FAB HOTELS ASIA 100

Once known as Amoy, Xiamen is a sub-provincial Chinese city carved from southeastern Fujian beside the Taiwan Strait. Xiamen may be an island with beaches and sea vistas aplenty, but it is also a thriving urban city with a major international seaport, a shiny central business district, a prestigious university, and many of the best hotels and attractions China has to offer. The destination is even currently making strides as a research hub widely recognised as one of the top 40 cities for scientific research in the world.

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Known as the Tong’an County during the Han dynasty. Xiamen Island was described as Jiahe Islet of Tong’an County during the Song dynasty. It received its present name during the Ming dynasty and was an important military outpost for coastal defence. Following the fall of the Ming dynasty, Zheng Chenggong, or Koxinga, a Ming loyalist and general, occupied Xiamen island as an anti-Qing base.

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After the Qing dynasty defeated the Ming loyalists under Emperor Kangxi, Xiamen prospered under the Qing as an important coastal port. At the turn of the last century, the dynastic situation was far less ideal for China and many Southerners left the country via Xiamen for the colonial new world of Southeast Asia and beyond, making up one of the largest ethnic groups in the Chinese diaspora across the region. In fact, many Hokkien speaking families from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore can trace their ancestry back to Xiamen today.

Ancestry aside, the allures of Xiamen are plentiful, with historical sites, traditional culinary attractions and the many conveniences of a thriving city all part of its modern day charms. Check out our picks of the best tourist attractions and fabulous hotels to check out during your next visit to Xiamen, China.

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The Sights and Attractions

Gulangyu is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in Xiamen and one of China’s most visited tourist attractions. The island is renowned for its beaches, winding lanes and rich architecture. As a result of China’s loss in the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, Gulangyu was once the only international settlement on Chinese soil — apart from the International Settlement at Shanghai — which accounted for its abundance of heritage mansions scattered all over the island.

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The architectural style here is predominantly colonial British, with consulates, churches, hospitals, schools and police stations raised from the turn of the last century. Today there are plenty of restaurants, museums, food streets and private homes with stately facades one can admire from the walking trails of the island.

Backed by the Wulao Mountain and half surrounded by sea, Xiamen University is adjacent to the ancient South Putuo Temple and Baicheng Beach. Often referred to as the most beautiful university in China for its unique architecture and beautiful scenery, Xiamen University is blessed with scenic spots such as Yingrong Lake and Lover Valley Reservoir. With a stretch of beach just outside the school gate, it is no wonder that the campus grounds is a magnet for bridal photography and curious tourists alike.​

 

The Flavours

A long history usually translates into distinct culinary traditions in China and in this respect Xiamen does not disappoint. Min cuisine is one of the eight great schools of Chinese gastronomy and it is defined by light, fresh flavours teased from seafood, fresh meats and ingredients, resulting in delicate soups and flavoursome broths.

Key techniques include braising and stewing, and signature dishes include stewed soya sauce pork belly, braised pork trotters, Ngor Hiang (pork and seafood rolls) and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, an elaborate soup dish incorporating ‘the best of sea and mountain’ that is often considered the pinnacle of Min cuisine.

 

In Xiamen, street food is also a key attraction. Here are some of the street cuisine highlights not to be missed in Xiamen:

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Shacha Noodles (沙茶面): A must-try dish with a rich, savoury and slightly spicy peanut-based satay broth.
Oyster Omelette (蚵仔煎): Crispy on the edges and soft in the middle, packed with fresh local oysters and a sweet-chili sauce.
Tu Shun Dong (土笋冻 – Sandworm Jelly): A local delicacy where sand worms are boiled, forming a natural gelatinous, translucent jelly, typically dipped in soy-garlic sauce.
Peanut Soup (花生汤): A sweet, warm soup with soft, tender peanuts.
Five-Spice Pork Roll (五香卷): Minced pork and fillings wrapped in bean curd skin and deep-fried.
Ginger Duck (姜母鸭): Tender duck slow-cooked with ginger and sesame oil.
Sour Pork (醋肉): Fried, crispy pork with a distinct savoury-vinegar flavour.

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You can find the most delicious street food at:

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Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street: Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street is the oldest commercial street in Xiamen, with many colonial style buildings lining both sides of the street. The many Fujian street snacks vendors and shops are the major attractions here, with options ranging from herbal jellies to peanut soups to Shacha noodles and more.

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The Eighth Seafood Market: The Eighth Market is an old landmark for food seekers, for it is the busiest, largest and most complete seafood market in Xiamen. In operation since the 1920s and 1930s, visitors may enjoy Xiamen’s most authentic local street food and seafood dishes here.

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The Launchpads

Fairmont Xiamen

Opened in April 2025, Fairmont Xiamen is a freshly minted luxury address that is a culmination of the design field’s top names: Foster + Partners raised the architecture, Hong Kong-based Cheng Chung Design (CCD) shaped the interiors and SWA Group—celebrated for weaving nature and city, crafted the landscape. Towering at 33 storeys, the hotel anchors the new Xiamen Airlines headquarters complex in the cross-strait financial hub of northeast Xiamen Island. The building’s silhouette echoes the undulating peaks of Wuyi Mountain, heartland of Fujian’s tea culture, as the tower stands sentinel over Wuyuan Bay, the rising premier green enclave of Xiamen.

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Within Fairmont Xiamen’s sumptuous sanctuaries, there are plenty of meticulously crafted details in a retro spectrum that hearkens to the elegance of 1920 to 1930s Hollywood Art Deco. Such design flourishes, like the high arched doorways in the lobby, are expertly interwoven with Nanyang embellishments, like the geometric patterned floor tilings and white marble tabletops, resulting in the marriage of Eastern and Western allures. The rooms are spacious (from 42 sqm) and drenching with natural light and views. Five restaurants and bars, each with its own character, weave together Fujian, the Mediterranean and international flavours. Fairmont Spa is an urban sanctuary that blends modern treatments with local wellness philosophies.

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Fairmont Xiamen, No 325 Donghuang Road, Huli District 361016, Xiamen, China

 

W Xiamen

A splashy kaleidoscope of sound and colour is what one expects, and finds, at the W Xiamen, raised in the heart of the island’s East Business District. Visually attuned to the design theme ‘Garden by the Sea’, W Xiamen has 286 guest rooms and suites that meld Fujian culture with W Hotels’ signature tongue-in-cheek touches. The rooms, particularly the suites, are some of Xiamen’s most light and view drenched accommodations; these stylish dens are vibrantly raised, invested with generous tracts of window walls, and the suites are bedecked with the most instagrammable bath tubs this end of Xiamen. This chic hotel also comes with a state-of-the-art gym and an indoor lap pool.

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Three vibrant restaurants and bars captivate with innovative cuisine and eclectic beverage offerings. NINE’s interactive cooking stations serve up fresh international fare with daily buffets, SOUNDSCAPE mixes cool cocktails and refreshing brews, while destination bar HEAT serves champagne in a hot tub (quite literally) with the latest DJ club anthems, raising the bar for Xiamen’s somewhat tame night entertainment scene.

 

W Xiamen, 1599 Lvling Road, Siming District, Xiamen, China, 361000

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