Xiamen Introduction
Xiamen is a tourist friendly city, located at the southeast coast of China. Xiamen means" the gate of China". It is famous for its brilliant seascape. It boasts a wild gulf with deep water but without freezing and silting. It comprises of Xiamen Island, Gulangyu Island, Tong'an County and the north bank area of the Jiulong River, connected by Gaoji Seawall and Xiamen Bridge. It is considered as Egret Island, because every year a myriad of egrets come to Xiamen and Inhabitate there, due to its natural beauty, fresh air and the clean enviorment of the city..
Hotel
Xiamen Mandarin Hotel
This wandering complex of villas and pavilions is Xiamen's first ever five-star hotel and it goes all out in making sure its guests get treated like royalty. Just minutes from the airport and three golf courses it is ideally located in Xiamen's Special Economic Zone. In-house recreational options abound and include bowling, squash courts, indoor and outdoor pools and even a jogging track. For extra convenience, it offers fine dining options too, including Jade Lake specializing in Sichuan, Fujian and Yangzhou dishes.
The 5-star Mandarin Hotel in Xiamen is a deluxe business, vacation, and convention center all-in-one. To satisfy the needs of E-era business men, the newly renovated Haiyu Building offers both a private and spacious residence and office environment. Possibilities are endless as guests enjoy the complex business facilities and services inside the building, truly experiencing "the home away from home, the office away from office".
Food
Xiamen cuisine represents that of the whole of Fujian. It is one of the eight most famous Chinese cooking styles. In past years, Xiamen cuisine has diversified, forming a unique flavor that can be described as simultaneously mild, tasty, light, crisp and slightly spicy. It is particularly famous for seafood, herbal dishes, Putuo vegetable dishes and local snacks.
Wall-Jump Buddha
This is a traditional Xiamen dish prepared with over 30 ingredients, including shark's fin, sea cucumber, chicken breast, pig's trotters, abalone, mushrooms and pigeon eggs, and many other condiments. The ingredients are carefully selected and skillfully cut. The cooking process is very strict. The ingredients and condiments are first put into a Shaoxing wine jar, its mouth is sealed after the lid is put on. The jar is boiled and then stewed. The ingredients are mixed together to form a special flavor, and each retains part of its own fragrance. It is said that the food is so delicious that even Buddha was tempted by it and jumped over a wall to taste it.
Huanzehe Peanut Soup
Peanut soup (huasheng tang) is by no means easy to make despite the fact that it is made of only one ingredient--peanut. First, carefully selected peanuts are dipped in boiling water for deshelling. Then they are stewed with mild flame until they totally soften. Last add sugar and continue stewing the soup for half an hour. Local people always have this soup with youtiao (deep-fried twist dough sticks), fried dates or buns. Many believe the best Peanut Soup is served at Huangzehe Restaurant in Zhongshang Road, Xiamen.
Tonic Food
Tonic food has a long history in China. The Ancient Imitation Tonic Food Restaurant in the Lujiang Hotel in Xiamen uses traditional Chinese medicines as condiments to cook the foods, which are not bitter like medicine at all. As the season changes, the condiments are also altered to improve the health condition of diners. The ingredients are carefully selected, skillfully cut and cooked, arranged into beautiful shapes to let the diners enjoy both the good taste and refined craftsmanship.
Seafood
Xiamen cuisine is most famous for its sea food of garoupas, yellow croakers, red crabs and local squids. These were regarded as traditional flavor as early as in the Qing Dynasty. The seafood here is always fresh and, once cooked, is delicious. Oysters (Muli), Crabs (Pangxie) and Prawns (Xia) are the best of the batch. Restaurant customers pick out the live ones they want, and give them to the chef to cook.
