A Wander Down Memory Lane: Summer Trip to Xiamen

Xiamen, also named Amoy, is a gorgeous city lying in the south of Fujian Province. Mainly situated on Xiamen Island, it’s well known for its beautiful scenes and well-protected environment. Last summer, I had a trip with my friends to Xiamen. A few days ago, when I was looking through my old photos, the instant I saw the ones I took in Xiamen, those unforgettable memories just kept flowing and flooding, until they overwhelmed me.

The Skyline of Xiamen (From Gulangyu Island)

Xiamen is the most famous city in Fujian, so many people from other provinces and overseas often mistake it for the capital of Fujian, though the correct answer is Fuzhou. It has been an important city since the Qing Dynasty, when it was forced to become an international harbor by the unequal Treaty of Nanjing.

During the Reform and Opening, Xiamen became one of the special economic zones along with Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou, making it the economic center of Fujian.

With its advantageous location and climate, Xiamen is one of the most livable cities in China, even in the world. It was awarded the U.N. Habitat Scroll of Honor Award in 2004.

A City for GourmetsXiamen certainly has a lot to offer in terms of delicious food. From Satay Noodles to Sandworm Jelly, there are a variety of food choices for all people.

Sandworm Jelly

We visited a small community called Zengcuo An, where there is a food corridor with food coming from many places. We first tasted the Sandworm Jelly; it’s made from Sandworm, a common creature found on the seashore of Xiamen. The local residents dig the worms out from the sand, clean them and boil them, then put them separately in small round containers, store them in the refrigerator, and the production of Sandworm Jelly is done. When people are about to eat them, they can still see the actual worm in it! The Jelly is usually eaten with mustard and soy sauce. Most people don’t dare to eat at first place because it’s normal to think the worms are disgusting. But when people try it, the spiciness of the mustard and the umami of the soy sauce and the sand worm, combined with the fresh and cold taste of the jelly, means they can hardly resist it.

Satay Barbecue (Left Satay Sauce)

Another famous place for gourmets is Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) Road. Whether eastern or western food, Min (Fujian) Cuisine or Yue (Guangdong) Cuisine, dinner or dessert, people will ultimately find their favorite. There we tried satay noodles and satay barbecue. Satay is a kind of sauce made from peanuts, sesames, pepper, fish and garlic. The sauce enhanced the taste of the already delicious food. We also tried Oyster Omelet with ketchup.

We also tried Oyster Omelet with ketchup.

Oyster Omelet

A City of SceneryXiamen is an island city, therefore, if you are walking along the edge of the Island, you will see a beach once in a while. Among all beaches, the beaches along the Huandao Road at the east side of Xiamen Island are the most well-known.

Seashore Alongside Huandao Road

We went bike riding that dawn. They only have tandem bicycles; it’s a bit intricate to ride one even if you can ride a bike. We took some time to get used to it so that we wouldn’t fall to the ground when we actually rode it. The feel of the breeze and the warm sunlight of dawn gently touching our skin made us forget about the scorching summer.

The Sign Reading “One Country Two System unifies China.”

There is also a very unique sight along Huandao Road, the One Country Two Systems sign. Xiamen Island is very close to Jinmen Island. The sign reading “One Country Two System unifies China” stands in the middle of Huandao Road. We wish that one day the two sides of the Straits will be unified again.

Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Centre

The next morning we continued to walk along the Huandao Road. We visited Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the track of Xiamen Marathon and Straits Theme Park.

After the 3-day journey, we returned home, tired but happy. Xiamen is a city worth touring; it's like the second home to everyone. I hope that, one day, you will have the chance to visit it.