Xiamen (Amoy), A Small Portrait of a Liveable Chinese City (or that Tries to Be)

This article was written by Ángel Lázaro, co-founder of An Nà (安娜), a project which defines itself as:

The combination of our knowledge, culture and languages to establish a cultural and business connection, mainly on the local level (Barcelona and Xiamen), between two cities with very similar profiles (tourism, markets, maritime and trade tradition, new open economy…), without neglecting the cultural context (Hispanic and Chinese).

Introduction to Xiamen

Xiamen (厦门市), Amoy in the “Minnan” language, is among the Chinese cities that aren’t tourist or important economic destinations for visitors or investors outside of China, forming part of the so-called “second-tier cities.” Among this group, it is worth mentioning Qingdao (Shandong), Hangzhou (Zhejiang), Chengdu (Sichuan) and Kunming (Yunnan).

In general, they are large cities, with their intense dose of commercial or construction activity and traffic jams, typical of almost all Chinese cities, but which are also making an effort (whether in reality of just in advertising) to appear livable. This is no small feat, given this country’s severe environmental problems.

Because of this, some of them appear in classifications such as those set out by the newspaper “China Daily” (“Top Most-Livable Cities”). This list carried a certain weight in the “selection process” for our Chinese project (in my case, to discover the country, study Chinese, establish cultural and business contacts…) and, after seriously considering Quingdao, my wife Na (from Beijing) and I decided on Xiamen.

After several months of living here, my first impression is positive, with a few things to smooth out…

Climate and lifestyle

The climate is very mild in winter (we can confirm this) and warm and humid in the summer (we guessed it); that’s to say, typical of the southern coastal zone, which is subject to monsoon winds in the rainy season (according to what people say, 2 to 4 typhoons per year). We have chosen the peaceful neighborhood of Huizhan (会展), on the ocean front on the east coast of the main island, with good ventilation so that everything will be even more mild.

The lifestyle is unquestionably southern; that’s to say, Chinese without a doubt, but with its own characteristics. My wife, from the north, confirms this: the cuisine is varied and mild with little spice; there is widespread love of dragon festivals and lanterns; the culture of tea during formal group reunions is firmly rooted (the famous “oolong” tea from the Fujian mountains); and there is also the influence of Hong Kong pop and the abundance of KTVs to sing…

Fujian stands out for its two own distinct cultures, each one with its own language, artistic style and food: the historical Minnan culture, founded by “pure” Ming (and not Ming-Qing, which dominates among the remainder of the Han), which emigrants from the province have spread to such diverse places such as Malaysia and Taiwan; and the ethnic culture of the Hakka minority with their famous circular houses.

Tourism and cuisine

Xiamen is a very popular destination among Chinese people. Its typical tourist destination is the island of Gulangyu, a former Western neighborhood from the concessions period (the XIX-XX centuries), now converted into a completely pedestrian island (!), only accessible by boat, with beaches, small stores, schools and music museums, hundred year-old mansions with Western architecture, varied vegetation…
Source: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/xiamen-amoy-city-guide/