Formerly known as Amoy, Xiamen was one of the earliest treaty ports opened to foreigners in 1842 by the signing of the Nanjing Treaty just after the first ‘Opium War’ with Britain. Amoy had been trading with the Portuguese way back in the 16th century but was eventually closed to foreigners in 1750. Although the city dates back many centuries it was during the Ming Dynasty that it was established as a seaport and a commercial center and later became a haven for the Ming court fleeing the Manchu invasion in the 17th century. The Japanese occupied Xiamen from 1938 until the end of the war.

Xiamen is essentially a group of islands featuring beautiful granite boulder outcrops in the estuary of Jiulong River and its deep-water harbour on the south coast of China. The best known of these is Gulangyu, also known as ‘Piano Island’ since it is reputed to have over 600 pianos and the island has nurtured some of China’s most celebrated musicians. Visitors who stroll around the narrow streets during the afternoon and evenings will hear the tinkle of ivory almost everywhere. It’s a five-minute ferry ride from Xiamen City, which is located on the larger Xiamen Island, which in turn is joined by a causeway to the mainland in Jimei district and to Haiceng district in the west, by a bridge.

Xiamen is China’s cleanest, most beautiful, seaport city. Its economy is growing rapidly, and has become an increasingly popular site for foreign investors. An industrial structure composed of electronics, machinery, textile, foodstuff, chemical, pharmaceuticals and building materials industries has taken shape in the city, and is producing abundant world-advanced and domestic advanced products that are competitively priced and sell well all over the world.

Xiamen has now become a “window city” for China’s opening to the outside world. Its surrounding countryside offers spectacular scenery and pleasant tree-lined beaches. Its Botanical Garden is a nature lover’s paradise and the Buddhist Nanputao Temple, dating back to the Tang Dynasty, is a national treasure.