The
Chinese south-eastern port city of Xiamen in the Fujian Province, was in the
news as the host city of the 9th BRICS Summit in September
2017. Formerly known to the Western
world as Amoy, the city, with an urban population of 1.8 million, encompasses 2
main islands and a region on the mainland. Known as the ‘Garden on the Sea’,
Xiamen has an excellent harbor, sheltered by a number of offshore islands. The city is known for its mild climate,
Hokkien culture and colonial architecture, as well as its relatively low
pollution. It was a British treaty port from 1842 to 1912.
Until
1840, Western powers were allowed to trade only in Canton (now Guangzhou),
under strict controls. After China lost
the First Opium War in 1842, Britain took over Hong Kong and forced China to
open five treaty ports – Canton, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai. In Xiamen, the Gulang Island or Gulang-Yu
became a foreign enclave with consulates and luxurious homes.
After
the Communists established the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the new
government focused considerable attention on developing Xiamen’s infrastructure
and economy. When Deng Xiaoping
initiated his Opening Up Policy, Xiamen was made one of the first four Special
Economic Zones in 1980 with special investment and trade regulations attracting
foreign investment, particularly from overseas Chinese. Being the home town of
many overseas Hokkien Chinese, who had migrated to South East Asia during the
rule of Qing dynasty, Xiamen benefited from their contribution and its economy
prospered rapidly.
Today,
Xiamen has more Taiwanese investment than any other city in China. With Siming
and Huli districts forming its SEZs, the city has a diverse and well developed
economy. Important industries are
fishing, shipbuilding, food processing, textiles, machine tools,
telecommunications and financial services.
Ferry ride to Gulang-Yu
A
visit to Xiamen would not be complete without setting foot on Gulang-Yu, the
island just across the harbor. A UNESCO World
Cultural Heritage Site, the island is about 2 km2 in
area, and is reached by a 5-minute ferry ride from downtown Xiamen. Although
only about 20,000 people live on the island, Gulang-Yu is a major domestic
tourist destination, attracting more than 10 million visitors per year, and
making it one of China's most visited tourist attractions. Gulang-Yu not
only bans cars, but also bicycles. The only vehicles permitted are small golf
cart like electric buggies and electric government service vehicles.
Soon after Xiamen became a treaty
port following the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, foreign
residents from as many as 13 countries established their presence at Gulang-Yu.
As with the Shanghai International Settlement, the British played a predominant
role in the administration and Sikh policemen from British India were entrusted
with the policing of the Settlement. The
consulates, churches, hospitals, schools, police stations, etc. built by those
foreign communities explain the predominantly Victorian-era style architecture
that can still be seen throughout Gulang-Yu.
The spread of Christianity in
1900s brought western music to the island. Churches and museums were built, and
people enjoyed going to music halls to hear performances. Since then, the
island's local culture mingled with western music and art, altogether transforming
Xiamen’s cultural environment. Xiamen, home to a number of prominent musicians,
also has the honour of hosting China’s only Piano Museum, thus earning the sobriquet
‘The Island of Music’.
Xiamen’s oil painting industry
Xiamen is also famous for its oil
painting industry. 80% market shares in European and American market
is taken up by hand painted oil paintings exported from this city. Xiamen Wushipu Oil Painting Village has more
than 5,000 artists, with ability to produce all kinds of oil paintings with
different specifications and styles.
Nanputuo Buddhist Temple
Another
important attraction in Xiamen is the Nanputuo Buddhist Temple, adjoining the beautiful
campus of the Xiamen University. Nanputuo Buddhist temple has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. Its latest
incarnation dates to the early 20th century, and today it’s an active and busy
temple with chanting monks and worshippers lighting incense. The temple is
fronted by a huge lotus lake. Visitors can climb the mountain
behind the temple for beautiful views of Xiamen and surrounding nature.
With
its clear waters, long and wide sandy beaches as well as its stable winds,
Xiamen is one of the major hot spots for Kite Surfing in China, and often hosts
various domestic and international competitions. From April till December you will find
perfect cross-shore winds and warm to mild water temperatures Xiamen may not exactly be in the same league as Taipei or Hong Kong, but it is a typical sea side city with abundant tourist attractions in the form of picturesque islands, mountains, temples and parks etc., providing visitors with a full sightseeing schedule.
2017/9/9
