Tour

Xiamen City Tour
Sunday, 16th September 2012
USD 125 /person
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Gulang Islet

The 1.78-square-kilometre Gulangyu Islet in the southwestern corner of Xiamen is a major scenic spot in Fujian, with serene beauty, a tranquil atmosphere and buildings in various architectural styles tucked away in the shadows of green trees. The air is fresh, the din of traffic is a sound practically unknown to local islanders, and there is plenty to see and do on this small island. The four-kilometre-long ring road is flanked on one side by the beach and on the other by a string of bungalows built in English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese styles. Strolling along the road one can see islets, bays, flowers, trees, pavilions and terraces.

This is on the highest point of Gulangyu and is accessible only by a "sky ladder" - a steep trail which also takes one to Riguang Temple, the Ancient Summer Cave and the platform where General Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) reviewed his naval force.

Sunlit Rock

Sunlit Rock provides a panoramic view of the booming metropolis of Xiamen. Right below Sunlit Rock stands the Zheng Chenggong Memorial Hall, where the life of the general is relived through more than 300 cultural relics, historical documents, photos, sculptures and scale models, on display in seven showrooms.

Shuzhuang Garden

If Sunlight Rock is a martial general, Shuzhuang Garden is like a mild lady. Shuzhuang Garden is a unique seaside garden in the south of Gulang Islet. No wonder it ranks first among the famous parks in Xiamen. The park is very cleverly designed by taking advantage of the mountain and the sea.
The garden was built by a rich Taiwanese merchant Lin Erjia, who came to Gulangyu with his family fleeing from Japanese colonial domination in Taiwan. He and his family made his home here, and began building the garden in 1913 in memory of his native home in Banqiao, Taiwan.

The garden presents such a unique scene that you might find it difficult to tear yourself away from it.  Entering the garden you can’t get the view of sea right away owing to a wall, but upon turning around this wall, you get a charming sight. This is the sea-hiding technique. A Swiss garden architecture expert, who had a visit to Shuzhuang Garden says that there is only lake-hiding in Switzerland, but the sea-hiding in Shuzhuang Garden is very fascinating.

South Putuo Temple Tourist Area

Situated at the foot of Wulao Peak on the southern end of Xiamen is South Putuo Temple, first built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Later rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it is now an imposing multi-layered trapezoidal structure that overlooks the sea. The Shrine of Buddhist Scriptures houses a huge collection of Buddhist cultural relics, including a Burmese jade carving of the Buddha and many important Buddhist texts. The temple's Heavenly King Hall, the main prayer hall, the Hall of Great Compassion and the Shrine of Buddhist Scriptures are all graced with painted brackets and upturned eaves. Its rare artifacts include four giant stone turtles lying on the right side of the front gate, a rock with holes in the shape of a Chinese ancient coin, a large Song-dynasty bronze bell and a white porcelain sculpture of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. The South Fujian Buddhist Institute is located to the left of the temple. Established in 1925, it enjoys great prestige among Buddhists in China.

Hulishan  Fortress

If Gulang Islet is regarded as ‘the’ landmark of Xiamen, the Ring Road, famous for its beautiful seascape, plays a role as a new landmark in Xiamen tourism.
Located in the southeast coast of Xiamen Island, the Ring Road is a newly-completed scenic spot. It connects Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center with Xiamen University which is one of China’s most important educational bases.

In addition to Hulishan Fortress, some other scenic spots on the road are Taiwan Folk Village, XICEC and so on.

Being a famous major city for China’s premier conventions and exhibitions, Xiamen has succeeded in hosting many of international economic and trade grand fairs. The newly completed XICEC ranks among China’s top investment and trade convention venues, with the state-of-the art facilities and excellent services to ensure the most favorable conditions for hosting international exhibitions and conferences.

Taiwam Folk Village is built by a Taiwanese artist Mr. Huang Jingshan in 1993. The relationship between Taiwan and Fujian is very close. Almost 80% of Taiwan residents are settled from Fujian so their customs are very similar. They have the same dialect and the same customs.

Hulishan Fortress is the former site of a battle. Hulishan Fortress and its Krupp Cannon are outcomes of the Westernization Movement in China in the 19th century to the early 20th century. The cannon fort has defeated many aggressors in war. However, there were many defects in the cannons so with the approval of the governor and the royal court, some governors of Fujian, Zhejiang Province and the captain of the Fujian fleet built the Hulishan fortress. Meanwhile, they fetched in 2 cannons manufactured by Krupp Arm-shop in Germany. These are now the earliest rear-loaded coastal cannons preserved at their original site.

Hulishan Fortress also consists of cannons, barracks and fortifications and is an independent and complete coastal fortress. Besides taking advantages from European fortresses, the Hulishan Fortress also retained the architectural style of military installations in Ming and Qing Dynasties with its local characteristics. It played an important role in war against the Japanese and has important significance in the study of historic Chinese coastal defense.

The hall of the peculiar stone, gem, ancient sword, and fire gun not only have exquisite artistic mold making, but also are representative in creative use. The exotic stone exhibition, for example appear in variety, and their colors and views assume images of all things on earth. This display is an amalgamation of knowledge, literature and artistic appreciation.

Please be on time.  Coaches will depart from the hotel lobbies at 08:00 hrs sharp.  Out of respect for other guests who are on time, we will not delay departure of any coaches to wait for latecomers.

Coaches will only depart from International Conference Hotel and International Seaside Hotel.  If you are not staying at one of these hotels then you must make your own way to and from one of these hotels to board the tour coaches.

Average temperature in Xiamen at this time of year is 30ºC (86ºF).  Please dress accordingly.