Description : A pleasant coastal city with the unusual relaxing Gulangyu Island

Comments : Xiamen was one of the first city in China to ban vehicles horn : a great idea that is audible...

What to do : Take a boat to Gulangyu Island and, once there, relax : motor vehicles are banned ! / Sunbath on one of its small beach / Wander around the old streets with even older colonial buildings / If the island leave you some time, visit a nice Buddhist temple and a huge university campus / Admire the local beauties /

What you may not like : The electric vehicles on the island / Having to leave the island / The tourist crowd, especially during WE / Not finding a cheap place to stay / The entrance fees once on the island /

How long ? Considering the cost, one day...

Where to stay ?

Hotels  << Get precise info, book online and save money !

Cheap accommodations are rare in Xiamen and everything that is rare is expensive... There is no dorm facilities so you should count on around 100Y for a Sgl room, 150Y for a Dbl. It might be a good idea to follow touts, if any...

Forget about staying cheaply on Gulangyu during WE. At other time, try the Gulangyu Guesthouse or the Beautiful Island Hotel of Gulangyu.

On Xiamen itself, the Xiaxi Hotel, off Zhongshan Lu,  is the cheapest centrally located place.

How to leave ?

Trains  << Click there

Numerous travel agencies can be found near the Ferry terminal. Sleeper buses are available from there to Guangzhou (departure between 16 and 19pm, 14 hrs, around Y130 to 160), Shenzhen or Fuzhou. Buses from the long distance bus station are usually  slightly more expensive and slightly less comfortable...

From or to HK, the boat is a convenient  alternative, even so it is not cheap (Y478 3rd class from HK) and does not leave frequently (every Tuesday from HK). The trip takes 20 hrs.  Boat to Shanghai or Guangzhou are even less frequent.

If you are heading north, the best would be a train to Nanchang or Huangshan (see the trains schedules)