Xiamen (Xiamen, And mine; whale. trad. 廈門市, ex. 厦门市, pinyin: Xiàmen shì listen)) is a sub-provincial city in Fujian Province (PRC), the largest port of the province on the coast of the Taiwan Strait. Located on the islands and adjacent mainland coast between Quanzhou (to the north) and Zhangzhou (to the south).

Offshore about ten kilometers from the city is the Kinmen Island group, administered by Taiwan.

Story

The name Tong'an (同安) was first mentioned in 282. Under the name Amoy (茶) it was first mentioned in the chronicles of the Song Dynasty (1126-1279) and in the notes of Marco Polo. During the Yuan Dynasty, Xiamen's beautiful harbor served as a haven for local pirates.

The first English trading ship appeared on the shores of the island in 1670, and after some time the British managed to develop vigorous commercial activity here: the British East India Company opened factories and created a large trading post. But in 1730, the Beijing government, dissatisfied with the onslaught and willfulness of the British, issued a decree according to which all ships, except Spanish ones, were prohibited from trading in this port.

Trade with Europe resumed immediately after the First Opium War, which was unsuccessful for the Middle Empire. The city was captured by a British squadron under the command of Sir Hugh Gough and Admiral Parker on August 27, 1841. In 1843 the port was opened to trade of all nations. Foreigners began to settle on the islands in the bay (see Gulangyu), and an extraterritorial settlement was created on Kolongsu Island - Amoi settlement. The first settlers to arrive in Amoy were Protestant missionaries. Clergymen from the American Reformed Church, the Dutch Reformed Church, the American Episcopal Church, the London Missionary Society, the American Presbyterian Church and the English Presbyterian Church began arriving on the island in 1842. They occupied a special place in the process of formation of the settlement. Through their efforts, the Tek-chin-ka and Hope and Wilhelmina hospital chains were founded, and schools for Chinese children were created. In addition to the Tung Wen Institute and the Anglo-Chinese College, sponsored by both Chinese and foreign merchants, the universities of the three largest Protestant missions and the United High School are located on Kolongsu Island. In 1863, an English chapel was erected, where services were held in English every Saturday. It was the largest English missionary church with a capacity of nearly 1,000 people. In addition to Protestant missions, there was a Roman Catholic mission on the island, under the tutelage of the Spanish Church. By 1908 there were already about 100 missionary communities in Amoy.

Initially, all commercial enterprises were built not on Kolongsu Island, but on the shore from the city. Nevertheless, many businessmen preferred to locate their private residences on the island due to its natural protection from typhoons. Also in its southern part, on a rock, a British consulate building was erected. On the pier there are consulates of Germany, the USA, France and Japan, several post offices, two large clubs with a library and reading rooms, two hotels and a pharmacy. Kolongsu was also home to the largest sports base, with fields for tennis, cricket, hockey, etc. The eastern edge of the island was completed by a Signal Station, which notified the arrival of ships at the port and the approach of typhoons or storms. The majority of the population of Kolongsu Island was Chinese: there were three Chinese villages with a population of 4,000 people around the settlement.

Throughout the 19th century, Xiamen port remained the most important port for the tea trade. As a result, the local dialect became the source of many words that penetrated into European languages ​​(for example, “ketchup”). In addition, Xiamen served as a springboard for the settlement and colonization of Taiwan, where large tea plantations were planted by Xiamen tea traders.

Administrative division

The sub-provincial city of Xiamen is divided into six districts (qiu/khu 区):

	Districts				Population	Square
	Putonghua	Hieroglyphs	South Min name		in 2007	km²
	Xiamen proper(island of the same name)
	■ Huli District	湖里区	O-li Khu	Oli	676,400	63.41
	■Siming District	思明区	Su-beng Khu	Subing	736,400	73.14
	Suburbs(on the mainland)
	■ Haicang District	海沧区	Hai-chhng Khu	Khaitskhyn	143,000	155
	■Jimei District	集美区	Chip-bi Khu	Chipbee	340,000	276
	■ Tong'an District	同安区	Tang-uann Khu	Tangwan	548,200	658
	■ Xiang'an District	翔安区	Siong-an Khu	Xiong'an	260,000	352

Siming and Huli districts are united into a special economic zone.

Geography

The historical city center is located in the southwestern part of Xiamen Island, south of Yundan Lake (whale.)Russian, which in the past was a wide estuary of the Yundan Rivers. Xiamen Island is connected to the mainland by 4 bridges: in the west of Haicang the Haicang-Huli districts, three (Xiamen, Xiling, Jimei transoceanic bridge) in the north connect the districts of Jimei and Huli; and one tunnel (Xiang'an in the northeast between Xiang'an and Huli districts). On Gulangyu Island (English)Russian to the southwest of Xiamen Island there were foreign consulates, houses of foreign merchants, etc.; now it is a historical museum-reserve. The narrow strait between the islands of Xiamen and Gulangyu was called the Xiamen harbor itself. All of these areas are now included in the Siming District.

These days, most of Xiamen Island is urbanized, with beaches along the southern shore of the island and port facilities along the western shore (facing Xiamen Harbor in the modern, broad sense). The main campus of Xiamen University is also located on the southern shore of the island.

The four mainland districts of Xiamen are also being urbanized at a rapid pace. Located on the western shore of Xiamen Harbor, Haicang is an industrial and port area. In the Jimei district there is Jimei University and “Turtle Park” - a memorial complex in honor of the famous huaqiao, people's educator Chen Jiageng (English)Russian where he himself is buried (whale.)Russian in a traditional turtle grave (English)Russian.

Qingjiao Ciji Gong 20120225-02.jpg

Qingjiao Qiji Temple, Haicang

Jimei - Kah Kee Park - DSCF9270.JPG

Turtle Park, Jimei

Bingzhou Peninsula area - land reclamation - DSCF9205.JPG

Filling a construction site, Bingzhou Island, Tong'an

Xiamen - Xindian - DSCF9181.JPG

Xindian village, center of Xiang'an district

Twin Cities

Xiamen is a sister city to the following cities:

• Cardiff, UK - c
• Sasebo, Japan - c
• Cebu, Philippines - with
• Baltimore, USA - c
• Wellington, New Zealand - with
• Penang, Malaysia - with
• Sunshine Coast, Australia - c
• Guadalajara, Mexico - with
• Zoetermeer, Netherlands - with
• Kuching, Malaysia - with
• Surabaya, Indonesia - with
• Mokpo, South Korea - c
• Richmond, Canada - c
• Marathon, Greece - c
• Dushanbe, Tajikistan - with

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Notes

Links

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Administrative divisions of Fujian Province Sub-provincial cities: Xiamen Urban districts: Fuzhou | Longyan | Nanping | Ningde | Putian | Quanzhou | Sanming | Zhangzhou

