Hidden Ha Tinh billionaire

Vietnam's low profile richest man,Pham Nhat Vuong was born in the central province of Ha Tinh in 1968. Vuong studied geological economic engineering at Moscow Geology University in Russia.

After school in 1993, he moved to Kharkov, Ukraine, where he created LLC Technocom, a producer of more than 100 dehydrated food products, including instant noodles and mashed potatoes.

The business was later sold to Nestle SA at an undisclosed price. In 2001,he returned to Vietnam to set up Vincom and Vinpearl. Today at the age of 44,he's the President and chairman of Vingroup Joint-Stock Company(stock quote:VIC.vn)as well as Vinpearl Joint Stock Company(stock quote:VPL.vn)with total asset value in the domestic stock market over VND21.044trillion(over USD1 billion). In September, 2009, the main headquarters of Technocom Group were moved to Hanoi and the name changed into Vingroup.

 Vuong’s wife, Pham Thu Huong, has become the fourth richest investor, with VND3.227 trillion (USD154.4 million). She was ranked as 6th in the list of top-ten richest investors, with VND2.262 trillion (USD108.2 million), as of December 29, 2010.

Wedged between Quang Binh province to the south and Nghe An province to the north, Ha Tinh's best known feature is a road leading out of the province -- to Laos.

It's through this province that snaking Route 8 leads to the Nam Phao / Cau Treo border crossing between Vietnam and Laos.

On the Lao side, the road links up with Lak Xao, continuing on eventually to the Mekong River, while on the Vietnamese side, Route 8 strikes west till it intersects with Highway 1 near Hong Linh and not all that far from Vinh -- the capital of Nghe An province to the north.

Ha Tinh is off the beaten path, but here you can see the “real Vietnam”, whatever that is.

The main town is Hong Linh with sub-Districts: Huong Son, Duc Tho, Nghi Xuan, Can Loc, Huong Khe, Thach Ha, Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh, Vu Quang, Loc Ha.

 Ethnic groups here includes Viet (Kinh), Thai, Muong, Chut.

 Locating at the east of Truong Son Mountain Range, Ha Tinh's terrain is both narrow and sloping, tilting towards the east. To the west is a high mountain range (with average height of 1,500m), following with a range of hills, small and narrow elongated plain and coastal sandy banks.

Mountainous terrain accounts for 80% of the province's natural area that is sharply differentiated and divided, forming deferent ecological areas.

There are 14 rivers such as Ngan Pho, Ngan Sau, Cay. The coastline is 137km. Ha Tinh belongs to the tropical monsoon area. The annual average temperature is 23.7ºC.

There are two clear seasons:Raining season lasts from August to November. Annually average rainfall is from 2500mm to 2650mm, account to 54% of whole year.Dry season is from December to July next year. The weather is dry, hot and highly vaporizing West- Southern wind (blowing from Laos).

 The province has many special internal tourism places ecologically, historically, culturally, namely
National Park of Vu Quang, Ke Go reservoir, Hong Linh Mountain. Dong Loc Road Junction - a monument sticking with glorious victory of Vietnam against the US.

Then, tourists are able to relax in Xuan Thanh, Thien Cam, Thach Hai or Deo Con beaches, or in medical treatment area of Son Kim Hot Spring. Ha Tinh preserves many temples, pagodas such as Cua Dieu Tower, Huong Tich, Bich Chau, Yen Lac pagodas, Tam Lang, Chieu Trung temples. Coming there, visitor do not forget make tour to some of handicrafts villages such as Van Cham, Minh Long iron, Duc Lam cooper, Cam Trang pottery, Thai Yen wood, Ha silt, Ho cloth.

Ha Tinh City is 341km from Hanoi.


