Fujian · China
Where to stay in Xiamen
Xiamen is a city in Fujian, China, home to about 5,164,000 people.
- Best months
- October to December
- Nearest airport
- XMN9 km · Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Xiamen
Xiamen, historically romanized as Amoy, is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, Haicang, and Xiang'an.
The core of the city is on Xiamen Island. The mainland suburbs Jimei, Tong'an, Xiang'an, and Haicang, as well as the small island of Gulangyu, are separate, but all these areas are administered as parts of Xiamen. Until 1840, Western "barbarians" were only allowed to conduct trade in Guangzhou under strict restrictions. After China's defeat in the First Opium War, the British seized Hong Kong, and China was forced to open five treaty ports: Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai. Gulangyu became a concession administered by foreign powers, hosting consulates and luxurious residences.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Xiamen
Do
Xiamen is host to many influential trade shows. A majority of the Xiamen exhibitions are located at the Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center (XICEC).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Xiamen to stay in
The core of the city is on Xiamen island. The term "Xiamen" is somewhat ambiguous since it can refer to the island, to the city on it, or to the whole urban area (a "prefecture-level city" in the Chinese administrative system) including suburbs not on the island. This article gives an overview for the whole city; see links below for specific areas. On the map, Xiamen Island is the pink (Huli District) and green (Siming District) approximately circular area near the bottom. It is about 13 km (8 miles) in diameter. Gulangyu, a which is important for tourism and has its own article, is the green dot next to the larger island.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Xiamen
4 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Conrad Xiamen | 5.0 km | |
| Marine Garden Hotel | 2001 | 4.5 km |
| Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen | 1992 | 3.2 km |
| Yuzhou Camelon Hotel | 8.3 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Xiamen
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Xiamen are October to December. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; June is the wettest, with about 214 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Xiamen: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN), about 8.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kinmen Airport (KNH, 29 km) and Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport (JJN, 62 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Xiamen has a major airport and good road and rail connections; it is easily reached from anywhere in China and many places beyond.
Getting around
Local public transit is easiest to pay for with the Xiamen public transit mini-app on Alipay or WeChat. If you are planning on staying in Xiamen for a significant amount of time, you can also get an eKatong (e卡通) stored value card. It can be used in different forms of public transport not only in Xiamen, but also in the neighbouring cities of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou. The local bus system is very good, but the normal bus routes are listed in Chinese and do not have English on the signs.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
XMN · Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
KNH · Kinmen Airport
JJN · Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Xiamen
Eat
For restaurant listings, see the district articles. Here we list some local specialties that may be worth looking for.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Xiamen: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Xiamen?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Xiamen are October to December. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; June is the wettest, with about 214 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Xiamen?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN), about 8.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kinmen Airport (KNH, 29 km) and Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport (JJN, 62 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Xiamen?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Xiamen
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.