Renovation of a refrigeration plant turned this former fishing village into a blooming creative zone filled with artist studios in former shipbuilding warehouses, a skate park, cafes, bars and boutiques. Galleries and museums have since flocked to the area including the Zhangting Art Museum, the Qianji Gallery and Three Shadows Xiamen Photography Art Centre.

Opened in 2020, this 23-kilometer elevated pathway threads its way past Xiamen’s most scenic spots. Join locals weave their way through mountainous landscapes and urban areas as the Fujian coastal town turns gold. The health trail was designed by Dissing + Weitling, who created the Xiamen Bicycle Skyway, China’s first elevated cycle path and the world’s highest cycle bridge.

A Xiamen holiday isn’t complete without a trip to one of the urban beaches. Pearl Bay is among the most scenic, surrounded by vibrant green hills. In the morning, locals head to Baicheng Beach to fish, while long Guanyin Mountain Beach is home to China’s annual national beach volleyball tournaments.

Walk south from Xiamen University to this sprawling German gun artillery that was built in 1894, which enjoys spectacular views of Dadan Island and Erdan Island of Jinmen by telescope, and look down on Baicheng Beach’s powdery sand and blue sea. On site, the Rongguang Museum has an extensive collection of firecrackers, guns, swords and natural stones from around the world.

The Xiamen Botanical Garden is nestled in the Wanshi Mountain and is one of China’s most famous with more than 1.8 million trees and over 6,300 kinds of tropical and subtropical plants. First built in 1960, the garden is home to some of Fujian’s favourite temples, including the Heaven’s Border Temple, the Wanshi Lotus Temple and the Eternal Peace Rock Temple.

First built into the Wulao mountain range, at the foot of Wulaofeng (the Mountain of Five Old Men) in the Tang Dynasty, the South Putuo Temple enjoys serene surroundings beside the Lu River and faces out to the sea. Much of what now exists was built in the early 20th century, and continues to be used by monks who reside in the neighbouring monastery. Join them for daily chants in the Treasured Hall of Great Majesty.

About 2.5 hours by high speed rail from Xiamen, the Unesco-listed Wuyishan Park is worth travelling for. Hike through the tea-terraced valleys of the Wuyishan Park resort, before stopping at the Dong Ha Pao gardens for a cup of tea. Enjoy impressive views from Da Wang Peak, a rickety bamboo raft ride, and 400-year-old Song Dynasty Buildings in Xiamei and Chengcun villages.

Surrounded by rice, tea and tobacco fields in rural Fujian are 46 round buildings constructed by Hakka and southern Fujianese people between the 15th and 20th centuries. Populated by around 800 people each, the Unesco World Heritage–listed fortified mud structures look inwardly into a large open courtyard.

This tiny pedestrian-only island, an 8-minute ferry ride from the coast of Xiamen, has glorious beaches, natural scenery and impressive Victorian-style buildings from the concession-era when Western imperial powers settled during the opium wars. It’s also home to a famous Piano Museum, as a result of Gulangyu having the most pianos per capita in China.