ACCOMODATIONS:

1) Thai Hotel a three star hotel located in the center of Hong Linh Town, near the Song Lam River. Add: Block 10, Bac Hong Precinct, Hong Linh Town, Ha Tinh province, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 570788 ; Fax: (84-39) 836716

2) Song La Hotel at Thien Cam beach. Add: Thien Cam Beach, Ha Tinh province, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 862666 ; Fax: (84-39) 862581

3) Binh Minh Hotel Add: 1 Tran Phu road, Ha Tinh town, Ha Tinh province, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 856825 ; Fax: (84-39) 857875

4) Huong Sen Hotel Add: 2 Nguyen Tat Thanh road, Ha Tinh town, Ha Tinh province, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 855589 ; Fax: (84-39) 857875

5) Lam Kieu Hotel Gia Lach- Nghi Xuan, Ha Tinh town, Ha Tinh province, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 821461 ; Fax: (84-39) 821225

6) Cong Doan Guesthouse Thien Cam Townlet, Cam Xuyen Dist., Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 862 226

7) Hoanh Son Guesthouse Pho Chau Townlet, Huong Son Dist., Ha Tinh Tel: (84-39) 875 253

8) Hoanh Son Hotel Ky Nam Commune, Ky Anh Dist., Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 869 009 ; Fax: (84-39) 857 875

9) Huong Thuy Hotel Ha Huy Tap St., Ha Tinh Town, Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 885 412

10) Kieu Hoa Hotel Add: Tran Phu St., Ha Tinh Town, Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 857 025

11) Lam Hong Hotel Bac Hong Ward, Hong Linh Town, Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 835 357

12) Tan Giang Hotel 33 Nguyen Cong Tru St., Ha Tinh Town, Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 855 583

13) Thanh Sen Hotel 1 Nguyen Cong Tru St., Ha Tinh Town, Ha Tinh Tel: (84-39) 856 002 ; Fax:(84-39) 855 484

14) Thien Y Hotel Thien Cam Townlet, Cam Xuyen Dist., Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 862 345 ; Fax:(84-39) 862 397

15)Cao Phu Guesthouse Tran Phu St., Ha Tinh Town, Ha Tinh, Vietnam Tel: (84-39) 856 712

16) Sinh Thai Hotel No 2 - Xuan An - Nghi Xuan - Ha Tinh Tel: (84-39) 3822208 Fax: (84-39) 3822373 MAP:Thành phố Hà Tĩnh

Tons of carbon emitted as palm oil demand grows

Tons of carbon emitted as palm oil demand grows

Indonesia ranks right behind the United States and China in the lineup of the world’s top 10 greenhouse gas emitters.

 It’s not because of smokestacks or freeways, but massive deforestation starting in the 1990s — driven In large part by the expansion of plantations for palm oil, an edible vegetable oil used in cookies, crackers, soap and European diesel fuel.

  One of the most striking trends, in terms of emissions, was a shift toward the development of carbon-dense peatlands for palm oil production, the researchers found. Peatland soils store significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse.

Indonesia is the leading producer of palm and palm kernel oil, which together account for more than 30 percent of the world's vegetable oil use, and which can be used for biodiesel.

Most of Indonesia's oil palm plantation expansion is occurring on the island of Borneo, also known as Kalimantan, which occupies a land area nearly the size California and Florida combined. Plantation leases, covering 32 percent of Kalimantan's lowlands outside of protected areas, represent a major land bank that is slated for development over the next decade, according to the study.

Home to the world's third-largest tropical forest area, Indonesia is also one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, due to rapid loss of carbon-rich forests and peatlands. Since 1990, development of oil palm plantations has cleared about 16,000 square kilometers of Kalimantan's primary and logged forested lands – an area about the size of Hawaii.

About palm oil fruit:

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) was first introduced to Malaysia as an ornamental plant in 1870. MALAYSIA is the world’s second largest crude palm oil (CPO) producer after Indonesia.

The palm fruit is about the size of a small plum and is borne in large bunches weighing between 10 kg - 50 kg. A bunch can have up to 2000 fruits, each consisting of a hard kernel (seed) within a shell (endocarp) which in turn is surrounded by a fleshy mesocarp.

The mesocarp is made up of about 49% oil and about 50% kernel. The two oils (palm oil and palm kernel oil) have very different compositions.

Palm oil (from the mesocarp) contains mainly palmitic acid (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1); the two most common fatty acids in natural oils and fats, and is about 50% saturated. Palm kernel oil is more than 80% saturated and contains mainly lauric acid (C12:0).

The Malaysian Crude Palm Oil Futures(CPO) traded both on the spot and futures market has been the global pricing benchmark for the commodity trading worldwide for more than two decades. The price of crude palm oil moves in tandem with US soya bean futures.

If the current soya bean price crash further,the crude palm oil price will even dive further thus wiping out all the good gains all these while. Market traders like Godrej Industries’Ltd director, Dorab Mistry,the industry gurus has predicted that the price will fall further to around USD749.

