Lost and loving it in Xiamen, China

Another new adventure, a new city to explore.

Xiamen is a city located at the southeast coast of the People’s Republic of China with a population of a little over 3.5 million. I was looking forward to getting lost in all of it, the culture, the history and the romance.   

And lost we were. Xiamen is an urban sub-provincial city, and many people there barely speak English. It might be good to pack a standard English – Mandarin Chinese dictionary or better yet, bring someone who knows the language. But if you don’t mind getting lost in the adventure and finding your way through happy games of charades along the way, Xiamen is for you.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

As soon as you arrive at Xiamen International Airport, something odd stands out – it’s so clean. Grabbing a taxi to our hotel, we passed thru the streets, tunnels, windows open and wind against our faces. Xiamen is one of the cleanest places I’ve ever seen.

Surprisingly, our room at the Bestel Hotel Xiamen was huge with an amazing bathroom and lounge area. A big plus was that we were right smack in the middle of the city’s shopping and food district.

The weather was just like Manila, wet and humid. Pack an umbrella, as we had to buy during the trip. We also had to schedule our activities around the fickle weather and relied on how the sky looked in the morning.

On our first day, we decided to explore our surroundings; closest was the Zongshan Lu Pedestrian Road. This walking district has a long history of east-west architecture and consists of row after row of shopping centers, small retail stores and specialty food stalls that sell fun finds like different flavors of Hopia (apple the strangest for me) and my favorite, Mochi balls. You’ll also find outlet stores of your favorite brands but at a more affordable rate.

Gulangyu Island

A highlight of the trip was visiting the quaint and quiet Gulangyu Island. Only 7 minutes away from the main city, we enjoyed the steamboat ride as it gives a glimpse of the city and adds to the whole experience. “Gu” meaning drums and “Langyu” meaning waves – it’s an islet reminiscent of our Vigan heritage site combined with Malaysia’s Malacca.

Picturesque and romantic, it’s no wonder that I saw several couples having their pre-nuptial photo shoots at the island’s secluded nooks.

Each tourist site had something special to offer. Visit the Sunlight Rock (CNY60 or P425, $9), the Island’s highest point and gives a grand view of Gulangyu, Shuzhuang Garden (CNY30 or P212 or $5), which houses the only Piano Museum in China, Bright Moon Garden (CNY15 or P106 or $2.50), the Organ Museum (CNY20 or P141, $3.25) and the Calligraphic Carving Art Gallery (CNY10 or P71, $1.63).

Gulangyu Tip 1: Buy an all access pass already at the pier. It saves you both time and money. It includes the top 5 sites at a discounted rate and you don’t have to line up at the actual ticket booths on the island.

Staircase to heaven

Our last full day was dedicated to visiting the highlights of Xiamen. This sub-provincial city is known for their spiritual temples and spectacular gardens and views.  What we didn’t know is that to get to these places, involves a lot of walking.

I actually had an epiphany that Kung Fu Panda was conceptualized in Xiamen and that’s why the panda Po hated stairs. I love working out and doing my squats and lunges, but wow, did I get jelly legs. Visit the stepper before you leave for Xiamen, trust me, it will help.

First on our list was the Nanputuo Temple, a Buddhist temple known as the “Temple of a Thousand Years” but I will always remember as the Temple with a thousand small steps. I’m sure there weren’t a thousand steps but it sure felt like it.

The torture was worth it though as each level offered stunning views and solemn grottos. Bring extra t-shirts to change. You’ll get sweaty.

Right beside the temple, just a few steps away, is the Xiamen University. Take note that they only allow tourists after classes at 5pm.

Our last stop and my favorite was a visit to Hongshan Park, just a bus ride away from Xiamen University. Again, stairs greeted us but as I was about to complain, I saw a glimpse of heaven. The gardens were beautiful and the gentle sound of waterfalls gave us an ethereal experience. We climbed the rickety tower and were granted a full 360-degree view of Xiamen.

Different tastes

Xiamen doesn’t serve your typical Chinese dishes. The first 2 days were difficult for us as it was so hard to even explain rice. Most of the meals we tried had tinges of curry, cumin or anise, which I’m not too fond of.

Luckily, we found the Taiwan Snack Street on Renhe Road, Siming district of Xiamen and discovered stalls of Chow Fan and Fried Noodles (CNY4 or P29, $.65). It was also by chance we discovered kiosks on Zongshan Lu Road that sold Deep-fried breaded spicy Cuttlefish (CNY18 or P127, $2.93) and Oyster Cake (CNY15 or P106, $2.50) that I got addicted to. Food is pretty affordable, as long as you know where to eat. Explore your surroundings first and compare.

Lost in the adventure

Xiamen is a bewitching city. Their tourist spots rival any world heritage or national site in any other country, but it can also be a challenge for those who don’t speak the language. The buses we rode on didn’t even have English translations, and we needed to ask our front desk to write down which bus to take and point to the bus driver where to go.  But is you’re like me and love to just immerse herself and get lost in another culture – Xiamen is definitely for you. – Rappler.com