Overview

[Video/Xiamen Daily]

Xiamen is a sub-provincial city in Fujian province, a special economic zone, and an important central city along the southeastern coast of China, serving as a major port and a renowned scenic tourist destination.

Situated in the southeast of Fujian, Xiamen borders Zhangzhou to the west, connects with Quanzhou to the north, and faces Kinmen Island across the sea to the southeast.

With a land area of 1,699.01 square kilometers and a sea area of 333 sq km in 2023, Xiamen administers six districts, namely Siming, Huli, Jimei, Haicang, Tong'an and Xiang'an.

Minnan (south Fujian) Dialect is Xiamen's pervasive local dialect among its 5.35 million permanent residents by the end of 2024. The city also boasts a diverse community with many of its residents having lived abroad, or natives of Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Xiamen has been a trading port since ancient times as well as a gateway for China's opening-up and external cooperation. With a natural deep harbor that is ice-free all year round, the city has become an international port city. Being one of the earliest special economic zones in China, Xiamen remains at the forefront of China's reform and opening-up endeavor.

After decades of development, Xiamen has become well known for its innovation and entrepreneurship, with burgeoning new economic forms and new industries, robust trade and investment and easy access around the world by air, land and sea links. Today, it is a beautiful garden city that projects harmony between man and nature.

In 2025, Xiamen's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 898.04 billion yuan ($130.94 billion), up 5.7 percent year-on-year. The city is witnessing rapid growth with large amounts of investors from Taiwan, Hong Kong and foreign countries flocking to the city. Last year, the total value of imports and exports for the year increased by 3.0 percent. Notably, exports demonstrated resilient growth, rising by 8.6 percent. Market diversification provided significant support, with exports to countries along the Belt and Road increasing by 22.0 percent, accounting for 34.3 percent of total exports. Exports to ASEAN and BRICS countries also saw robust growth, rising by 22.9 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively.

Three of Xiamen's hot tourist spots are Gulangyu Island, Nanputuo Temple and Xiamen Botanical Garden, and are among must-see places for visitors in the city.

Gulangyu Island, which is situated in the southwest of the city, sits opposite Xiamen Island across the sea. A panoramic view of Xiamen can be seen when you climb onto Sunlight Rock that overlooks the city. Under the rock stands the Zheng Chenggong statue. To the south of the rock alongside the sea, is the famous Shuzhuang Garden next to the flat bathing beach covered with green plants.

Next to Wulao Mountain in the southeast of the city is the renowned and ancient Nanputuo Temple, and behind the temple is a quiet and beautiful place with rocks and trees. Yunding Rock sits on the summit of Hongji Mountain on Xiamen Island. Xiamen University is nearby, and tourists can visit the Luxun Memorial Hall and Human Museum.

Xiamen Botanical Garden, located in the eastern part of the city, is covered with ridges and peaks rising and wonderful scenery.

Climate

Xiamen's climate is subtropical. It is warm and rainy with an annual average temperature of around 21 degrees Celsius. It is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. The annual precipitation reaches around 1,200 millimeters with the largest amount falling from May to August. Due to the airflow from temperature differences in the Pacific Ocean, typhoons may occur four to five times a year in Xiamen, mainly from July to September.

Visitors and residents in Xiamen can enjoy bright sunlight, gentle breezes, lush plants and colorful flowers in the city all year round. It is one of China's top 10 cities to live in with its high development of culture and education, economic prosperity and picturesque scenery.

Tips for visitors:

1. The best time to visit Xiamen is in spring and autumn. Early summer is also favorable.

2. Visitors are advised to bring medication to help with acclimatization to the environment, such as antidiarrheal medicine.

3. Since Xiamen is a port city, seafood is a specialty in the city, but guests are advised not to over-indulge and eat too much.

4. Typhoons may occur in city around August each year. Please consider the weather conditions when making travel plans.

Night view of Xiamen, Fujian province. [Photo/IC]