Hlaing Tha Yar Industrial Zone

Myanmar,a country with a thriving population of more than 55million has the potential for investment and future economic growth.

Myanmar is a country rich in natural resources such as precious gems,priceless jades,natural gas,petroleum,copper,nickel,tin,gold,silver,zince and a host of natural raw materials.

 An important East West Economic Corridor,Yangon has the largest metropolitan population with good basic infrastructure very well planned since British Colonial time.

The main ports and harbours are all just within vicinity. The British ruled Burma between 1824 till 1948 annexing it as province of  British India colony.Colonisation started when friction between the Burmese army crossing into British held Chittagong(capital Bangladesh) resulting in the First Anglo-Burmese War.

 The Yangon region has close to 23 industrial zones and the most established one is the Hlaing Tha Yar Industrial Zone.According to the Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone’s management committee, there are 45 garment factories at the zone, less than half the 95 located within the zone in the heyday of 2003 before the West imposed economic sanctions.

Most of the factories have an export credit of 780 Myanmar Kyat and if the US Dollar falls below that mark,factories will be struggling for survival.Hence the dollar exchange rate plays an important part in the profitablity of the companies.

 Mandalay,the ancient capital up north is the second largest city having mostly small and medium size industrial enterprises but specializes more towards the agro-base industry. Mawlamyaine (Moulmein)located midway between the southern coastal cities is within close proximity to the Greater Mekong Subregion will be the entry and exit point of the western end of the East-West Economic Corridor.

 The Friendship Bridge between Myawaddy(Burma) and Mae Sot (Thailand)has long been the trading route to The Greater Mekong subregion. Transport Company Guide: Shwe Sin SetKya Services Company

Burmese people.

It was August 8, 1988, or “8-8-88” as it’s widely known, when hundreds of thousands of Burmese from all walks of life joined a popular protest in the former capital Rangoon to topple the dictator Ne Win’s single party rule that had oppressed them for 26 years.

 It was an important milestone in modern Burmese history—a day that marked the emergence of a full-fledged democracy movement that managed to topple Ne Win’s regime, only to see a new junta seize power and spend the ensuing decades relentlessly suppressing its leaders, including Burma’s newfound democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Repression intensified, with the number of political prisoners reaching into the thousands. Today, the Myanmar military is more firmly entrenched in power similar to dictators in Cambodia and Malaysia. These dictators will use any tool necessary, from detention, torture and violence against his opponents, to lies, deceit, delay and false promises to the international community, or the manipulation of astrology and religion to convince their own people. Promised of democratic transition only fits with those kingly designs only to find henchmen as modern-day "tyrants".

Myanmar’s newfound place in the sun is the product of a series of reforms instigated by the country’s new president, Thein Sein, since he came to power at the head of a nominally civilian government in March 2011.

Though most of these reforms have been political rather than economic, they have helped change international sentiment on a country otherwise seen as a human rights pariah, and with an economy long viewed as a wasteland of missed opportunities.

Governments in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have gradually lifted most of the sanctions they had imposed on Myanmar to reward the reforms, bolster the reformers and open up previously restricted business opportunities for their own nationals.

 Despite this positive glow, Myanmar’s reforms are fragile and contingent upon a few key individuals, not the least of whom are the president, his key lieutenants, and also opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The reforms are also far from complete.

The scars of five decades of misrule: degraded infrastructure, rampant corruption and cronyism, severe capacity constraints in government and policy making bodies, residual human rights abuses and ethnic conflict, a dysfunctional financial sector, and a myriad of other obstacles to a smooth transition.

These impediments are common to reform scenarios in many places, but they suggest that the bullish assessments of Myanmar’s economy should be viewed with caution.

 

Meanwhile, the remaining economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar continue to constrain investment flows that would otherwise be expected.

The most crucial of these is the import ban imposed by the United States. This was first mandated in 2003 under the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, and was authorized again almost two months ago for three more years.

It is something the US president can suspend if certain conditions are met. This sanction has the effect of making Myanmar an unlikely destination for foreign investment in labor-intensive manufactures such as clothing and textiles.

Domestic legislation with respect to foreign investment is a key and often decisive component of a country’s relative attractiveness.

