Xiamen: the romantic Mediterranean city on the coast of China
Xiamen, or Amoy as some call it, is a small city by Chinese standards being home to only around 600,000 people but it can still get pretty busy being a popular tourist destination for many Chinese. It’s an attractive coastal city, clean and has a certain charm about it not seen in other Chinese cities I have been.
In the 1840’s the British invaded the area and began colonising, open the port for trade, and soon after many other western countries came into town and established colonies. The memories of this past can be seen in the beautiful old colonial style buildings that can be found throughout the city. In 1938 the Japanese invaded and took over the city until 1945. It’s perhaps that unfortunate past, via the construction of the era and the hot climate that’s left it with kind of mediterranean feel.
The main attraction in Xiamen, and the reason I’m here, is Galangyu, an island that lies just off the coast of Xiamen. Ferries run constantly in between the two.