Administrative regions of Fujian

Excerpt describing Xiamen

The next day, Prince Andrei went on visits to some houses where he had not yet been, including the Rostovs, with whom he renewed his acquaintance at the last ball. In addition to the laws of courtesy, according to which he needed to be with the Rostovs, Prince Andrei wanted to see at home this special, lively girl, who left him with a pleasant memory.
Natasha was one of the first to meet him. She was wearing a blue home dress, in which she seemed even better to Prince Andrei than in the ball gown. She and the entire Rostov family received Prince Andrei as an old friend, simply and cordially. The entire family, which Prince Andrei had previously judged strictly, now seemed to him to be made up of wonderful, simple and kind people. The hospitality and good nature of the old count, which was especially striking in St. Petersburg, was such that Prince Andrei could not refuse dinner. “Yes, these are kind, nice people,” thought Bolkonsky, who, of course, don’t understand one bit the treasure they have in Natasha; but good people who make up the best background for this especially poetic, full of life, lovely girl to stand out against!”
Prince Andrei felt in Natasha the presence of a completely alien to him, special world, filled with some unknown joys, that alien world that even then, in the Otradnensky alley and on the window, on a moonlit night, teased him so much. Now this world no longer teased him, it was no longer an alien world; but he himself, having entered it, found in it a new pleasure for himself.
After dinner, Natasha, at the request of Prince Andrei, went to the clavichord and began to sing. Prince Andrei stood at the window, talking with the ladies, and listened to her. In the middle of the sentence, Prince Andrei fell silent and suddenly felt tears coming to his throat, the possibility of which he did not know was within himself. He looked at Natasha singing, and something new and happy happened in his soul. He was happy and at the same time he was sad. He had absolutely nothing to cry about, but he was ready to cry. About what? About former love? About the little princess? About your disappointments?... About your hopes for the future?... Yes and no. The main thing that he wanted to cry about was the terrible opposition he suddenly vividly realized between something infinitely great and indefinable that was in him, and something narrow and corporeal that he himself was and even she was. This opposite tormented and delighted him while she sang.
As soon as Natasha finished singing, she came up to him and asked him how he liked her voice? She asked this and became embarrassed after she said it, realizing that she should not have asked this. He smiled looking at her and said that he liked her singing as much as anything she did.
Prince Andrei left the Rostovs late in the evening. He went to bed out of habit, but soon saw that he could not sleep. He lit a candle and sat in bed, then got up, then lay down again, not at all burdened by insomnia: his soul was so joyful and new, as if he had stepped out of a stuffy room into the free light of God. It never occurred to him that he was in love with Rostova; he didn't think about her; he only imagined her, and as a result his whole life seemed to him in a new light. “What am I fighting for, why am I fussing in this narrow, closed frame, when life, all life with all its joys, is open to me?” he said to himself. And for the first time after a long time, he began to make happy plans for the future. He decided on his own that he needed to start raising his son, finding him a teacher and entrusting him with it; then you have to retire and go abroad, see England, Switzerland, Italy. “I need to use my freedom while I feel so much strength and youth in myself,” he said to himself. Pierre was right when he said that you have to believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy, and now I believe in him. Let’s leave the dead to bury the dead, but while you’re alive, you must live and be happy,” he thought.

One morning, Colonel Adolf Berg, whom Pierre knew, as he knew everyone in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in a spick-and-span uniform, with his temples smeared in front, as Emperor Alexander Pavlovich wore, came to see him.
“I was just now with the Countess, your wife, and was so unhappy that my request could not be fulfilled; I hope that with you, Count, I will be happier,” he said, smiling.
-What do you want, Colonel? I am at your service.
“Now, Count, I’m completely settled in my new apartment,” Berg said, obviously knowing that it could not but be pleasant to hear this; - and that’s why I wanted to do this, a little evening for my friends and my wife’s acquaintances. (He smiled even more pleasantly.) I wanted to ask the Countess and you to do me the honor of inviting us for a cup of tea and... dinner.
“Only Countess Elena Vasilievna, considering the company of some Bergs humiliating for herself, could have the cruelty to refuse such an invitation. - Berg explained so clearly why he wants to gather a small and good society, and why it will be pleasant for him, and why he spares money for cards and for something bad, but for a good society he is ready to incur expenses that Pierre could not refuse and promised to be.
- But it’s not too late, Count, if I dare to ask, then at 10 minutes to eight, I dare to ask. We will form a party, our general will be. He is very kind to me. Let's have dinner, Count. So do me a favor.
Contrary to his habit of being late, Pierre that day, instead of eight minutes to ten minutes, arrived at the Bergs at eight minutes to a quarter.
The Bergs, having stocked up what they needed for the evening, were already ready to receive guests.
In a new, clean, bright office, decorated with busts and pictures and new furniture, Berg sat with his wife. Berg, in a brand new, buttoned uniform, sat next to his wife, explaining to her that it is always possible and should have acquaintances with people who are higher than oneself, because only then can there be a pleasure from making acquaintances. - “If you take something, you can ask for something. Look how I lived from the first ranks (Berg considered his life not as years, but as the highest awards). My comrades are now nothing yet, and I am in the vacancy of a regimental commander, I have the happiness of being your husband (he stood up and kissed Vera’s hand, but on the way to her he turned back the corner of the rolled-up carpet). And how did I acquire all this? The main thing is the ability to choose your acquaintances. It goes without saying that one must be virtuous and careful.”
Berg smiled with the consciousness of his superiority over a weak woman and fell silent, thinking that after all this sweet wife of his was a weak woman who could not comprehend everything that constitutes the dignity of a man - ein Mann zu sein [to be a man]. Vera at the same time also smiled with the consciousness of her superiority over a virtuous, good husband, but who still erroneously, like all men, according to Vera’s concept, understood life. Berg, judging by his wife, considered all women weak and stupid. Vera, judging by her husband alone and spreading this remark, believed that all men attribute intelligence only to themselves, and at the same time they do not understand anything, are proud and selfish.
Berg stood up and, hugging his wife carefully so as not to wrinkle the lace cape for which he had paid dearly, kissed her in the middle of her lips.
“The only thing is that we don’t have children so soon,” he said, out of an unconscious filiation of ideas.
“Yes,” Vera answered, “I don’t want that at all.” We must live for society.
“This is exactly what Princess Yusupova was wearing,” said Berg, with a happy and kind smile, pointing to the cape.
At this time, the arrival of Count Bezukhy was reported. Both spouses looked at each other with a smug smile, each taking credit for the honor of this visit.
“This is what it means to be able to make acquaintances,” thought Berg, this is what it means to be able to hold oneself!
“Just please, when I am entertaining guests,” said Vera, “don’t interrupt me, because I know what to do with everyone, and in what society what should be said.”
Berg smiled too.
“You can’t: sometimes you have to have a man’s conversation with men,” he said.
Pierre was received in a brand new living room, in which it was impossible to sit anywhere without violating the symmetry, cleanliness and order, and therefore it was quite understandable and not strange that Berg generously offered to destroy the symmetry of an armchair or sofa for a dear guest, and apparently being in In this regard, in painful indecision, he proposed a solution to this issue to the choice of the guest. Pierre upset the symmetry by pulling up a chair for himself, and immediately Berg and Vera began the evening, interrupting each other and keeping the guest busy.
Vera, having decided in her mind that Pierre should be occupied with a conversation about the French embassy, ​​immediately began this conversation. Berg, deciding that a man's conversation was also necessary, interrupted his wife's speech, touching on the question of the war with Austria and involuntarily jumped from the general conversation into personal considerations about the proposals that were made to him to participate in the Austrian campaign, and about the reasons why he didn't accept them. Despite the fact that the conversation was very awkward, and that Vera was angry for the interference of the male element, both spouses felt with pleasure that, despite the fact that there was only one guest, the evening had started very well, and that the evening was like two drops of water is like any other evening with conversations, tea and lit candles.
Soon Boris, Berg's old friend, arrived. He treated Berg and Vera with a certain shade of superiority and patronage. The lady and the colonel came for Boris, then the general himself, then the Rostovs, and the evening was absolutely, undoubtedly, like all evenings. Berg and Vera could not hold back a joyful smile at the sight of this movement around the living room, at the sound of this incoherent talking, the rustling of dresses and bows. Everything was like everyone else, the general was especially similar, praising the apartment, patting Berg on the shoulder, and with paternal arbitrariness he ordered the setting up of the Boston table. The general sat down next to Count Ilya Andreich, as if he were the most distinguished of the guests after himself. Old people with old people, young people with young people, the hostess at the tea table, on which there were exactly the same cookies in a silver basket that the Panins had at the evening, everything was exactly the same as the others.