 This is especially important for a transitioning country such as Myanmar, where policy has historically been unwelcoming and restrictive toward foreign investment.

Meanwhile, the remaining economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar continue to constrain investment flows that would otherwise be expected.

The most crucial of these is the import ban imposed by the United States. This was first mandated in 2003 under the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, and was authorized again almost two months ago for three more years.

 It is something the US president can suspend if certain conditions are met. This sanction has the effect of making Myanmar an unlikely destination for foreign investment in labor-intensive manufactures such as clothing and textiles.

Currently awaiting the signature of the president is the new Foreign Investment Law designed to make the country more attractive to foreign investors.

This law will grant them the right to hold long leases on land (until now leases have been greatly restricted and the state was the exclusive owner of most productive land).

 Overseas investors will also be able to enjoy a five-year profit tax “holiday,” other tax concessions, and are guaranteed against the nationalization of their businesses (a necessary step given Myanmar’s long history of state expropriation).

Myanmar’s new Foreign Investment Law is also reflective of the country’s continuing divisions.

The law has been heavily influenced by the interests of Myanmar’s “crony” conglomerates, which in recent years have come to dominate key areas of the economy.

With interests that extend to almost every sector, such cronies (as people in Myanmar routinely refer to them) are likely to feel the threat of foreign competition first and foremos

Myanmar is undergoing a sure transition to a more open political system which may bring democracy, or could legitimize the long-ruling military regime thus bringing it out of isolation.

 Myanmar's military regime, in power since the early 1960s, though politically backed by Beijing, remains in the steely grip of mainland Chinese military and commercial deals.

Yangon University, once one of Asia's finest and a poignant symbol of an education system crippled by Myanmar's half a century of military rule.

Only graduate students are still allowed to study here. Fearful of student-led uprisings, the regime has periodically shut down this and other campuses and dispersed students to remote areas with few facilities.

 Now, as the nation also known as Burma opens its doors to the outside world, it is paying a heavy price unless drastic educational reforms is on the card. The crackdown on universities has spawned a lost generation.

The pace of development will be slowed and Burmese exploited, educators say, as the poorly schooled populace deals with an expected influx of foreign investors and aid donors, along with profiteers looking for a quick dollar.

Thanaka  is a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark.

It is a distinctive feature of Myanmar seen commonly applied to the face and sometimes the arms of women and girls and to a lesser extent men and boys.

The use of thanaka has also spread to neighboring countries including Thailand. The two most popular wood trees to produce the cream are Shwebo thanaka from Sagaing Division and Shinmadaung thanaka from Magwe Division.

Thanaka in its natural state is sold as small logs individually or in bundles, but nowadays also available as a paste or in powder form. Thanaka cream has been used by Burmese women for over 2000 years.

It has a fragrant scent somewhat similar to sandalwood. The creamy paste is applied to the face in attractive designs, the most common form being a circular patch on each cheek which  gives a cooling sensation and provides protection from sunburn. It is believed to help remove acne and promote smooth skin.

Handloom textiles and cottage industry crafts have always played an important role in the life of rural communities, providing a major source of income that goes directly into the hands of artisans.

There are nearly 5,000 registered  cottage industries across Myanmar and many successful businesses are headed by ladies who make rich contributions to the improving economy.

The outcome of this struggle between liberal reformers and the beneficiaries of Myanmar’s past regime will ultimately shape the new Foreign Investment Law.


This struggle will also determine if Myanmar is finally on the path to genuine transformational growth. A tiger in waiting perhaps, but not one yet. Myanmar was Ranked No. 180 of 183 nations in Transparency International’s 2011 corruption index.

Despite the liberal elements of the new Foreign Investment Law, other key clauses limit the role of foreign investors in a host of sectors, including retail trade, agricultural processing, fisheries and many light industries and services.

Psar Thmey building like a spaceship.

Phnom Penh,capital city of Cambodia has dozens of market and the most popular and busiest is the Central Market known as Psar Thmey.

This is the focal point and heart of the city where most of the public and crossborder buses also converge at nearby bus terminal.

 Built in 1937 by French architects and surprisingly cool, even in the heat of the hottest day, many interesting products are available.

The building was recently restored – an enormous, yellow, art Deco UFO which has landed in the middle of the city.



  Phnom Penh itself has close to 9 districts.

