Xiamen (厦门; Ē-mn̂g in Minnan, Xiàmén in Mandarin, former English name: Amoy) is a coastal city in Fujian Province in China. It is a very vibrant, affluent and modern place, though by Chinese standards it is a small city — only 5.1 million counting suburbs (2020). It has many non-Chinese residents and a range of restaurants, bars and stores that cater to them. The city also has several universities and some areas popular for tourism.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The core of the city is on Xiamen island. The term "Xiamen" is somewhat ambiguous since it can refer to the island, to the city on it, or to the whole urban area (a "prefecture-level city" in the Chinese administrative system) including suburbs not on the island. This article gives an overview for the whole city; see links below for specific areas. On the map, Xiamen Island is the pink (Huli District) and green (Siming District) approximately circular area near the bottom. It is about 13 km (8 miles) in diameter.
The core of the city is on Xiamen Island. The mainland suburbs Jimei, Tong'an, Xiang'an, and Haicang, as well as the small island of Gulangyu, are separate, but all these areas are administered as parts of Xiamen. Until 1840, Western "barbarians" were only allowed to conduct trade in Guangzhou under strict restrictions. After China's defeat in the First Opium War, the British seized Hong Kong, and China was forced to open five treaty ports: Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai. Gulangyu became a concession administered by foreign powers, hosting consulates and luxurious residences.
Local public transit is easiest to pay for with the Xiamen public transit mini-app on Alipay or WeChat. If you are planning on staying in Xiamen for a significant amount of time, you can also get an eKatong (e卡通) stored value card. It can be used in different forms of public transport not only in Xiamen, but also in the neighbouring cities of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou. The local bus system is very good, but the normal bus routes are listed in Chinese and do not have English on the signs. Signs in the BRT and Metro are bilingual in Chinese and English, while announcements are trilingual in Mandarin, Minnan and English. Xiamen BRT (Bus Rapid Transit).
Xiamen is host to many influential trade shows. A majority of the Xiamen exhibitions are located at the Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center (XICEC). The China Xiamen Machinery and Electronics Exhibition (CXMEE), also called the Straits Fair since it is run as a joint venture with a Taiwanese organisation, is downtown (on Hubin Bei Lu) in the Spring. The China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) is held at XICEC. The annual China International Garden and Flower Exposition takes place in a different city each year.
For restaurant listings, see the district articles. Here we list some local specialties that may be worth looking for. Shacha noodles (沙茶面 shāchá miàn) — Likely the most famous dish in Xiamen, the Minnan reading sa-te mi hints at their origin: the peanutty broth originates from the Malay satay. Oyster omelette (海蛎煎 hǎilìjiān in Mandarin, 蚵仔煎 ô-á-chian in Minnan) - Small oysters, eggs, sweet potato starch and garlic shoots fried together. For umami lovers.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €83 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Jul, Xiamen typically sees ~33°C daytime highs and 21 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-31. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy