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Spring Festival 2013 Destination: Xiamen!


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The plane tickets are bought and the hotel is booked... we're going to - you guessed it - a place that features what my girl likes best: seafood. Tourist trap China vicinity of Xiamen.

 

Flying into the 9th largest airport in the PRC, the international hub at Xiamen, we will proceed to dally on the island and shore of Southern China. What to do there? Well there are some things but I have to admit that this kind of trip is not exactly my dream destination. But museums, aquarium, historic spots, shopping and eating streets, plus the inevitable night cruises will fill our six day jaunt and surely empty our thin pockets. It is a honeymoon of sorts.

 

I'll take one for the team and scheme how to get a nature trip in another time.

 

Meanwhile I read up on some stuff to see there.

 

Has anyone else hit this spot?

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Xiamen, is one of my favorite cities. Tai Tai, lived there for years and it's where we met. Very clean very up-scale city. Hop on the #2 bus and you can tour the city for 1 yuan...Gulangyu, is a good place to stay for a couple nights. The old guns and fort at Hu Li Shan. There's several temples with good groceries and a newly built on atop a big hill. A side trip south would be to the area of Tulou to see the 700 year old round communal homes. Now when we return it's to Fuzhou, which I don't recommend. Have a great trip! ZZ

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Xiamen, is one of my favorite cities. Tai Tai, lived there for years and it's where we met. Very clean very up-scale city. Hop on the #2 bus and you can tour the city for 1 yuan...Gulangyu, is a good place to stay for a couple nights. The old guns and fort at Hu Li Shan. There's several temples with good groceries and a newly built on atop a big hill. A side trip south would be to the area of Tulou to see the 700 year old round communal homes. Now when we return it's to Fuzhou, which I don't recommend. Have a great trip! ZZ

THANKS! I'll pick your two brains this week as it is my job to develop the itinerary. :)

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Tai Tai said that's a good deal and looks like nice place, but the Y98 is a very small room. It's not far from the train station and about a 25 minute walk to the Gulangyu Ferry. But if you are taking a cooler it may be wise to taxi there...or the good ol' #2 stops there. Also there is a tour boat that goes around the island and goes out and stops at Quemoy so the Yankees and Mainlanders can take pictures from a distance.

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so many thanks to you two... yes we always think of hotel rooms as only a place to sleep that we are otherwise rarely in. No use spending a fortune on them. My girl thanks you for the #2 advice and we will surely be on that transport!

Is Gulangyu only a one day/night visit? Also the communal homes?

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When I was last in Gulangyu (2007) there was one old hotel overlooking the beach that I liked and it was 200 yuan then...there are many other hotels on the island. It's a places to take your time and stroll around and if you get tired you can hop on one of the golf carts that are available to take you where you want to go. Very near the ferry dock in Xiamen a street market begins. There are some bargains but not like what I've found in other cities. Also you may see the Pizza Hut at the top of a hotel. Across the street from there is the Lu Giang Hotel with an open balcony restaurant on the top floor. It overlooks the harbor and waterside park. The food is delicious and reasonable but the hotel rooms ain't...they're expensive. Do you remember the history or Quemoy and Matzu Islands? ZZ

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I enjoy being a academic so I looked: "The phrase "Quemoy and Matsu" became part of U.S. political language in the 1960 U.S. presidential election. During the debates, both candidates, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, pledged to use U.S. forces if necessary to protect Taiwan from invasion by China, the mainland, which the U.S. did not at that time recognize as a legitimate government. But the two candidates had different opinions about whether to use U.S. forces to protect the ROC's forward positions, Quemoy and Matsu, as well. In fact, Senator Kennedy stated that these islands - as little as 5½ miles off the coast of China and as much as 106 miles from Taiwan - were strategically indefensible and were not essential to the defense of Taiwan. On the contrary, Vice President Nixon maintained that, since Quemoy and Matsu were in the "area of freedom," they should not be surrendered to the Communists as a matter of "principle.""

 

My Chinese friends here told me that Xiamen was so small before but when a war with Taiwan was considered we built up Xiamen.

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Interesting history...during that time President Eisenhower attached himself to Truman's plan of the selection of ten mainland cities to bomb should the US choose war. The old artillery base is still there on the coast of Xiamen from where the shelling of Quemoy (Kinmen) was carried out. When you visit Hulishan you may find a shop run by Taiwanese that sell good quality knives and other tourist stuff. The knives are made from projectiles recovered and the steel is excellent.(60 are made from one projectile) We bought one and a paring knife for $14 and we love them. They hold an edge, feel good and are a pleasure to use. You'll also find many businesses in Xiamen owned by Taiwanese living there, like in other parts of the country.

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Interesting history...during that time President Eisenhower attached himself to Truman's plan of the selection of ten mainland cities to bomb should the US choose war. The old artillery base is still there on the coast of Xiamen from where the shelling of Quemoy (Kinmen) was carried out. When you visit Hulishan you may find a shop run by Taiwanese that sell good quality knives and other tourist stuff. The knives are made from projectiles recovered and the steel is excellent.(60 are made from one projectile) We bought one and a paring knife for $14 and we love them. They hold an edge, feel good and are a pleasure to use. You'll also find many businesses in Xiamen owned by Taiwanese living there, like in other parts of the country.

I will definitely look for the knives. THANK YOU!

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We still have a house there, I lived there and attended the Xiamen University for two years....TAKE MONEY! Usually nice weather - meaning clear air, but it all depends on wind direction from mainland. Others can advise you on "age appropriate" things to do, and as I also understand most of the KTV's and Disco's have been moved out of town and on the beach - beyond the University. Sort of putting all the places one can get in trouble in one place.

 

It's a great little island, albeit crowded, but the seafood is good. Hard to find a bad place to eat - they just don't last long. They will not serve Snake or Turtle, something about a local law....but the underground still serves them - next to Wall Mart closest to Taiwan Village!

 

Not sure about the hotel you selected - suspect it will be local Chinese style - don't set expectations too high. There are several "BIG NAME" hotels that have entertainment, Holiday Inn, SHeraton, etc in the town. Last I was there, Nov 2010 - no Hyatt or Mandarin Oriental, two of my favorite places. Main street in town is alive - crowded - but is good for "walking around". Not to far from the ferry to GuLangYu - which is a fun day trip or a night or two stay. Visit the Piano Museum there. Lot's of places to get snacks - watch the Chinese all walk on the sand, stand at waters edge and take a picture, and then check "Beach" off the list.

 

As a last item, I feel perfectly safe walking around Xiamen - at all hours of the day and night. Doesn't mean something won't happen but the chances are low.

 

Have fun...

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Guest ExChinaExpat

Marco Polo area coffee shop

http://i49.tinypic.com/34go8q1.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/119tpy1.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/15o6iya.jpg

 

Ferry to the offshore island

http://i50.tinypic.com/4l0vm9.jpg

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