 1) Doun Penh-the commercial hub with the unique Psar Thmey.

2) 7 Makara-or Prampi Makara district with the Orussey Market,Capitol Guesthouse

3) Tuol Kouk-well-known for the large villas in its northern part of the district and Royal University of Cambodia.

4) Chamkar Mon-Tonle Basak area

5) Russey Keo-northwestern outskirt with town like Svay Pak,Phnom Penh Thmei and Khmuonh east of Tonle Sap River.Camko City is an urban development zone being developed by a consortium spearheaded by World City Co Ltd of South Korea.

 6) Saensokh-apsara bakery

7) Por Senchey-industrial zone

8) Dangkao-largest district with the Royal Agriculture University in the locality.

9) Meanchey-Stung Meanchey,Presek Pra and Shen Zhou Apparel Factory.

Cambodia's total population is 14,701,717 as at year consensus 2011. The ethnic groups consisted of Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, others 4%.

 The official language is Khmer and 92% of the people practice Theravada Buddhism.


Phnom Penh has lots of impressive colonial styled architectural buildings such as the Psar Thmey.

The eastern side across Pasteur Street(Street 51), which is the main entrance, has many souvenirs and ornaments on sale from T-shirts to large stone heads. In the center are the many jewelry stores and precious stone vendors as well as many electronic goods merchants, cloth sellers and other dealers; most of them selling considerably cheap. Nowadays, the Central market is a tourist hot spot where tourists can see the daily activities of the Cambodian people.


 The Sorya Shopping Center which is just nearby has a supermarket where prices of goods on display were in USD currency.








Phnom Penh is fast developing with many mega projects already in construction.

 Notable high rise skyscrapers near Psar Thmey and along Boulevard Preah Monivong is the OCIC Tower(Canadia Tower) with a helipad on top.This building is the headquarters of Canadia Bank Development Ltd.

The Vattanac Capital Building which is near completion will be another new landmark changing the landscape of the city.

Fujian Tong'an county old quarters.

On reaching Tong'an town,the best place to get down from the public bus is Tong'an bus station as noted in red wording 'Tong'an Zhi Ze Xi Zhan' located along Chengnan Lu(Road).

In fact each of the bus stop were about 2km apart and before each stops will be annouced via a speaker saying "Next stop"(Xia Yi Zhan)

Show you body language and the conductor will know your intention. At Chengnan (城南) stop ,count to the third stop and then get off.

There were two bus station in the vicinity across the road .The first one is the Nan(South) route especially the long distance buses and it's inside the building.

The other one has minibuses within the municipality.

 Public buses outside Xiamen Island have bus numbers starting with the following: Tong'an 6, Xiangan 7, Haicang 8 and Jimei 9.

Walking straight after the traffic light junction is Xiqiao Lu which will lead to this Xi'an Qiao(Bridge) into the old quarters of Tong'an

 The old quarters have a mixed of modern skyscrapers and old ancient buildings and temples.

 Motor vehicles were allowed in this part of the county and you won't see any traffic congestions.

Modern auto tricycle battery operated rickshaw is also seen in Tong'an similar to the 'tuk-tuk' of Thailand,Laos and Cambodia,'bajaj' in Jakarta,Indonesia and the Filipino traysikel.


China is very particular about green environment to check on vehicle pollutants compared to other Asian countries where such auto rickshaw emit toxic carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.








Old traditional shoplots in the heart of Tong'an old quarters Datong area having distinct similarities seen in Yaowarat in Bangkok and Thonburi,Hanoi Old Quarters,Penang Island,Medan in Sumatera,Indonesia as well as Singapore's Niu Che Shui.




Tong'an District in divided into 2 subdistricts: Datong (大同街道) and Xiangping(祥平街道) Major Towns are: Hongtang (洪塘镇), Tingxi (汀溪镇), Lianhua (莲花镇), Xinmin (新民镇), Wuxian (五显镇), Xike (西柯镇)


Shophouses like these in Singapore and Malaysia are known as pre-war houses and are preserved as heritage buildings.

 Moving east of Tong'an county is Xiang'an District with only one subdistrict called Dadeng(大嶝街道) Major Towns in Xiang'an are: Xindian (新店镇), Xinxu (新圩镇), Maxiang (马巷镇), Neicuo (内厝镇).