Pierre, as one of the most honored guests, was to sit in Boston with Ilya Andreich, the general and colonel. Pierre had to sit opposite Natasha at the Boston table, and the strange change that had occurred in her since the day of the ball amazed him. Natasha was silent, and not only was she not as good-looking as she was at the ball, but she would have been bad if she had not looked so meek and indifferent to everything.
"What with her?" thought Pierre, looking at her. She sat next to her sister at the tea table and reluctantly, without looking at him, answered something to Boris, who sat down next to her. Having walked away the whole suit and taken five bribes to the satisfaction of his partner, Pierre, who heard the chatter of greetings and the sound of someone’s steps entering the room while collecting bribes, looked at her again.
“What happened to her?” he said to himself even more surprised.
Prince Andrei stood in front of her with a thrifty, tender expression and told her something. She, raising her head, flushed and apparently trying to control her gusty breathing, looked at him. And the bright light of some inner, previously extinguished fire burned in her again. She was completely transformed. From being bad she again became the same as she was at the ball.
Prince Andrey approached Pierre and Pierre noticed a new, youthful expression on his friend’s face.
Pierre changed seats several times during the game, now with his back, now facing Natasha, and throughout the entire 6 Roberts made observations of her and his friend.
“Something very important is happening between them,” thought Pierre, and the joyful and at the same time bitter feeling made him worry and forget about the game.
After 6 Roberts, the general stood up, saying that it was impossible to play like that, and Pierre received his freedom. Natasha was talking to Sonya and Boris on one side, Vera was talking about something with a subtle smile to Prince Andrei. Pierre went up to his friend and, asking if what was being said was a secret, sat down next to them. Vera, noticing Prince Andrei's attention to Natasha, found that at an evening, at a real evening, it was necessary that there be subtle hints of feelings, and seizing the time when Prince Andrei was alone, she began a conversation with him about feelings in general and about her sister . With such an intelligent guest (as she considered Prince Andrei) she needed to apply her diplomatic skills to the matter.

Xiamen (Amoy) and Gulangyu Island - Fujian, China 2016 ?>

Xiamen (Amoy) and Gulangyu Island - Fujian, China 2016

Xiamen or Amoy is a large port city in Fujian province on the seashore. From here to Henan Island is just a stone's throw away, that is, an hour's flight. Opposite the main island of Xiamen, a 15-30 minute ferry ride away, is the pretty island of Gulangyu. This is where we began our acquaintance with the city.

Gulangyu - another China

Gulangyu China is an island of colonial culture in modern China.

Gulangyu (Gulang Yu) is an island of 1000 colonial-era monuments: villas in a mixed Western-Chinese style. Back in 1880, a settlement of European consulates appeared here with hospitals, hotels, churches, post offices and even a local newspaper published in English.

And most of the well-preserved estates were built in 1925. Most major attractions have a fee. The cost of a single ticket is 100 yuan. To see the island, you don’t have to pay for it; you can just walk along the narrow streets and along the embankments.

You should definitely check out the beaches of the island; if you wish, you can even swim in the sea.

In the evening one of the streets turns into a night market, with a good selection of street food. The most delicious thing is the special round dumplings that the aunties skillfully prepare right before your eyes. There is a sea around, so there is a lot of seafood. These dumplings come in both pork and shrimp varieties. An omelet with mussels and small octopuses is popular.

Everywhere you can try dried fruits and dried meat, it’s all very tasty.

Prices for Gulangyu are steep because... everything here is geared towards tourism. If you can eat for 100-200 rubles together, you won’t find accommodation cheaper than 450 rubles per bed. There is an option to pitch a tent on the beach. For some reason, the ferry to the island is only from one place, from the central pier, although on some maps there are as many as 3 ferry crossings. And the cost is very expensive, 45 yuan per person. Remember that this is the price for a round trip, despite the fact that the ticket is kind of flimsy, a small ticket. We accidentally and safely threw away this ticket, because... there was no mention of the ability to return back using this ticket. No one warned us at the box office either.

Stay

Xiamen is the most famous city in Fujian

Xiamen is the third most expensive city in China. And the salaries are probably corresponding. There are no cheap hotels for foreigners at all. If you come across some inexpensive hostel, then they definitely do not accept foreigners, they simply do not have a license for this.

We visited here twice: the first time when we arrived from Chaozhou, and the second time on the way back, when we returned from the north of the province. Both times we needed accommodation. The police helped us check into one hotel, although we didn’t want that at all. I just asked at the restaurant if they knew where cheap accommodation was nearby, and the staff called the police. They asked us to wait, and after 30 minutes of waiting we saw that the police had arrived. This is how the Chinese worry about foreigners.

Sometimes, by the way, we give ourselves a break and make purchases like this, which greatly surprises and confuses the Chinese.

For another 1 day we found accommodation through the Couchsurfing website. It’s funny that the guy couldn’t accept him himself, but gave the contact of a friend who happily provided his accommodation in the form of a bed. The owner, however, never showed up. But other guests moved into our room - traveling Chinese from other provinces.

Grigory Potemkin and gifts from RealChinaTea

On this day we also met with an interesting tea entrepreneur, famous in his circles, Grigory Potemkin, who runs his RealChinaTea project. He has strong website copy and a well-developed brand - the basis for the success of his business. The tea supplied by them is also good. We have convinced ourselves of this. Having agreed, we went to his office and spent a couple of hours talking and drinking tea. I was entrusted with the brewing, and I tried my best. And finally, Grisha gave us 4 jars of red Chinese and Taiwanese teas. One of the cheapest among them, Tan Yang, was our favorite.

Xiamen attractions

1. ZhongshanLu Pedestrian Street

ZhongshanLu Street is one of the main attractions of Xiamen - disappointed. We visited a pedestrian street with what we thought was a meager selection of street food. The fact is that this area is rich in seafood, and we cannot afford it. So we tried to try something affordable. Triangles with rice and pork in steamed banana leaves, a local version of dumplings, sweet peanut soup, etc. I can’t say that I liked all these delicacies, they were too specific. True, we tried everything in one place, maybe they just don’t cook well there.

2. Nanputo Si Monastery

1000 year old Buddhist monastery of Nanputo Si- the largest and most revered Chinese Buddhist temple in the city. The temple is interesting for the bright design of its roofs and the statue of the thousand-armed Guanyin with four faces in the octagonal Hall of Great Empathy (Dabei Dian).

3. Port of Xiamen

The views to and from the port of Xiamen are quite picturesque. The port is huge, one of the largest in China.

………………….

Our second visit to Xiamen is unusual. Trying to earn some money for accommodation and transportation, I decided to sell old Russian banknotes at the railway station in Xiamen. They wrote a sign in Chinese - advertisements for sale. We sat near the shopping center, fellow Chinese looked, were interested, but did not buy, they were afraid. The janitor seemed to want to reduce the price, but he ran away before he even really started. We moved to the cash registers. Then people came up to us and said, go to the police, they will help. They led me by the hand, turned to the railway station employees, and said - wait for the police. For a long time no one appeared, but then an ordinary station employee came and incredulously asked what was the matter. Even after learning about our problem - a small amount of money, he was still very suspicious of our personalities and, asking for a passport, called somewhere. Then to someone else. And then he brought 100 yuan from his boss and added us to a second seated ticket to Guangzhou the next day in the evening, on that day it was no longer available. So we ended up with two tickets to Guangzhou for a harsh 12-hour journey in the cheapest seated carriage. At night.

This was just the beginning of our adventures that day, but I will write about this in the right place later, in another post.

Transport Xiamen (China)

Public bus services are well developed, including a BRT line on a dedicated line/route. The city's high-speed bus line was not tried because it was never needed; regular buses were used. But in general, I liked the transport in Xiamen: convenient, cheap, fast, there are almost no traffic jams or they are not big at all.

How to ride Chinese city buses for free. Important!

1. Go through the second door, from which the trustworthy Chinese are just leaving. In 80% of cases, especially when there are a large number of people, you will not be asked to pay for the ticket.
2. Go to the front, correct, door and hand the driver 100 yuan in a single piece of paper. Confidently show that you need to go and ask for change using signs or in Chinese. In 99.5% of cases, the driver will not have change, and he will not kick you out. *Only once we were asked to leave the bus and not return without change. We didn’t have time to get out, the local old man decided to pay for the fare for us, thank him very much for that.

*Please note that the author of these methods strongly discourages resorting to deceptive techniques to travel on public transport. The “How to Get to China Buses for Free” techniques are experimental methods used only to enrich the experience, and not for the purpose of methodical daily use. Remember that asking for free travel and obtaining permission, thereby not violating anything, is the only legal method of travel both on Chinese buses and on any other public transport in the world.

Ferries to Gulangyu

Google maps and Maps.me maps strongly indicate that there are several crossings from the main island of Xiamen to Gulangyu Island, but we only saw and used one - from the far northern pier. The large, modern ferry has a harmful nature - they only sell expensive round-trip tickets for 40 yuan. By the way, we stupidly and successfully threw them away upon reaching Gulangyu Island. We made this very serious mistake due to the fact that no one warned us about the opposite property of the ticket and our, or even more likely, my stupidity. Conclusion: never throw away any checks, tickets, official papers for at least a few days, until it is obvious that this paper will no longer help you save your money or life (and this probably happens).

Due to our slowness, we had to buy return tickets, i.e. we paid one-and-a-half times the cost of a round-trip ticket from Xiamen to Gulangyu. Well, this will be a lesson for us.

Xiamen food. Fujian cuisine

• There is delicious: round dumplings (meatballs) with shrimp or pork filling (very tasty dough and broth in which they swim). Very tasty dough. Shrimp ones are pink in color, and pork ones are white, although the dough used is the same.

• A delicious soup with seafood and noodles - we were treated to it in a cafe-restaurant by a local friend.
• And there are some very strange ones: even I can’t appreciate peanut soup, it’s kind of sweet.

Of course, this is not a complete list of what we tried, much less what you can eat in Ximen, but we didn’t have the money or time to try everything. The city and province are famous for their seafood. There are many different dishes with them: from grilled squid and octopus to soups and various dumplings. There are also desserts - here they are - mostly for everyone.

Housing in Xiamen. Where to stay in Xiamen

Couchsurfing in Xiamen well presented, but requests must be made in advance. We stayed 1 night via Couchsurfing and it was a fun and free experience.

Hostels in Xiamen there are cheap and expensive ones. An expensive hostel on Gulangyu Island is a good option because... This is the cheapest option to stay on a tourist island if you don't have a tent or don't want to sleep in one. There are cheap ones in Xiamen itself, but most only accept people with a Chinese ID card (analogous to our passport), be careful.

Hotels Xiamen Islands- the cheapest one can be cheap, even 50 yuan for a double room, but it will also not accept foreigners. But those with such a license will be expensive, from 120-130 yuan.

Weather in Xiamen

Xiamen's weather is changeable. For 1.5 days it seemed to us that the weather was like in St. Petersburg: gray, gloomy, drizzling. And at other times the bright sun was shining and a fresh breeze was blowing - it was real sunny summer weather, although it was the very end of autumn. If we get lucky.

Conclusions about Xiamen

Xiamen is an interesting city. There are attractions that can and are worth visiting. There are also those that are not necessary to visit. For example, the Zhunshalu tourist street with food and souvenirs did not attract us, we didn’t even like it. You can skip it, there is nothing like that. But the night tourist market on Gulangyu is a cool place, fun and tasty, a visit is recommended.

Pros: good transport accessibility to the main attractions, delicious seafood and some other local food, a pleasant city in sunny weather, a sufficient number of people speak English, Gulangyu Island with colonial architecture.

There are also disadvantages. The city is expensive, the locals are somewhat aloof, and because of this (the city is expensive, you need to earn a lot of money to live well here), you come across strange food, sometimes bad weather, similar to St. Petersburg (heavy, gray, with rain).

You can visit the city, but 2-3 days are enough to get acquainted. Be sure to spend one of these days on Gulangyu Island. If you visit paid attractions of the city and islands, then probably 1 day more. Has anyone visited these attractions, what is your opinion - are they worth the money?

In China, do not forget to visit the most beautiful places: Wuyi Mountains in Fujian, Lijiang and Dali in Sichuan, Guilin and Yangshuo in Guangxi, Guangzhou in Guangdong and Xian in Shaanxi, Chaozhou and Fenhuang in Guangdong, the Taoist Mountains of Wudanshan and Huashan no less beautiful. Sichuan is amazing

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Xiamen, or otherwise Xiamen, is the largest port in the Chinese province of Fujian, located near the Taiwan Strait. It is located on the islands between Quanzhou and Zhangzhou.

This place is one of the cleanest ecologically on our planet. Xiamen is a resort and a port city. In this area you can observe natural beauty - mountains and sea, at the same time with a large number of new buildings. During the reign of the Yuan Dynasty, the wonderful city bay was a gathering place for local pirates. Nowadays, Xiamen is a free financial zone. The city is known as one of the most developed in the state. Xiamen has been open to foreign investment since 1979, many visitors live in the city, and there are three hundred and sixty thousand native residents. The city lives mainly from the tourism industry. Xiamen is the fourth largest city in the country.

Natural beauty, wonderful sea views, ancient and cultural attractions allow the city to be called one of the most attractive for holidaymakers in China. Gulangyu Island is one of the most wonderful places in Xiamen. Here are located Sunlit Mountain, Haue Garden, Shujang Garden and Piano Museum- very attractive attractions for tourists. To the south, next to the famous Xiamen University, is located Historical Nanputuo Temple. In addition to these places, there are also such as Dimay, Vanshishan and many others.

Gulangyu Island

Gulangyu Island is five hundred meters wide and its area is 177 sq. km. Its common name is “Garden in the Sea”. There is also this: “Piano Island”. At first the island was called Yuen Zhou Di, but during the Ming Dynasty it was given a different name - Gulan. Translated this means “Drum Waves”. The architecture of Gulangyu Island is traditional Chinese style, however, it also contains elements of Western influence. Twenty thousand people live on the island.

Gulangyu is a music island and a popular tourist attraction. Here, everyone who loves music will be able to get aesthetic pleasure and at the same time look at local wonders.

For a long period no one lived on the island. At the end of the Opium War, the island's territory became a public concession, which was divided among England, the United States, Germany and Japan. After the advent of the Christian religion on the island, music that came from the West also became widely popular here. On Gulangyu Island there are such establishments as Organ Museum and Piano Museum. More than a hundred ancient and famous families live here who connected their lives with music. These people often hold concerts; music is their main activity.

In addition to the developed musical culture, Gulanyu also offers a look at such wonderful curiosities as Sunlight Rock, which is the most beautiful and picturesque attraction of the island, Howe Garden, Dragon Head Mountain and others.

On Sunlight Rock You can admire the wonderful natural landscape. When you climb the mountain peak, you will have the opportunity to see all the beauties of Gulangyu Island and the city of Xiamen itself. The latter is connected to Park Chin. There is Luna – Park, and in it – Bainyao Garden, House of Heroes and other places.

Howe Garden

The Howe Garden is another significant attraction. Its territory is thirty thousand square meters; in the garden there is a large bronze figure of Jen Cheng Gong, who was a patriotic general, as well as figures of his associates.

Dragon Head Mountain

Dragon Head Mountain, Hen Hill and Flag Mountain arranged in a row on the island. These mountains are surrounded by the open sea, they are covered with a lot of beautiful flowers and white clouds. The air in this area is fresh and clean. The nature around you and the surrounding views give you the impression of being in a fairy tale.

Park – Shujuan Garden

This place is rich in beautiful flowers. The garden has an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Forty-four bridges were built over the water. Vacationers are attracted by such local wonders as Monkey's Cave and twelve "Labyrinth Caves" having original and unusual shapes. There are also beautiful pavilions in the Park.

South Putuo Temple

South Putuo Temple is a famous ancient building in Xiamen. It is located opposite the top of Vulao. This building was erected during the Song Dynasty, and during the Ming Dynasty, work was carried out to reconstruct it and expand the area. In 1925, the Minnan Buddhist Academy was founded at Putuo Temple, thanks to which the Temple received great fame. Throughout the history of Putuo Temple, a large number of pilgrims of the Buddhist faith have visited here.

The main part of the temple building is Tianwan Hall, Daibei Hall, Daxionbao Hall and Sutra Collection Pavilion. Among other things, the Temple preserves a large number of famous Buddha figures. The Temple houses many cultural relics that belong to the Northern Wei, Tang, Song, Ming, and Chin dynasties.

Botanical Garden

In Xiamen, the Botanical Garden is located in the central part of the city, in the southeastern part of John Shan Park. This garden was built in 1960 according to the traditional ancient Chinese style. It covers an area of ​​about twenty-six square kilometers and is home to approximately one million eight hundred thousand trees! Among them, tourists can observe unique representatives of the world of tropical and subtropical flora. The garden consists of twenty-nine smaller ones, among which - Chinese Rare Plant Garden, Bamboo Forest, Orchid Garden, Rose Garden and others.

The Chinese Garden of Rare Plants boasts a huge number of different trees, the most attractive to visitors are: metasequoia and gingko. In addition, here you can see a pond where the Amazonian Victoria and the giant water lily grow - its leaves are comparable in weight to the weight of a child. The Orchid Garden is notable for the varieties of Chinese wild orchid found here. Among them there are very valuable and rare plants. In addition to all this, the Xiamen Botanical Garden has beautiful premises and decorative pavilions, built in accordance with the traditional style.

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Xiamen, located in southeast China, is not only one of the most beautiful cities in the Middle Kingdom, but also one of the most popular resorts in the region. Despite the fact that the city's port is the largest in the Taiwan Bay, it has the reputation of being one of the cleanest cities not only in Asia, but throughout the whole world. There are a lot of parks, gardens, lakes and generally greenery on the streets, but there are no industries or factories. Moreover, motorcycles with internal combustion engines are prohibited in the city; everyone rides electric bikes, which are very popular among the population. There are cars, but they are subject to strict environmental requirements, and everyone who drives them from other regions of China must pay a special emission tax. But Xiamen is famous not only for its exceptionally clean air and warm sea. It is also a city where there is a lot to do and see, both from an educational and entertainment point of view.

Hulishan fortress.

The fortress with a total area of ​​more than 13 thousand square meters is one of the top thirty attractions in China. It was built in 1894, but never took part in real hostilities. A couple of times only her guns were fired at Japanese ships, they didn’t drown anyone, but they scared them. The material from which it is made is interesting. This is kafmor wood, sand, clay, and sugar syrup and glutinous rice act as a binding element. Hundreds of tourists, both from abroad and from China, come to the fort every day, and so that they don’t get bored visiting the cannons and walls, performances are held for them twice a day.

Xiamen University and Museum.

It is more appropriate to consider these two architectural complexes as one attraction, because although they were founded at slightly different times, they largely have the same development path. It is noteworthy that in popular vernacular this complex is called the museum of Chinese emigrants, because it was founded by the most charismatic leader of Chinese emigrants, Ka-Ki, together with other Chinese living outside the country. Construction began in 1956, and the opening took place in 1959. And if the university is interesting only from an architectural point of view, then the museum will appeal to many inquisitive tourists. The museum's exposition includes more than seven thousand exhibits located on an area of ​​2,400 square meters, and united (with the exception of the anthropology hall) by the idea of ​​life, struggle, cultural heritage and crafts of Chinese emigrants. By the way, most of the exhibits consist of gifts and donations from Chinese who were forced to leave their homeland. The anthropological exhibition includes more than 1,000 specimens of rare birds, animals and marine life.

Nanputo Temple (South Putong Temple).

The temple is huge in size (more than 21 thousand square meters), located on an area of ​​25.8 hectares, built more than 10 centuries ago during the Tang Dynasty. It consists of several halls and open areas, each of which has its own history and sacred meaning. It is still active today; moreover, the oldest Buddhist university in China, founded in 1925, operates in the temple. An excellent place to not only view the beauty and artifacts, but also to calmly wander around its territory and talk about the eternal with the monks.

Gulangyu Island.

A small island one and a half kilometers from Xiamen is a favorite destination for tourists. In the 19th century, a settlement was created on the island for traders from Europe and the United States, who not only built it up, but also improved it. Among the dense forests, here and there you can see buildings made in the then popular architectural styles of both the New World and the Old. The natural beach - Vostochny, open to everyone - is in great demand. Actually, there are two beaches, but for some reason the Western one is closed to outsiders and entry to it is only available to military personnel of the People's Liberation Army of China. In the center of the island is Mount Sunshine, climbing which you can see a beautiful panorama.

It is here that the monumental statue of the liberator of the territories of southern China and Taiwan, Zheng Chenggong, is located. At the foot of the statue there is an observation deck from where you can view the entire water area of ​​Xiamen.

There is no transport on the island at all and all movements are carried out exclusively on foot.

And of course, the main attraction of Xiamen is Xiamen itself, with its beaches and palm trees, with its large markets and seafood restaurants, thanks to which the city is considered a paradise for lovers of this kind of cuisine, with its huge botanical garden (more than 7 hectares) and friendly residents.

We present to your attention one of the best Michelin restaurants in the city of Xiamen, the owner of a reputation and a Michelin star. The establishment was named “Jacky Angela Steakhouse”, due to the fact that this is where the most delicious steaks are prepared in all of China.

Xiamen, the largest port city in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. It so happens that the port cities of China located on the islands have become a favorite destination for tourists.

No trip is complete without visiting local attractions and restaurants.

This establishment is famous among tourists and local residents for its exquisite American cuisine, steakhouse dishes, seafood, and an amazing wine bar.

The decor of the restaurant is made in a modern European style, which creates an atmosphere of elegance and comfort.

In 2015, the editors of Michelinfood conducted an independent survey on the topic: “Where are the best steaks in Xiamen?” 122 tourists were surveyed, of which 70% pointed to the Jacky Angela Steakhouse restaurant, 20% did not visit the establishment, 10% did not eat at all steaks in China.

The average bill per person is 50 Euro.

Address:

Xiamen 361012, China, 0102 Donggang Lu

Operating mode:

Every day from 11 to 22.00 local time.

Telephone:+86 592 601 6038

Tags: Michelin Restaurants in Xiamen

The city of Xiamen is located in the southeast of Fujian Province. In ancient times, this city was called Ludao, which means “white heron island.” In the southeast it is washed by the East Sea, where there is a maritime border with Taiwan; in the west it borders with Zhangzhou, in the north it borders with Chuanzhou. It is the second largest city in Fujian Province. The name of the city contains the hidden meaning of “gate to a great building.”

Xiamen is one of the earliest cities to establish a free economic zone. It is a city with provincial economic management powers. The total area of ​​the city is 1516.12 sq.m. total population 1,170,000 people. The island is the fourth largest in China. There is a large expat population here, with 350,000 Chinese living there.

Xiamen has a maritime climate. Four seasons in a row - warm weather. The average annual temperature is 21 degrees above zero. There is no winter in Xiamen. In the spring there is heavy rain, and in the summer the weather is quite hot with clear blue skies and fresh sea breezes, although there are occasional typhoons. The weather is very good here in autumn. Tourists from all over the world come here at any time of the year.

Xiamen is a port resort city. There are mountainous, sea landscapes here. After the formation of the People's Republic of China, the appearance of the city changed greatly: the area of ​​the city increased, many modern buildings appeared, etc. The city's economy is mainly based on tourism. Here, perhaps, is one of the most environmentally friendly places on earth. Huaqiao from all over the world come to Xiamen to relax.

With flowers blooming all year round in the subtropical climate, a walk in any direction will take you to the park in 20 minutes, where the air is filled with sweet aromas in the shade of banana trees. Xiamen, known for centuries as Amoy, is the ancient sea gateway to China. This city was part of the maritime Silk Road and the heart of Chinese maritime trade. The city of Xiamen was founded in the 14th century during the Ming Dynasty as a trading port and defense center against Japanese pirates. Following the invasion of China by Qing armies in 1644, Xiamen became one of the fiercest centers of resistance to the Manchu invaders under the command of the famous general Zheng Chengong, better known in the West as Coxinga.

Geographically close to Taiwan, Xiamen has a similar dialect and cuisine, as many Taiwanese are from Minnan, an area located in the southern part of Fujian Province.

In 1841, Britain forced China to open the city of Xiamen as a port, and it became one of the first ports to trade with Western countries. The city of Xiamen preserves many traditions that are almost lost in other parts of China. Almost every home has an altar on which incense is burned and ceremonies of food offerings and prayers are performed; and if you go for a walk in the evening along the narrow ancient streets of this city, you will definitely hear melodies from the Minnan Opera.

