Xiamen Travel Notes | All the detailed Xiamen travel guides you want are here

Xiamen, also known as Ludao, is located at the southeastern tip of Fujian, facing the treasure island of Taiwan across the sea. This is a city I have always wanted to visit. I have heard many times about the romance of Gulangyu Island, the freshness of Xiamen University, the purity of Baicheng Beach and the turbulent waves. Finally, I carried my luggage alone and came here in person. When I saw Xiamen for the first time, it was as peaceful and comfortable as I expected. After leaving, I think what I miss the most is the sea here, the wind here, and the free myself that I once was!

The firecracker flowers and bougainvillea, the city’s flower, can be seen everywhere in Xiamen. They cover the walls and gates. They are really beautiful, hahaha. Now let’s officially start the travel guide part!

There are buses (including BRT express lines) and subway lines 1 and 2 in downtown Xiamen (the subway is relatively empty, and you can see the cross-sea bridge on line 1). Taxis are also very convenient (Didi Taking a taxi is also very fast. The drivers seem to be wearing white shirts. I feel that the taxi fare is much cheaper than in Shanghai. The bus fare is basically 1 yuan, and it may be 2 yuan for inter-regional trips. The starting price of the subway is 2 yuan/4 kilometers. , it is said that you can swipe your card via WeChat, but I didn’t get it~ It’s quite convenient to prepare some change. Follow the WeChat applet "Accurate real-time bus arrival" and then locate Xiamen to check the bus arrival time!

To get around the island, you can rent bicycles (single or multi-person), you can also rent electric bicycles, and there are also shared bicycles, mainly ofo and Mobike. I didn’t rent a car because I think it’s better to just ride a shared bicycle alone. It’s not tiring to ride along the seaside trail. By the way, there are probably more shared bicycles near the bus station, but they are difficult to find on the seaside road.

There are three piers in the city where you can take a boat to Gulangyu Island, namely: 1, Xiamen Ferry Terminal-Gulangyu Piano Pier, 2, Dongdu Cruise Center Pier-Gulangyu Sanqiu Pier, Dong Take the ferry from Cruise Center Pier to Gulangyu Neicuoao Pier, 3, Haicang Songgu Pier to Gulangyu Neicuoao Pier.

When I go to Gulangyu Island, I take a boat from the first pier to Songgu Pier , The tourist price is 3 yuan , and then take a boat from Songgu Pier to Neicuoao Pier , Tourist price is 30,This price includes return ticket,My return trip is from Neicuoao Pier directly to the Cruise Center Pier, just swipe your ID card, no need to buy another ticket ! If you choose other boating methods, you can go to the corresponding terminal for consultation. Alipay can support ticket purchase. Please follow the life account " Xiamen Ferry Co., Ltd. ".

Personally, I usually travel on a budget, so I usually choose to stay in youth hostels. Shared rooms in youth hostels are divided into rooms for 4 to 8 people. Generally, there are three types of shared rooms for boys, shared rooms for girls, and mixed rooms. In fact, once you get used to living there, it’s similar to a school dormitory. You can meet tourists from all over the world and even abroad. You can find a youth hostel environment according to your own preferences. I prefer the ones that look artistic and fresh, hahaha~ Usually in Fliggy , Ctrip, Meituan and other apps are introduced.

Rooms shared by many people in a youth hostel may be quieter when they are not full. If there are too many people, everyone may have different schedules, which will affect each other. However, judging from some youth hostels I have stayed in so far, I have encountered some The tourists are quite nice, and everyone is relatively well-educated. Generally, people who choose to stay in youth hostels are probably used to living in such an environment when traveling. In addition, most youth hostels also have single rooms or standard rooms, and the prices should be similar to ordinary hotels, except for some high-end youth hostels (B&Bs and the like).

If you choose to stay in a youth hostel, you must be mentally prepared. The roommates you meet, the facilities in the hotel, the location, etc. may not be as perfect as you imagined, so it will test your personal adaptability. Try to prepare toiletries, including slippers, and take valuables with you before going out. If you have any questions, talk to the shop owner in time. Generally, the boys and girls in the shop are quite nice.