This type of building design architecture has been brought along by the Chinese ancestors who migrated to Southeast Asia.

Telok Ayer and Joo Chiat's neighbourhood in Singapore is one typical example with many of these Anglo-Straits Eclectric style.

In Malacca at Kampong Pantai,these type of buildings has been refurbished to become backpackers hostel.



Building with a blend of Anglo-Chinese architecture.







Wooden planks slots being used to cover the shop frontage.

 The door consisted of two bigger wooden planks which are quite heavy and will be slotted in after having completed the other panel slots.

Hanging a red door plaque and banner is an old Chinese custom, a ritual blessing to ensure that only good things come in.



Market street in the Datong prefecture of Tong'an is the businness centre with many shops selling different kind of products.






 Guan Yin Tang(Temple)in Tong'an,Fujian Province is similar to The Goddess of Mercy Temple in Penang George Town.

Located at the juncture where China Street meets Jalan Kapitan Keling (formerly known as Pitt Street).The locals called it as 'Kuan Yin Teng' in Hokkien dialect.

 In Malacca,the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple also has the Guan Yin deity, goddess of mercy and protector.

Singapore's Guan Yin Tang is at Waterloo Street and also the famous Hokkien Temple Thian Hock Keng at Telok Ayer Street.

In Indonesia is the Vihara Bahtra Sasana(天后宫)in Bintan Island,off Sumatera Island with the deity Kwan Im or Dewi Kwan Im .

In Thailand,Wat Mangkon Kamalawa in China Town Bangkok is on Charoen Road. The Chinese name is Leng Noei Yi Temple with the Prah Mae Kuan Eim deity.

The Kheng Hock Keong， 庆福宫 (Qing Fu Gong) in Yangon,Myanmar Chinatown.

The Seng Guan Temple at Narra Street,Tondo in downtown Manila,Phillipines is the most beautiful temple.

 In Vietnamese, the deitys name is Quán Âm or Quán Thế Âm. Guan Yin, 观音, or Avalokiteśvara is one of the most popular and well known female goddess in Asia and probably in the world.

Guan Yin is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism and also worshiped by Taoists.



Zhongshan Yu(travellers) Quan(hotel) is a budget hotel(rates about 60 Yuan) in the busy Zhongshan Lu where there were many shops,restaurants and food stalls.

Cheap budget hotels can be found in many of the main streets.






A new walking street at Tong Xin Lu(near Zhongsan Lu) is near completion and will be the latest nightlife attraction in Tong'an.










Traditional cobbler's sewing gadgets.

Judging from the two spool of nylon thread,this roadside cobbler specialised in sewing leather products.












Typical ancestral house of overseas Chinese.
They are mostly single storey with the walls and foundation built from granite rocks.













Very well maintained ancestral house in the prime land area.Sooner or later this building might have to go when development take place in this area.













The roof of this house has the shape of a chinese temple.












One section of these old ancestral houses have been neglected by the current generations who have left for economic reasons.

 In one of the alleys,there were young chicks luring customers for a 100 Yuan fees. The wording on the wall is one of the contacts.

Tong'an County Tourist Area,Fujian Province

Tong'an Tourist Area is in the northern part of Xiamen Island and faces the sea in the southeast and is surrounded by the mountain on three sides.

 The area has a history of 1,700 years and is the largest administrative district today.

The Han Dynasty collapsed at the end of the 2nd century AD, paving the way for the Three Kingdoms era.

The first wave of immigration of the noble class arrived in the province in the early 4th century AD when the Western Jin Dynasty collapsed and the north was torn apart by invasions by nomadic peoples from the north, as well as civil war.

These immigrants were primarily from eight families in central China: Lin (林), Huang (黄), Chen (陈), Zheng, Zhan (詹), Qiu (邱), He (何), and Hu (胡).

The first four remain as the major surnames of modern Fujian. Population density in Fujian remained low compared to the rest of China.

Like other southern provinces such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan, Fujian often served as a destination for exiled prisoners and dissidents at that time.

Tong'an is rich in natural and cultural tourist resources and boasts 51 provincial and county cultural sites under the protection.  
 

