tourism Animated Messaging Festival
Time: September 6 - 23, 2014
Highlights:
Just by your mobile phone, the passion of Xiamen Mid-autumn Carnival can be felt. “Roaming the World”, the animated messaging platform on mobile phone enables tourists to enjoy convenient and affordable services during the whole tour. Though this platform, tourists can finish the consumption with discounts at the scenic spots, hotels and shops in Xiamen.
Contact person: Ying Cui （崔 穎） Tel.: 0592-2566992

08 Summit Forum of Development and Cooperation of Cross-strait Homestay Accommodation
Time: September 15 -17, 2014
Venue: Gulangyu Concert Hall
Highlights:
Cross-strait industry associations, homestay accommodation practitioners, experts and scholars will voice their industry-leading opinions on the development, exchange and cooperation of cross-strait homestay accommodation, the influence and role of homestay accommodation to social and economic development and so on.
Contact person: Xiaoyi Bai （白曉藝） Tel.:0592-2060778

09 Closing Ceremony
Time: 20:00, September 23, 2014 (the 30th day of 8th lunar month)
Venue: Egret Goddess Square, Bailuzhou Park (Egret Islet Park)
Highlights:
It is not the end, but the climax of this carnival.
The exciting results of various poll activities will be announced. The Global Final of Tourism Festival of Mid-autumn Moon Cake Gambling (Tourists Enjoy a Joyous Trip in Xiamen) will crown the final lucky winner.
2014 Mid-autumn Carnival in Xiamen, China comes to the end, but Xiamen, a city to luck and joy, will always keep its gate open for you!

Hosts: Xiamen Municipal People’s Government, Fujian Provincial Bureau of Tourism
Organizers: Xiamen Tourism Bureau, Government of Siming District, Government of Huli District, Government of Haicang District, Government of Jimei District, Government of Tong’an District, Government of Xiang’an District, Xiamen Daily, Xiamen Media Group
Hotline: 0592-2892622　Fax: 0592-2892631
Email: [email protected]
Official Website: www.amoycarnival.com
Brand Planning Executor: Xiamen Bright Compass Marketing Plan Co., Ltd.
Advertising and Marketing Executor: Xiamen Asia-pacific Tourist Development Center
Exclusive Strategic Partner: Xiamen Branch of Industrial Bank
Sponsors:
[Two-dimension codes of Xiamen Tourism Bureau’s Weibo, Wechat, Mobile Phone APP and Mobile Phone Animated Messaging]

28/07/2014

Choreography : Frédéric FLAMAND
Scenography : Hans OP DE BEECK
Coproduction Opéra Théâtre de Saint-Etienne I Ballet National de Marseille

The story behind the opera is well known. Orpheus is mourning the death of Eurydice when Amor, sent by Jupiter, suggests he go to the Underworld to find her on condition that he pacifies the Furies with his singing, does not look at his beloved and does not explain his actions to her. This eternal theme has inspired some twenty operas, including Gluck’s Orpheus, which in terms of when it was written is midway between Monteverdi’s sublime Orfeo and Offenbach’s hilarious Orpheus in the Underworld.

This mythical dimension provides the inspiration for Frédéric Flamand’s work. It is the first time he has staged an opera and he is being supported in his resolutely innovative approach with a set design by the Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck, famous around the globe for his visual art.

"A harmonious, aesthetically impeccable show (…); once again the excellent dancers of the Ballet National de Marseille are remarkable and exhibit remarkable energy and elegance." Raphael de Gubernatis, le Nouvel Observateur

12/07/2014

Hello Everybody, My name is Anne-Flore, the new editor of this page, I hope you will discover a true significant Xiamen here!!! Big interesting music party for this weekend: There comes the 2014 Strawberry Rock Music Festival on 7.12/13th July. This festival was started in 2009 by Modern Sky Records. and since then it has increased in popularity year after year,It's the largest rock music festivals in China now. This outdoor music festival is known for bringing renowned indie rock bands and performers straight to China's doorstep, it will feature the best of the local music scene and is slotted to bring in some big-hitters from abroad. This music festival has been held in 10 cities around China; it is considered to be part of a growing phenomenon here. Many Chinese and foreigners have great interest in it, meeting new peoples, drinking, laughing, listening nice music and enjoy yourself. Why not come and join us? Where is it? It's Xiamen Buddha Mountain Dream Park! How much is it? 1-day Ticket Pre-sale: 120 RMB (Booking:E-Tickets Pre-sale in www.modernsky.com) 1-day Ticket at Entrance: 150 RMB. Customer Service: 13146405637. Have Fun!

12/07/2014

Hello Everybody, My name is Anne-Flore, the new editor of this page, I hope you will discover a true significant Xiamen here!!! Big interesting music party for this weekend: There comes the 2014 Strawberry Rock Music Festival on 7.12/13th July. This festival was started in 2009 by Modern Sky Records. and since then it has increased in popularity year after year, It's the largest rock music festivals in China now. This outdoor music festival is known for bringing renowned indie rock bands and performers straight to China's doorstep, it will feature the best of the local music scene and is slotted to bring in some big-hitters from abroad. This music festival has been held in 10 cities around China; it is considered to be part of a growing phenomenon here. Many Chinese and foreigners have great interest in it, meeting new peoples, drinking, laughing, listening nice music and enjoy yourself. Why not come and join us? Where is it? It's Xiamen Buddha Mountain Dream Park! How much is it? 1-day Ticket Pre-sale: 120 RMB (Booking:E-Tickets Pre-sale in www.modernsky.com) 1-day Ticket at Entrance: 150 RMB. Customer Service: 13146405637. Have Fun!

06/05/2014

Xiapu sunset, I love the feeling to stand in front of the bay.

05/05/2014

Xiapu, there are the biggest mud flat in the world. I took these photos for the sun rise on the sea. But very unfortunately it was a cloudy morning. But the vase view touched my heart still.

27/04/2014

Xiamen Foreigners Club Easter Day Party - C &D Travel + Huihe Stone Sculpture Park. Wonderful food, tour books, Easter Chocolate Eggs, stone sculpture, egg paintings, egg hunting - a wonderful afternoon shared with many foreigners friends.

25/04/2014

Xiamen Botanical Garden has thousands of plants. I love lotus and bougainvilleas the most.