Stayed for two nights, the location is great, right at Shapowei, very close to various attractions!

Because I wanted to go to the beach to watch the sunrise, I chose a B&B near the sea for the last night. The decoration style of the B&B was very simple and elegant. The living room was very large. There were two cats, but I only photographed one, hahaha~ From beginning to end I haven’t seen the boss yet. It’s quite convenient to contact him through WeChat. But unfortunately, we didn’t see the sunrise the next day because it was a cloudy day!

First stop: Gulangyu Island

It was already afternoon when we arrived at Gulangyu Island on the first day. Because I was too tired, I packed up my things when I arrived at the youth hostel, took a shower and rested for a while, and then foraged for food near the youth hostel in the evening. The real tour is on the second day. The first stop is Sunlight Rock. The top of the mountain is not too high. You can climb while watching the scenery and take photos at the top (you may have to wait for a better photo spot). bit), it takes about 1-2 hours to play.

It’s almost noon when we get down. After eating, we can start circling the island . I don’t have a specific route around the island, so I just walk casually. There is a section inside the island where you can see some of the historic old buildings on the island. , there are all kinds of flowers and plants, there is also a piano museum on the island, as well as the most beautiful corner for Internet celebrities (you need to wait for a spot to take pictures), and there is also a section by the sea, where you can walk along the beach and enjoy the sea breeze. Sun, it takes about 2-3 hours to circle the island.

You can go shopping at the snack street in the evening. The snack street is quite lively at night, with various snacks, seafood, as well as some specialty shops, jewelry shops, etc. Just a reminder, not all restaurants with many restaurants are delicious. It depends on your choice. It is better to eat normally when you go out. After all, I am the one who got sick after not eating, drinking and resting well. Hahaha.

Second stop: Zhongshan Road

The first night I arrived in Xiamen city, I went to Zhongshan Road. Zhongshan Road looked brightly lit at night, hahaha. The streets were filled with gold and silver jewelry stores, so I bought myself a gold bracelet and necklace. I was happy. , it’s a New Year’s gift to myself! As a reminder, if you want to buy something, you should go to the counter in the mall. After all, you are not familiar with some street shops, and the quality of the products may not be guaranteed.

I went to eat at two popular restaurants. One was the Jukou Noodles, which tasted pretty good. Maybe I was hungry, so I ate them all anyway. The sauce of the noodles looked like it had added ketchup. The sesame sauce has a refreshing taste. You can choose the ingredients of the soup that comes with it, which feels very affordable. There is also Lianhuan Sea Oyster Omelette. How can I put it this way? I ate it once on the island. Maybe I don’t like the taste, but there are still a lot of people who go to eat it. A portion is a bit expensive.

There is also a snack street nearby. It is not very long, but it looks very popular. I just took a look and found that it is similar to the snack streets in other tourist attractions. It is a concentration camp for snacks in various places, hahaha. Of course, the fruit stall on the roadside successfully attracted my attention. Cut fruits are cheaper than those in fruit shops!

The third stop: Shapowei, Zengcuo'an, Huangcuo Beach, Dingaozi Cat Street

Because I live in Shapowei, I went to the nearby Art West District, but it felt very deserted during the day. There were several small shops suitable for taking pictures, hahaha. It was so early in the morning that I didn’t sleep well, so I wandered around for a while and then went out to look for food. .

After breakfast, we went directly to Zengcuo'an. Opposite the Zengcuo'an bus station is the beach, where many people bask in the sun, play in the water, play in the sand, and take photos . Since the season I went there was considered winter, the sea water was a bit cold. If you are not afraid of the cold, you can step on the water. Here you can cycle along the seaside road. Many people who like sports will run or cycle along this road . It is roughly 5-7 kilometers away from Zengcuo'an to Huangcuo Beach. , there are not many motor vehicles on the road, it’s nice to see the sea view along the route .

At noon, I ate snacks directly at the snack street in Zengcuo'an. Hahaha, I ate rice rolls from a restaurant that was pretty good. I also bought homemade chili sauce from the store and sent it home. There are roughly three snack streets here, and they are all interconnected. There are delicious food from all over the street, as well as some gift shops, pearl jewelry shops, fruit shops, etc. Hahaha, fruits in Xiamen are really cheap. I buy them every day and feel so satisfied.

I went to Cat Street in the evening. Since I went there at night, most of the cats in the Cat Museum went to rest, so I didn’t see a few lively cats. I ate rice balls from a restaurant with a long queue here. The salted egg yolk rice balls tasted really good. Cat Street also has some spots suitable for taking pictures, all kinds of fresh things, hahaha.

The fourth stop: Nanputuo Temple, Wanshi Botanical Garden, Jimei University

This day is the most difficult day! In the morning, I packed my luggage and prepared to check out. After storing my luggage, I went directly to Nanputuo Temple. I originally planned to walk around the mountain gate and worship the Bodhisattva before leaving, but seeing that Nanputuo Mountain is not particularly high, I I really want to climb it.

When I went up from near the mountain gate, there were a lot of people and the mountain road was relatively gentle, so it was not too hot to stop and go. As I climbed higher and higher, the road became steeper. I wanted to reach the top as soon as possible, so I accelerated towards the top. After walking up, I felt hot and tired. I felt soaked with sweat inside and out. When I was almost at the top of the mountain, I found a bathroom and took off my thick clothes, which made me feel better. Well, it’s better to travel lightly when climbing mountains!

The scenery along the way up the mountain is pretty good. You can overlook the panoramic view of Xiamen. If the weather is good, you can basically compare prices clearly. There are no toilets or water kiosks on the way up the mountain (emmm~mineral water is 8 yuan a bottle). They are only available near the foot of the mountain and the top of the mountain, so you can prepare in advance before climbing. It takes about 30-60 minutes to climb to the top of the mountain. It’s not particularly high, so just treat it as a sweaty, casual exercise. It’s pretty good.

After reaching the top of the mountain, you can see the gate to the Wanshi Botanical Garden. Of course, the gates to the botanical garden are not only on the mountain, but also on the ground. But I think the route into the botanical garden after going up the mountain from Nanputuo Temple is really It’s particularly good. Nan Putuo is free of charge, and the Botanical Garden ticket is 30 yuan. It’s worth taking this route . The botanical garden is also very large and is divided into several areas, such as tropical rain forest, stone monument forest, succulent plant area, etc. I walked around more than half of it, which took about 3 hours. Maybe taking pictures is very time-consuming, hahaha.

I went to Jimei at night and wanted to see the night view of the cross-sea bridge. After visiting the botanical garden, I went to pick up my luggage and sent it to the seaside B&B to check in. It was already after five o'clock when I went to Jimei (emmm, I was in a hurry, but I was afraid of regrets if I didn't go), Siming District It's quite far away from Jimei District. It takes more than an hour. I took Line 1 to Jimei after transferring to the bus. I saw the cross-sea bridge in the subway, but the night view was not as beautiful as I imagined. I must see it during the day next time, ha. Ha ha.

Before I went to Jimei, I actually wanted to visit Jimei Mei Village. But when I arrived, I found that Jimei Mei Village was dark inside except for the gate, which had lights on, so I didn’t go in. Emmm, I’d better go there during the day next time. . Then I wanted to go to a nearby Internet celebrity barbecue restaurant to have barbecue. When I arrived at the door, I found that there were a lot of people queuing up. It was already after 7 pm. So I took a number and asked if I could eat at about 8 o'clock. I thought that I should go to Jimei University first and then eat barbecue at about 8 o'clock. Jimei University is brightly lit at night, and there are lights around the roof of each building. It is really beautiful. This is probably the most comforting thing for me during this trip to Jimei District. Well, the barbecue was served and it tasted okay, but I went there at 8 o'clock and had to wait for more than half an hour to eat it. I was very unhappy!

This trip to Jimei was so rushed that I was afraid of regretting it and being disappointed. Alas, I blamed myself for not planning it well! So, a reminder, when traveling, the accommodation must be as close as possible to the destination of the day, so that you can control your time and not be too rushed.

Fifth stop: Waiting for the sunrise at the beach—Xiamen University

On the last day, I wanted to have a simpler itinerary, but it turned out to be a very tiring day. Hahaha, maybe it was this last day that exhausted all my energy, and I fell ill after returning to Shanghai.

I got up early in the morning to watch the sunrise. The guide I made before said that the sunrise is around 7 o'clock, so I went out to the beach at 6:30 without even having time to wash up, because I was afraid of fainting from cold and hunger. So I took a piece of bread and a bag of fresh milk with me when I left. When we went to the beach, the sky was not that bright yet, and the street lights were all on. After a while, when we arrived at the beach, we found that the sky was still gray, and it felt like a cloudy day. As expected, after waiting for more than an hour, there was no shadow of the sun. There was a little light shining through the gaps between the clouds, but we never saw the sunrise. Although the weather forecast the day before said it was cloudy, I always wanted to try my luck, but I was disappointed!

There were not many people on the beach in the early morning. I only saw a few cleaners cleaning up garbage on the beach, old people walking along the beach, and occasionally a few tourists. Maybe there was too much sea breeze, and my head felt a little swollen and painful, so I took some photos and went back to the B&B.

Around noon, after checking out, I picked up my luggage and headed straight to Xiamen University. You must make an appointment at Xiamen University about three days in advance. Just follow the WeChat ID "UXiamen University". When I arrived at the gate of Xiamen University, I thought I could store my luggage here, but the guard said no, emmm~ sad. I was thinking about opening an hourly room to store my luggage, but I was worried about money, so I mustered up the courage to walk around Xiamen University with my very heavy luggage. After queuing for about fifteen minutes, we arrived at the school gate. After swiping our ID card and showing the reservation information, we could enter the campus directly.

The Xiamen University campus is really fresh and exquisite, with neat buildings, a combination of Chinese and Western styles, and both classical and modern beauty. Since it was already afternoon, I had to hurry around the campus. I wanted to go to the cafeteria open to the public to have a meal first, but it turned out that the cafeteria was closed because it was not meal time. I found a Western restaurant canteen to eat and ordered a dish. It was a little expensive, but the environment was pretty good. After eating, we went to Furong Lake and walked around. The roads on the Xiamen University campus are not smooth cement roads or asphalt roads, but pavements that look like pieces of stone spliced ​​together. , so pushing the suitcase is particularly tiring. After watching Black Swan , I went to look for Xiamen University's Winding Field , which is said to be the filming location for Meteor Garden. The playground is really grand. There are steps all around the runway. It’s really beautiful when you stand on the podium and look around. As a reminder, this playground is a bit difficult to find. You can ask our students about the feeling of being on the mountain. Finally, we went to the very popular Furong Tunnel . You must check in Starry Sky Wall when you go there, hahaha. Inside the tunnel were all kinds of graffiti created by Xiamen University students. They were really creative. Because I was in a hurry, I didn’t have time to take a closer look. I wandered around for a short while and then hurried to the airport.

Let me elaborate on the last question, which is How to take beautiful photos when traveling alone . Many people will ask, how can you take so many beautiful photos when traveling alone, hahaha, Of course. Grab passers-by for help.

In addition to the difficulties of planning a route, carrying luggage, and taking care of personal safety when traveling alone, it is also very important to take good-looking travel photos, especially for children who love taking pictures. It will be inconvenient to be alone, although There are selfie sticks, cameras and other tools, but it is difficult to take satisfactory photos of yourself, especially pictures of the whole body with scenery. So at this time, your communication skills will come in handy. Generally, if you are also traveling, everyone will be happy to help, but there is one thing, you need to make a preliminary identification by yourself first Let’s take a look at who might be able to take photos, who knows how to use a camera, and whether they have the patience, etc.

According to my personal experience , you can usually find young people who are taking pictures of male and female friends at that time, young men and women who are dressed more nicely and comfortably, or tourists who are more good at styling and who are more professional with cameras. Tourists, etc., can also find tourists who are also traveling alone, or parents with children, etc., because they will be more loving and patient, hahaha. Except for other people taking photos, then you can only test your personal self-portrait skills. Of course, the camera can also be fixed on a tripod, and then take pictures at regular intervals, depending on the situation.