Places to Visit:

1) Tong'an Movie and TV City(pinyin:Tong'an Yingshi Cheng) lies on both banks of Dongxi River in Wuxian Town, Tong' an District,bordering the ancient Fantian Temple.
Visitors can enjoy the demonstration of customs and culture of south Fujian Province and acrobatic performances, and participate in other recreational activities such as acting as an emperor, riding horse, shooting and forest exploration.
 Also tourists can buy handicrafts, paintings, calli- graphic works, jewelry and Taiwan products at the Ming-Qing Street and try various kinds of Xiamen local and special dishes and snacks at the Douyichu Restaurant.

Transport,:Taking the public bus Nos. 67, 79, 601,606, 610, 612, 617, 621 and 625

Opening hours: 08:00-18:00 Admission: RMB 30 yuan/person  

2) Dalun Mountain and Fantian Temple The Dalun (Great Wheel) Mountain is located in east Tong' an City and is the main peak in Tong' an District.

It has undulating physical landscapes for several kilometers like a big wheel, so that's where it got its name.
It has attracted many scholars and celebrities who left many poems, calligraphic works and cliff inscriptions here.
The Fantian Temple is located on the southern foot of the Dalun Mountain. It was first built in 581 or the first year of the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Fujian Province.
Behind the temple stands the Wengong Academy, or Ziyang Academy. It was the earliest one by the Quanzhou Prefecture. It houses the valuable stone statue of Zhu Xi.
The buildings in the temple are in an irregular arrangement and paths winds around buildings. With many trees and bamboos, the temple is quiet enough for cultivation and reading books.
 Opening hours: 06:00-19:00
Admission: Free

 3) Dragon Pools on North Mountain(Beichen Shan)
The North Mountain indicates the Beichen Mountain in Tong'an and the Dragon Pools indicate the 12- pool waterfalls to the north of Beichen Mountain, at its foot. The rushing down water produces a one-kilometer-long valley and makes 1,000- meter-long waterfalls and 12 water pools.
They are one of the 20 famous scenic spots in Xiamen.
 This 122km2 Area is in Wuxianzhen , about 12km from Tong'an.

 4) Tong'an Plum Mountain Temple (Meishan Si )

 Very Scenic. Add: Meishan Lu, Meishan Liansi
Tel: 7026  

5) Wild Valley Ecopark

Famous as "the Lesser Jiuzhai of south Fujian," this Wild Valley Ecopark is on the No. 206 provincial highway, at the one kilometer to the Longmen Tunnel on the highway from Tong'an to Anxi.
This ecopark is composed of five sections: Yongcheng Mountain, Da'annei, Shuangxikou, Caijin Brook and Caiyin Brook.
It covers an area of 415 hectares and is an important part of the Lotus National Forest Park. In three phases, it will be built into a comprehensive tourist area for tourism, amusement, exploration, ecological farming, scientific popularization and inspection, school training and teamwork training.
Opening hours: 08:00-20:00
Admission:
1. A route tour: RMB 50 yuan/person
2. B route tour: RMB 80 yuan/person
3. C route tour: RMB 90 yuan/person
Tel: 86-592-5865371/5865351  

6) Former Residence of Su Song (1020-1101)
Former Residence of Su Song, or Lushan Hall, is located in Yongfeng Township in northwest part of Tong' an City.
It covers an area of 1,700 square meters and stands against the Hulu Hill and faces the Ximo Pool.
The hall houses a model of the first astronomical clock in the world invented by Su Song.
Tel (Science and Technology Hall): 86-592-7025044  

7) Tong'an Confucius Temple (Tong'an Museum)

By Dongxi Stream, the Tong'an Confucius Temple was first constructed in the Five Dynasties (907- 960) and was rebuilt in the 18th year of the Jiaqing reign ( 1813) of the Qing Dynasty, with an area of 1,050 square meters.
Opening hours: 08:00-11:30,15:00-17:30
 Admission: RMB 2 yuan/person  

8) West Mountain Peak Scenic Area (Xishanyan Jingqu )

At 324m above sea level, this is the place to escape to on hot summer days. The peak's White Cloud Crag Temple (Baiyunyan Miao ) was built over 1100 years ago.
Facing the temple is Purple Cloud Cave (Ziyun Dong ). In back are two "Holy Wells" said to never lack sweet water. To the left is a Ming Dynasty cliff inscription.
In back are 18 trees that represent Buddha's 18 disciples, the Arhats (Luohan).
Add: Xinmin Zhen Yili Cun about 20km outside of Tong'an
Tel (Mid-Mountain): 7200516
Tel (Peak ): 7200776

9) Tong'an's Little Plain Provincial Forest Park (Xiaoping Senlin Gongyuan )

25km north of Tong'an, 45 km north of Xiamen, covers about 400, 000 acres, includes tourism facilities, aquatic sports facilities, forestry research facilities,
Tel: 7053878
Bus: Take Daping mini-bus , get off at Xiaoping.  

