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Port · Historic city · Scenic area · Fujian

Xiamen

厦门 (Xiàmén)

Island port of Kulangsu, Koxinga and the Southern Min diaspora

Xiamen is a sub-provincial city on the southern coast of Fujian, built on Xiamen Island and the surrounding mainland facing Kinmen and the Taiwan Strait. Base of Koxinga's Ming loyalist fleet, a treaty port from 1842 and one of China's first special economic zones in 1980, it is known for the World Heritage island of Kulangsu, Xiamen University and its Southern Min culture. Its traditional name in English was Amoy.

ProvinceFujian

Key facts

Province
Fujian
Administrative level
Sub-provincial city
Area
about 1,700 km²[1]
Resident population
5.16 million(as of 2020 census)[2]
Special economic zone
1980
UNESCO World Heritage
Kulangsu (2017)[3]

Overview

Xiamen's harbour between the island and the mainland is sheltered and deep, and the Ming built a fortress here in 1387 against pirates. In the seventeenth century Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) made it his base for the war against the Qing and for the expedition that took Taiwan in 1662.

After 1842 Xiamen was a treaty port and the main point of departure for emigrants to South-east Asia; returning overseas Chinese built villas on Kulangsu and in the old town, and Tan Kah Kee founded Xiamen University in 1921. Since becoming a special economic zone in 1980 it has grown into a modern port and service city linked to the mainland by bridges and tunnels.

Names and nicknames

  • 鹭岛 (Lù Dǎo)

    “Egret Island”

    From the egrets that once nested on the island in large numbers.

  • 思明州 (Sīmíng Zhōu)

    “remembering the Ming”

    The name Koxinga gave the island; the central district is still called Siming.

History

A Ming fortress (Xiamen Cheng) was built in 1387. Koxinga held the island from 1650 to the early 1660s. The Treaty of Nanjing opened Xiamen in 1842, and Kulangsu became an international settlement in 1903. Japanese forces occupied the city from 1938 to 1945. It was one of the first four special economic zones in 1980.

  1. 1387

    Xiamen fortress built

    The Ming coastal defence gave the city its name, the “gate of the great mansion”.

  2. 1650–1662

    Koxinga's base

    Zheng Chenggong trained his fleet here before sailing to Taiwan.

  3. 1842

    Treaty port

    Xiamen became a centre of the tea trade and of emigration to South-east Asia.

  4. 1903–1941

    Kulangsu International Settlement

    Governed by a municipal council of foreign and Chinese residents; inscribed as World Heritage in 2017.

  5. 1921

    Xiamen University founded

    Established by Tan Kah Kee, the first Chinese university founded by an overseas Chinese.

  6. 1980

    Special economic zone

    One of the first four SEZs, with Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou.

Landmarks

  1. Historic site

    Kulangsu (Gulangyu)

    鼓浪屿 (Gǔlàngyǔ)

    Car-free island of colonial-era villas, churches and gardens, with a piano museum and Sunlight Rock; a World Heritage site.

  2. Temple or shrine

    Nanputuo Temple

    南普陀寺 (Nánpǔtuó Sì)

    Buddhist temple at the foot of Wulao Peak, next to Xiamen University.

  3. Historic site

    Xiamen University

    厦门大学 (Xiàmén Dàxué)

    Campus in the “Jiageng style” that mixes Western bodies with Southern Min roofs.

  4. Historic site

    Hulishan Fortress

    胡里山炮台 (Húlǐshān Pàotái)

    Qing coastal battery of 1896 with a Krupp gun.

  5. Historic site

    Jimei School Village

    集美学村 (Jíměi Xuécūn)

    Schools founded by Tan Kah Kee in his home village, with his memorial and tomb.

Neighbourhoods

  • Zhongshan Road

    中山路 (Zhōngshān Lù)

    Arcaded shopping street of the 1920s old town.

  • Shapowei

    沙坡尾 (Shāpōwěi)

    Former fishing harbour turned into a quarter of cafés and studios.

  • Zengcuo'an

    曾厝垵 (Zēngcuò'ān)

    Former fishing village on the south-east coast, now crowded with snack stalls and guesthouses.

Food

  • Satay noodles

    沙茶面 (shāchá miàn)

    Noodles in a rich shacha broth with seafood and offal.

  • Oyster omelette

    海蛎煎 (hǎilì jiān)

    Oysters fried with egg and sweet-potato starch.

  • Sea-worm jelly

    土笋冻 (tǔsǔn dòng)

    Jelly set from the collagen of peanut worms, served cold with sauces.

  • Peanut soup

    花生汤 (huāshēng tāng)

    Sweet soup of soft-cooked peanuts.

Culture

Xiamen is a centre of Southern Min culture shared with Taiwan and the Hokkien communities of South-east Asia: Gezai opera, Nanyin music, puppetry and temple festivals. The city's Wangchuan ceremony of sending off the royal boat is on the UNESCO intangible heritage list. Kulangsu, with the highest density of pianos in China, is known as “Piano Island”.

Getting around

  • The Xiamen Metro and a bus rapid transit line on elevated tracks serve the island and the mainland districts.
  • Xiamen North is the main high-speed station; Xiamen station serves the island.
  • Ferries run to Kulangsu and to Kinmen; Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport lies in the north of the island.

Day trips

  • Nanjing and Hua'an tulou

    南靖土楼 (Nánjìng tǔlóu)

    The Tianluokeng cluster and other earthen houses in the mountains of Zhangzhou.

  • Zhangzhou old town

    漳州古城 (Zhāngzhōu gǔchéng)

    Old streets with arcaded shophouses and temples.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Xiamen Municipal People's Government — Xiamen Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  2. Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  3. Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  4. Xiamen — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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