Xiamen is still warm in winter: A five-day trip in Xiamen
We spent a total of five days in Xiamen. At this time, Jinan was already very cold, and for someone like me who can't stand the cold, coming to Xiamen was like stepping into spring. Most people here wear just a shirt and a jacket, and I even saw several people in short sleeves and shorts—it's just perfect for me, haha.
I've always heard that Xiamen is great for self-driving tours, so I booked a car with Yihai early on. Their prices are already reasonable, and booking a few weeks in advance is really cost-effective. I recommend renting cars and booking hotels from big direct-sale brands to ensure good after-sales service if any issues arise.
No worries about hotels in Xiamen either; there are options at all price points. If you're traveling with family, you can stay in a homestay. I checked, and homestay prices range from 300 to over 1000 yuan, depending on your choice. In short, Xiamen is truly a livable city.
Also, Xiamen has a lot of delicious food. Although as a northerner, I’m not used to many dishes, I really love the seafood and coconut chicken here.
Day 1: Late night in Zengcuoan
After landing and dropping off my luggage at the hotel, I immediately tried Xiamen’s local delicacies: satay noodles and oyster omelet. The oyster omelet is made by frying oysters with eggs and sweet potato starch into a pancake. The first couple of bites were pretty good, but if you eat it without the satay noodles, it can get greasy. The satay noodles, besides some seafood on top, are basically a bowl of spicy hot pot with noodles. These two snacks cost me 50 yuan.
My accommodation was inside the Zengcuoan scenic area, which is quite lively at night. Later, I went to Pearl Bay Beach. Right outside the main gate of the scenic area is Pearl Bay Beach and the Music Square. Many people were still swimming this season, which shows that summer in Xiamen hasn’t ended yet. However, the sky was gloomy, and I wasn’t sure if it would rain tomorrow.
Day 2: Meeting the blue sea and sky of Xiamen
I originally planned to watch the sunrise at Huangcuo Beach the morning after arriving in Xiamen, but after checking the weather and considering that I got back to the hotel at 11 p.m., I postponed the sunrise to the day after tomorrow and decided to rest well tonight and sleep until I woke up naturally. The next morning, the sun was indeed shining. Sunny weather is perfect for traveling, though it can get a bit hot during the day.
I first checked in at the Music Square near the hotel, then cycled along South Island Ring Road. Every shot here is scenic. Before coming to Xiamen, I thought the weather would be cooler, but it was still around 26-27 degrees during the day. I regretted not bringing a short-sleeve shirt because I started sweating shortly after cycling uphill.
I cycled from South Island Ring Road to East Island Ring Road and arrived at Yefengzhai Scenic Area. Looking across the sea from here is Kinmen Island. The beach at Yefengzhai is indeed different from those in Hainan. Although the water quality in Xiamen isn’t very clear, on a sunny day you can still see a hint of blue. The refreshing sea breeze and bright sunshine—how wonderful it would be to stay in this moment forever!
After returning from Ring Road, I headed to the next spot, the Botanical Garden, which is also a famous scenic area in Xiamen. Walking deeper inside feels like a primitive tropical rainforest. Since the garden is very large, visiting every spot would take more than a day. Plus, I planned to catch the sunset at Baicheng Beach in the evening, so I only visited a few spots around the west gate and didn’t go too deep.
After that, I took the scenic shuttle bus to some internal spots of the garden. First was the succulent plant area and Dripping Rock, which were quite ordinary, so I didn’t stay long. Then I continued to the Flower Garden, which felt like entering a tropical rainforest area. Further in was a small stream and waterfall in the rainforest—it's been a long time since I saw such a scene.
Coming out of the rainforest, I reached what seemed like the garden’s back yard, full of flower fields. At first, I thought the garden would mostly attract older tour groups, but I found many young people here, many traveling alone like me. They shaped plants into cats and elephants, which was quite creative.
After leaving the Flower Garden, I went to the Bougainvillea area. Although it wasn’t the full bloom season yet, many tourists came to check out Xiamen’s native plants. After leaving the Bougainvillea area, I took the shuttle bus back to the garden’s main gate. I didn’t visit many spots in the Botanical Garden this time.
After leaving the garden and grabbing a bite, I originally planned to head straight to Baicheng Beach, but it was only 4 p.m., more than an hour before sunset. So I decided to check out another unplanned spot—Shapowei. This place was originally a shelter for fishermen before going out to sea but has now become a trendy cultural spot. The contrast between the old buildings and modern commercial vibe is striking.
Even the electric meter boxes have personality here. It’s definitely a gathering place for young people. I walked from the shelter to the opposite Art West District. From this angle, you can see the whole street across. It should look even better when the lights come on at night.
Around 5 p.m. was the most important check-in spot of the trip: Baicheng Beach.
After leaving the Botanical Garden, clouds gradually increased in the sky, and I worried the sunset might be blocked. But when I arrived at the beach, there were almost no clouds. After waiting a bit, a stunning sunset appeared in the sky. Soon the sun broke through the clouds, and I enjoyed the most beautiful scene of the day by the sea.
After watching the Baicheng sunset, I planned to take the Lujiang night cruise to enjoy Xiamen’s night view. Before that, I strolled through Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street. Compared to Haikou’s Qilou Old Street, the Nanyang style here isn’t very strong, but the commercial atmosphere is better. Coming from downtown Tianjin to downtown Xiamen for travel really proves the saying: going from a place you’re tired of to a place others are tired of.
After Zhongshan Road, I headed straight to Lujiang Pier. It was time to board the ship and enjoy Xiamen’s night view from the sea. The cruise started, and on the right was Gulangyu Island. Tonight, I would first admire Gulangyu’s night view from the water and explore the island in detail tomorrow. After passing Yanwu Bridge, the ship turned around, and on the right were the Twin Towers and the sights inside Xiamen Island.