厦门南靖土楼
Best season
March–May & October–December
Region
East China
Private journeys
3 itinerary options
Coordinates
24.48° N, 118.09° E
Xiamen has woven 'slow' into its very DNA: on the 1.88-square-kilometer island of Gulangyu, hundreds of international-style buildings and a piano museum are packed together, while from Sunlight Rock, red roofs stretch all the way to the sea. The coastal cycling path of Huandao Road, the fishing harbor of Shapowei, and the arcade night market of Zhongshan Road are three expressions of the same relaxed vibe.
Just a two-hour drive from Xiamen, you enter another world: the Tulou cluster of Tianluokeng in Nanjing's mountainous area, with four round and one square earth buildings built along the mountainside, playfully nicknamed 'Four Dishes and a Soup.' The wooden pillars of Yuchang Building have leaned east and west for 700 years without collapsing, and ancient waterwheels still turn under the thousand-year banyan trees of Yunshuoyao. This journey connects an island garden with Hakka castles, best enjoyed with a bowl of satay noodles and a plate of sea worm jelly—the classic Minnan experience.
1This 1.88-square-kilometer island got its name from sea caves where waves sound like drums. Since the 19th century, it's been lined with consulates and overseas Chinese businessmen's villas, and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017. From Sunlight Rock, enjoy views of red rooftops by the sea, and discover a piano museum hidden within Shuzhuang Garden.
2Five earth buildings—four round and one square—cling to the mountainside, overlooking the landscape like dishes on a table, earning them the playful nickname 'Four Dishes and a Soup.' This is the most iconic image of Fujian's Tulou. With rammed-earth walls nearly two meters thick, each building is a castle for a single family, and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008.
3Originally named Changjiao, it was renamed after the movie 'Cloud Water谣.' The town features 13 ancient banyan trees by the stream, old waterwheels, and cobblestone streets, creating Minnan's most picturesque village. The Hegi Tower, built on a swamp over 200 years ago, remains standing to this day.
4Nanputuo Temple, backed by Wulao Peak, is home to the Minnan Buddhist Academy and has had continuous worship for a century. Just a wall away, Xiamen University is hailed as one of China's most beautiful campuses, with the Tan Kah Kee building complex and Furong Lake perfect for photos (campus access subject to daily reservation policy).
Shapowei is the birthplace of Xiamen's harbor, where traditional fishing boats and trendy boutiques share the same harbor. One street away, the 1.2-kilometer arcade street of Zhongshan Road stretches on, with century-old eateries like Huang Ze He Peanut Soup and Ye's Mochi. It's most bustling after nightfall.
In Minnan, tea is called 'chá mǐ'—as important as rice. Small white porcelain gaiwans are paired with mengong teapots, and tea is ceremoniously poured using techniques like 'Guan Gong Xun Cheng' and 'Han Xin Dian Bing.' You'll find tea being brewed anywhere—in living rooms, under arcades, or even on fishing rafts. When visiting a local home, the first thing you'll be offered is always tea.
Minnan people who 'went south of the ocean' returned home to build Nanyang-style arcade buildings and 'foreign houses.' The arcade columns of Zhongshan Road provide both shade and rain protection, while the overseas Chinese villas on Gulangyu blend Greek columns with Minnan red bricks—a history of overseas Chinese carved into the city's facades.
A dedicated 6-kilometer coastal path from Baicheng Beach to Zengcuo'an, with coconut groves and beaches on one side and the city skyline on the other. Perfect for a leisurely two-hour ride with stops. At sunset, the viewing platform at Yanwu Bridge offers the golden route for locals to enjoy the city view.
Set sail from the inner bay harbor for an hour-long trip with an onboard instructor. You might get lucky and spot white dolphins up close. Seeing Xiamen's skyline and the Xiang'an Bridge from the sea reveals a completely different side of the city.
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