A 10-minute ferry ride from Xiamen across the Lujiang Strait is Gulangyu Island, with an area of ​​1.78 square meters. km. Gulangyu and Xiamen were once one of the few habitats of the egret, which is now included in the Red Book. But even now, if you are lucky, you can meet this beautiful bird on the beaches or near the water. This island became a foreign concession in 1903, but foreign settlements arose here much earlier - in the 19th century, after Amoy became an open port as a result of the Opium Wars. The foreigners who lived on the territory of this concession built the island according to their own model. This is a unique museum of Victorian and neoclassical architecture - villas, churches and cemeteries - everything here is reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Riding any type of transport, including cycling, is prohibited here, which allows you to preserve the pristine charm of this place.

The highest point of the island is the 93-meter Sunlight Rock, which dominates the entire area and is a good landmark that prevents you from getting lost in the ever-winding streets. The Kosinga Museum is also located here, a tribute to the Minsk merchant, famous for his patriotism. Cosinga was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an influential Chinese maritime merchant father. When the Qing dynasty overthrew the Ming Dynasty, Cosinga was literally torn between maintaining resistance to the Qing or supporting them with his father. In the end, he chose to resist the Manchu invaders and, at the zenith of his power, held the line for quite a long time. However, the Qing armies gradually penetrated his territory, and so he moved his base to Taiwan, from where he expelled the Dutch after their 40th presence on the island. In the museum you can find items from that era, it is located close to the beach and has a beautiful view.

As soon as you enter the residential part of the island, you will immediately be surrounded by echoes of music. Gulaya is also called the “piano island”, music comes from everywhere - from the windows of villas, from narrow streets, many famous Chinese pianists come here, perhaps the calm local life and the light ocean breeze contribute to inspiration. Every year in May an international music festival and piano competition is held here. On Huanyanlu Road, on the way to Sunlight Rock, there is a concert hall that hosts classical music concerts on weekends, and not far from Gangzaihuo Beach in Shuzhua Park, there is Asia's largest piano museum. There are also a couple of churches in Gulangyu, the largest of which is the Trinity Church on Anhailu Road. In the evenings you can hear a choir singing church hymns coming from there.

Returning back to the city of Xiamen, you can pay attention to the Nanputo Temple - the main attraction for Buddhists. It is located at the foot of the Five Elders Peak near Xiamen University. This peaceful temple is over 1000 years old and is the oldest landmark in Xiamen. Note the character "fo", which means Buddhism in Chinese, carved into the rock at a height of 4.6 m.

Not far from Nanputo Temple is Xiamen University, founded in 1921 by wealthy philanthropist Chen Jiageng, better known as Tang Kaike in the local dialect, who made his fortune in Singapore. Chen was a prominent philanthropist and funded many schools in his hometown of Jimen, located east of the city of Xiamen. Xiamen University's architecture is a mixture of Minnan and Western styles, and the art college houses the Center for Chinese and European Art, which regularly hosts exhibitions of contemporary Chinese and European art.

At the southeastern end of the campus near the Xiamen beach is the Hulishan Cannon Fort, which houses Asia's largest ancient cannons. To the north of the university is the “Botanical Garden of 10 Thousand Rocks,” which contains many subtropical plants and bizarrely shaped rocks. From Baicheng Beach near Xiamen University, a panoramic ring road around the island begins. Take a bike and ride along one of the most beautiful beaches in Xiamen, past strawberry fields, drowning in the mist of the ocean breeze.

If you are tired, you can stop and have a snack at Huangzuo or Ye Fengzhai while watching the kites fly and listening to the sound of the surf.

40 minutes from Xiamen by bus is the town of Changtai, where the Changtai River Club offers a wide range of water activities, including rafting, skydiving, mountain climbing and other extreme sports. For lovers of a more relaxing water holiday, we can recommend a trip to Dongshan Island, located 4 hours from the city of Xiamen, where clean beaches, water skiing and windsurfing await you.

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Attractions in Xiamen

Fujian Tulou

Type: Residential buildings

Fujian Tulou is called laquo;Ancient Castle in the East; and laquo; A magnificent work of world architecture;. Fujian Tulou has high historical, artistic and scientific value... more

Gulangyu Island

Type: Reservoirs

Introduction Gulanyu is located 600 meters from the city of Xiamen and is a small island with an area of ​​less than 2 square kilometers, which is inhabited by about thirty thousand inhabitants. , Currently... more

Shuzhuang Garden

Type: Landscape architecture

The beautiful Shuzhuang Seaside Garden (Chinese: 菽庄花园) was built in 1913 in the south of Gulangyu Island. Originally the private villa of a wealthy local judge, Shuzhuang became the property of a city in 1955… more

South Putuo Temple

Type: Monasteries

Putuo Temple is the most famous temple in southern Fujian and one of the most famous Buddhist temples in China. It was built during the Ming Dynasty between 1403 and 1424,… more

Heavenly Sea

Type: Residential buildings

Built in 1921, Heavenly Sea Villa (Chinese: 海天堂) is the largest old villa on GulanYu Island in Xiamen. Known in Xiamen as Xintiandi, the Heavenly Sea is the most fashionable and sophisticated... more

Yongdin Hakka Village

Type: Residential buildings

Yongding Hakka Village, also known as Honken Earthen Building District, is located in Yongding County, Hukeng City, Fujian Province. The first earthen buildings in the village were built by the ancestors of the family... more

Tianluokeng earthen building

Type: Residential buildings

The Tianluokeng Earthen Building (Chinese: 田螺坑土楼) is located in Shangban Village, Shuyang City, about 60 kilometers from Nanjing and located on a mountainside at an altitude of 787 meters above sea level. Tianluok... more

Cenci earthen building

Type: Residential buildings

Chenchi Building (Chinese: 承启楼), or Chenchi Earthen Building, is located in Gaobei Village, Yongding County, Fujian Province. It is a large-scale circular earthen structure with four concentric circular buildings. ... more

Yuchang Earthen Building

Type: Residential buildings

Yuchang Earthen Building (Chinese: 裕昌楼) is located in Xiaban Village, Zhangzhou City. Built in 1368 during the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, the building, with an area of ​​2289 square meters, ... more

Village Tasya

Type: Residential buildings

Taxia Village (Chinese: 塔下村) is an amazing Hakka village located in a valley in the west of Shuyang City in the Nanjing region. Built in 1426 during the Ming Dynasty in the seventh century... more

Earthen Fortress Heguei

Type: Residential buildings

Heguei Building or the so-called Heguei Earthen Fortress (Chinese: 和贵楼), is located in Pushan Village, 53 km from Nanjing City, Zhangzhou County. Built in 1732 during the Qing Dynasty, five… more

Huaiyuan Earthen Building

Type: Residential buildings

Huaiyuan Earthen Building (Chinese: 怀远楼), built in 1905 at the end of the Qing Dynasty, is located in Kanxia Village, Meili City, about 54 km from Nanjing. Covering an area of ​​1384 square meters, Huaiyuan P... more

Huandi Earthen Building

Type: Residential buildings

The Huandi Round Earthen Building is located in Nanzhong Village, Yongding County, Fujian Province. The building was built in 1693 by Mr. Su Buchen. This building is about 43 meters in diameter and about 20 m… more

Chusi earthen complex

Type: Residential buildings

Chuxi Earthen Complex (Chinese: 初溪土楼群) is located in Chuxi Village, 15 km from Xiayang City, Yongding County. The complex consists of five round earthen buildings and a dozen rectangular ones.

