Food
Seafood (haixian) is all over the place in Xiamen, and especially in Gulangyu, and is a great introduction to the culinary delights of the town. It has a long history here, locally the seafood has been around forever, but as early on as the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), grouper, yellow croaker, red crab, lobster and sleeve-fish were already frequently ordered dishes in local hotels.The Chinese in Xiamen do have the strangest taste in their selection of edible fruits of the deep, with tendancies to select the most formidable, and horrific looking of the days catch. Having got over this, however, the seafood here is always fresh (you normally get a swim by preview outside most of the restaurants) and, once cooked, is delicious. Oysters (Muli), Crabs (Pangxie) and Prawns (Xia) are the best of the batch.One final warning: the Chinese have an amazing ability to place the most armoured of food into their mouths and, after a bit of teeth grinding and spitting, to end up with a plateful of bones and a bellyful of flesh. Attempt to follow with caution.
As one of the first Chinese cities to open its doors to the outside world, Xiamen has a selection of relatively modern fashions. The kids here are pretty up- to- date and there are a plethora of huge and modern malls fighting for customers in the center of the city. Many of the bigger stores around Zhongshan Lu feature designer goods by Armani, Gucci and YSL.Xiamen is also home to a huge number of factories. Many of these places have factory outlets, selling their designer clothing and reduced prices. Ports International have a good shop, although some of the stuff is a little old fashioned. Perhaps most attractive about this place are the numerous small markets, bazaars and even flea markets, where shoppers can try their luck at finding rare curios and souvenirs. There are a few of these markets around Zhongshan Lu, Longtou Lu on Gulangyu Island and Xiahe Lu.The Xiamen Night Market takes place every evening on Dinghai Lu.
For a city of its size and situation (relatively close to Guangzhou and with
Taiwan across the water), Xiamen has surprisingly little western style nightlife.
There are however, a few passable pubs and discos dotted around the city. Check
out the Arcadia Disco on Bailuzhou and the bars in the more upmarket hotels.
The Night Market here is very popular, bursting with atmosphere and interesting
things to buy. The market is located on Ding An Lu and takes place every evening
between 6pm and 10pm. Get there early to pick up the best bargains!
For the health or out-door oriented, Xiamen in a lively place. Watersports are
popular in this coastal city, and sailboats, motorboats, scuba diving and water
skiing are all available for hire. Most hotels in the area can help to arrange
this. One of Asia's biggest golf courses is also nearby, designed by championship
golfer, Greg Norman . (Telephone 7011682 for more information).