It is medium sized, however, Xiamen City is economically dynamic and the residents are hospitable and it sees an in flow and an out flow of people. Because of this, the city is able to offer safety and efficient services to people who come to reside, do some shopping, or take a tour via bus for sightseeing purposes. Xiamen lies in the southern part of the Fujian Province and it is the economic special region. Its area is 1516 square kilometers and it has a population of 1150,000 people.
Xiamen City retains a strong international flavor. The city has a long history as a port city and later became a center of British Trade in the 19th century. Their foreign settlements were later taken over by Japanese invaders at the start of World War Two and were established on the nearby and small Gulanggyu Island. Many of the old treaty port and colonial buildings in the western styles have survived. Xiamen was declared one of China's first special economic zones in the late 1980's, taking advantages of the city heritage as a trading center and its nearness to Taiwan. Today, Xiamen is one of China's most attractive and best maintained resort cities.
On the Southeast corner of Xiamen Gulangyu Island provides some of the best scenery in Fujian. The island is mostly filled with beaches and bungalows built in a variety of architectural styles such as English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Chinese styles. Traffic is almost non existent on the island. Gulangyu Island's Sunlight Rock offers a panoramic view of Xiamen City.
Xiamen is also the home of the South Putuo Tourist Area. The temple sits on the bottom of Wulao Peak just south of Xiamen. It was first built during the Tang Dynasty from 618-907. The temple's unique trapezoid structure overlooks the ocean houses the shine of Buddhist sculptors which are a large collection of important relics and important Buddhist texts. The South Fujian Buddhist Institute adjoins the temple property. There is even an amusement park her. The Hongshan Amusement Park can be reached by bus from downtown Xiamen.
In Xiamen, the railway and the highway are both convenient and from Xiamen International Airport you can get to many destinations in China and other countries. Xiamen Harbor is an important trade harbor. It has an ocean going route to some other places and countries such as Japan, Macaw, and Singapore. And many passenger and cargo ships will go to Hong Kong, Shangri, and so on.
Xiamen's climate is pleasant all year round. Temperatures go as high as 37 degrees Celsius during the summer months and as low as 11 degrees Celsius during the winter months. The best time to visit Xiamen is from May to July.
Xiamen is where people can all enjoy the complete range of Chinese cuisines. The city has over 200 restaurants where both Cantonese and Chaozhou cuisine are common. Seafood is very plentiful here. You may go to a café or pub to have a drink. You can have a great feast or a tiny snack; the choice is yours. Just enjoy the Chinese culinary culture. Xiamen City makes a great vacation site.