The earthen complex is located… more

Yanxiang Building

Type: Residential buildings

Built in 1880, the Yanxiang Building (Chinese: 衍香楼) is a circular earthen structure. The building is located in Xinnan Village, Huken City, Fujian Province. The building was built by Mr... more

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XIAMEN(Xiamen, Amoy; Chinese trad. 廈門市, exercise 厦门市, pinyin: Xiàmén shì) is a city of sub-provincial significance in Fujian Province (PRC), the largest port of the province on the coast of the Taiwan Strait. Located on the islands and adjacent mainland coast between Quanzhou (to the north) and Zhangzhou (to the south). Population - 3530 thousand inhabitants. (2010).

Offshore about ten kilometers from the city lies the Kinmen Islands group, which belongs to Taiwan and remains the subject of dispute.

Story

Under the name Tongan (同安縣) it was first mentioned in 282 AD. Under the name Amoy (茶) it was first mentioned in the Song Dynasty (1126-1279), in the notes of Marco Polo. During the Yuan Dynasty, the beautiful harbor of Xiamen served as a refuge for local pirates...

Until the 15th century. From here there was active trade with India, Arabia and Western Asia, Amoy was one of the greatest trading centers in the world. In 1516, Portuguese ships first appeared here. Following them, in 1575, the Spaniards came, interested in the silk trade, which was transported first to Manila and then to Mexico. In 1604, a Dutch squadron moored to the island, however, their attempts to establish relations with local merchants were unsuccessful.

During the Manchu conquest of China in the mid-17th century, the island of Xiamen passed into the hands of the Chinese patriotic pirate Zheng Chenggong for several years. Xiamen became his base for the conquest of Taiwan in 1661-1662, where he himself soon relocated.

The first English trading ship appeared on the shores of the island in 1670, and after some time the British managed to develop vigorous commercial activity here: the East India Company opened factories and created a large trading post. But in 1730, the Chinese government, dissatisfied with the onslaught and willfulness of the British, issued a decree according to which all ships, except Spanish ones, were prohibited from trading in this port.

Trade with Europe resumed immediately after the First Opium War, which was disastrous for the Middle Empire. The city was captured by a British squadron under the command of Sir Hugh Gough and Admiral Parker on August 27, 1841. In 1843 the port was opened to the trade of all nations. Foreigners began to settle on the islands in the bay (see Gulangyu), and an extraterritorial settlement was created on Kolongsu Island - the Amoi Settlement. The first settlers to arrive in Amoy were Protestant missionaries. Clergymen from the American Reformed Church, the Dutch Reformed Church, the American Episcopal Church, the London Missionary Society, the American Presbyterian Church and the English Presbyterian Church began arriving on the island in 1842. They occupied a special place in the formation of the settlement. Through their efforts, the Tek-chin-ka and Hope and Wilhelmina hospital chains were founded, and schools for Chinese children were created. In addition to the Tung Wen Institute and the Anglo-Chinese College, sponsored by both Chinese and foreign merchants, the universities of the three largest Protestant missions and the United High School are located on Kolongsu Island. In 1863, an English chapel was erected, where services were held in English every Saturday. It was the largest English missionary church with a capacity of nearly 1,000 people. In addition to Protestant missions, there was a Roman Catholic mission on the island, under the tutelage of the Spanish Church. By 1908 there were already close to 100 missionary communities in Amoy.

Initially, all commercial enterprises were built not on Kolongsu Island, but on the shore from the city. And yet, many businessmen preferred to locate their private residences on the island due to its natural protection from typhoons. Also in its southern part, on a rock, a British consulate building was erected. On the pier there are consulates of Germany, the USA, France and Japan, several post offices, two large clubs with a library and reading rooms, two hotels and a pharmacy. Kolongsu was also home to the largest sports base, with fields for tennis, cricket, hockey, etc. The eastern edge of the island was completed by a Signal Station, which notified the arrival of ships at the port and the approach of typhoons or storms. The majority of the population of Kolongsu Island was Chinese: there were three Chinese villages with a population of 4,000 people around the settlement.

Throughout the 19th century, Xiamen port remained the most important port for the tea trade. As a result, the local dialect became the source of many words that penetrated into European languages ​​(for example, “ketchup”). In addition, Xiamen served as a springboard for the settlement and colonization of Taiwan, where large tea plantations were planted by Xiamen tea traders.

In 1900, during the Yihetuan Rebellion, Amoi was temporarily occupied by the Japanese.

In the 20th century, Xiamen continued to be dependent on trade with the outside world. The Xiamen Chinese were among the first East Asian emigrants to America. The policy of reform and opening up led to the transformation of Xiamen into a free economic zone. Now it is considered one of the most comfortable cities in China. In 1921, Xiamen University was opened here.

Administrative division

The sub-provincial city of Xiamen is divided into six districts (qiu/khu 区):

Siming and Huli districts are united into a special economic zone.

Geography

The historical center of the city is located in the southwestern part of Xiamen Island, south of Lake Yundan (Chinese)Russian, which in the past was a wide estuary of the Yundan Rivers.

On the island of Gulangyu (English)Russian. to the southwest of Xiamen Island there were foreign consulates, houses of foreign merchants, etc.; Now it is a historical museum-reserve. The narrow strait between the islands of Xiamen and Gulangyu was called the Xiamen harbor itself. All these territories are now part of the Siming region.

These days, most of Xiamen Island is urbanized, with beaches along the southern shore of the island and port facilities along the western shore (facing Xiamen Harbor in the modern, broad sense). The main campus of Xiamen University is also located on the southern shore of the island.

The four mainland districts of Xiamen are also being urbanized at a rapid pace. Located on the western shore of Xiamen Harbor, Haicang is an industrial and port area. In the Jimei district there is Jimei University and “Turtle Park” - a memorial complex in honor of the famous huaqiao, people's educator Chen Jiagen (English) Russian, where he himself is buried (Chinese) Russian. in a traditional turtle grave

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