Sights
Gulangyu Island
Gulangyu Island, located to the southwest of the city proper, is only about a five-minute journey by local ferry. Gulangyu Island is also known as "garden on the sea", "architecture exhibition of ten thousand nations", "hometown of music" and "island of piano". It is one of the most attractive spots around Xiamen tourist spots and is recognized at a national level as a scenic spot. It is on the top list of ten excellent scenic areas in Fujian Province. The island is full of great things to see but the main attractions include the Crag of Sunlight, Garden of Beans (Shuzhuang Huayuan), Bright Moon Garden (Haoyueyuan) and Yuyuan Garden.
Yuanboyuan Garden
Yuanboyuan Garden is considered to be "a garden on the water, and the water in the garden". The whole of Yuanboyuan is composed of 9 theme gardens, each one representing the characteristic of the gardens in different areas. All the gardens are on separated isles and connected by bridges. There is Garden in South China style, Garden in modern style, Garden in North China style, International Garden, Garden in Lingnan style, Garden in nature, the public garden, Garden of ethnic customs, and Mintai Isle. It will take all day long for you to appreciate all the gardens earnestly. Even in the evening, Yuanboyuan represents all visitors a different and even more beautiful night scene by the colorful LED lighting. When passing by Yuanboyuan in the evening, one can be attracted by the view of “A Rise Bright Moon at the Sea" from afar.
Jimei School Village
As one of the four major scenic spots in Xiamen, Ji Mei enjoys a long-term fame for its tourist’s attractions like Turtle Garden, Returnees Garden and the former residence of Mr. Tan Kah-Kee. In Ji Mei, there are still relics from the time where Zhen Chenggong had drilled his soldiers and the ruins of old Ji Mei Village-Yenping Old Fort.
The Turtle Garden was constructed in 1950 by Mr. Tan Kah-Kee on the former site of "Turtle Head Palace" from which came its present name. In the center of the garden is the Ji Mei Liberation Monument with an inscription by Mao Zedong on the front and a tablet record written by Mr. Tan Kah-Kee on the back. The stone foundation of the monument consists of two stages. The lower stage has eight steps, signifying the eight-year Anti-Japanese War; the upper stage is composed of three steps, symbolizing the three-year Liberation War. They are telling the later generations that victories were hard-won and therefore should be cherished. The foundation of the monument is surrounded by gray jade carvings and relief sculptures polished with great care, embodying a concentrated reflection of exquisite workmanship and a unique style of south Fujian stone carving
Bright Moon Garden
Lugu Lake is like a beautiful pearl shining among the hills of the northwest plateau in Yunnan.
Bright Moon Garden sits on the southeastern tip of Gulangyu Island and is close to the River of Heron. The garden was completed in 1985 and occupies an area of approximately 20,000 square meters. The huge statue of Zheng Chenggong stands lofty as high as 15.7 meters on the seaside. As the largest one of the statues of historic figures in China, the Statue of Zheng Chenggong reflects the theme of this garden. In the middle of the square stands a set of large-sized bronze relieves vividly reproducing the historic scene of Zheng Chenggong commanding an army to sail east in order to drive the Dutch out of Taiwan and resume Sovereignty of Taiwan. Bright Moon Garden is an attractive view with buildings unique to the Ming Dynasty. The sand gulls on the beach, the verdant subtropical trees, the scene of the sea and the hills form a picturesque scene of nature reflecting each other brilliantly.
Play
Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort
Xiamen Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort is a sanctuary for those seeking tranquility, therapy and a spiritual time-out. Nestled in the shadows of the Tianzhu Mountains in Xiamen, the resort sets one on a gratifying, soul soothing experience where time has no role to play.
A National AAAA Rated Tourist Attraction, Riyuegu Hotsprings Park offers the finest facilities in a serene environment. Within a tropical garden paradise of extraordinary beauty, experience the glorious Milk Bath that kept Cleopatra's skin soft and supple, inhale sweet floral scents with The Bouquet, seek natural remedies in the Herbal Garden, relax on hot spring heated granite, dip into one or all three swimming pools…The age old tradition of bathing in natural hot springs has been transformed into an art.
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