Expats take a photo during a visit to Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Fujian province on Feb 5. [Photo/xmnn.cn]
A dozen expats in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province celebrated Little New Year (Chinese: Xiaonian), which is usually a week before the lunar New Year, on Gulangyu Island on Feb 5. During the trip, they learned about the island's unique culture which features a mixture of the East and the West.
The activity is part of efforts by local government departments to attract more expats to stay in the city during the upcoming holiday.
Zhan Zhaoxia, an expert of the island, guided the expats during the tour, telling stories about the island in Chinese and English.
"Foreign talent has contributed a lot to Xiamen's development. It is our responsibility to make them feel at home," said Kong Shuguang, director of Xiamen bureau of science and technology.
Kong added that the activity was meant to showcase the festive atmosphere and the hospitality of the locals to the expats.
Expats take a selfie during a visit to Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Fujian province on Feb 5. [Photo/xmnn.cn]
"The professional interpretation has shown us the lesser-known side of Gulangyu, making this an eye-opening experience," said Ohashi Nobuo, general manager of a Japanese company in Xiamen.
Although this was Ohashi's third time to the island, he said the tour helped him gain a new level of understanding about it. He also thanked the local government for organizing the activity, through which he and his peers felt the warmth of the city.
Lutz Steiner, a German who works at technology company ABB also expressed his love for Xiamen, stating that it is a beautiful and open city.
"I love cycling and the charming Huandao (Island-Ring) Boulevard enchants me the most," he said, adding that he will work harder to contribute more to the city's growth.
Xiamen has in recent years attached great importance to attracting foreign professionals and improving relevant services by implementing a series of measures to create a better living and working environment for expats.
Xiamen was ranked among the top 20 in the "Amazing China - the Most Attractive Chinese Cities for Foreigners" list in November 2020. It was also named the "Chinese city with the most potential".
China announced and implemented on May 15 a policy allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
China and Georgia are set to waive visa requirements for travelers starting May 28.