10) Three Hero Islands (Yingxiong Sandao )

The "3 Hero Islands" of "Big Deng" (Dadeng ), Little Deng (Xiaodeng ) and Horn Islet (Jiaoyu ), lie only 1.8km from Taiwan controlled Jinmen Island.

11) Tong'an Butterfly Valley (Tong'an Hudiegu )

Locals call butterfly valley "Stone Ship Pit "(Shichuan Keng ).

12) Tingxi Kiln Site(Tingxi Yaozhi)

While building the Tingxi reservoir in 1956, workers discovered this kiln, earthenware, kiln equipment, etc. In the excavated dirt were found bowls, plates, trays, pots,daily utensils, the foundation had kiln bricks.
One of the largest of Song Dynasty kilns, produced the pearlescent porcelain (Zhuguangci ) popular in Japan.
This turned out to be invaluable in researching ancient Fujian's economy and foreign trade.  

13) Matang Village —Xiamen's #1 Village About 7km to the east of Tong'an, Matang Village is in a remote valley and covers 1.8km2, with 64 families and 275 people, 435 acres of cultivated land, 944 acres of hilly land.
In 1985 Matang started their break from poverty with the labor-intensive Xinghua canning factory. In 1990 they undertook a Sino-foreign joint venture with Xiamen Tongmao Foodstuffs Canning Company, Ltd., and over the years invested 80 million Yuan improving the technology 3 times.
By 1996, the village's production had reached 122.5 million Yuan, per capital had reached 5250 Yuan (from 170 Yuan—an increase of 1071%).
 Today the workers live in modern apartments and villas, with beautiful gardens and lawns.  

14) Tong'an Lotus Flower Mountain Scenic Area (Lianhua Zhen Houpu Cun )

About 10km from Tong'an with many ancient trees, ancient temples, and the "Holy Spring"—all the things you find on just about any mountain top that has had Chinese for 5, 018 years.

Bus Route Map starts at Yanwu Road near Xiamen University to Tong'an town.
Bus fare is 2 Yuan aircond bus No:657 or 659.
If you were to embark near the starting point,seats were available otherwise you have to stand throughout the journey.

Speech by President Aquino III in Fujian Province

TRANSCRIPT:
Speech of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the Philippines

After planting a tree in his ancestral Hongjian Village in Fujian Province [Delivered in Hongjian Village, Zhangzhou municipality, Fujian Province, China on September 3, 2011]


Today, a seed planted by your forefathers far away has come back to sit in the shade of the ancestral tree. It is an honor to see the Ancestral Hall of the family Xu and to see the tree my mother planted 23 years ago.

 I cannot help but recall the gracious words of Premier Wen: the tree your mother planted has flourished and put in deep roots. I am grateful to all of you for the honor you continue to give to my mother. I was particularly happy to hear that the soon-to-be finished Sino-Philippines Friendship Memorial Hall in this park will be dedicated to her memory.

We are in a place steeped in memory and tradition, and rich in legends that continue to tie us together across the seas. Before I arrived here, I was told that years ago, on its own, this tree split in two.

Nature has its own laws and surely this natural phenomenon was not a prophecy—for I never aspired to reach the same heights and achieve the same success as my mother. And yet, by the will of my people, I stand here in the same position she occupied—as President of the Philippines—bearing the same responsibility she had, to change peoples’ lives for the better.

In Beijing and Shanghai, whenever I was asked how I felt about coming here, I said that I wanted to see the land where so many successful Filipino Chinese came from. I wanted to see the landscape that gave birth to so many who braved long journeys, to settle in a foreign land, to build families, homes, and successful enterprises. Their success brought not only prosperity, but honor to their kinsmen, whether in the Philippines or China.

Ours, then, are not only ties of family and blood, they are ties of shared virtues: of hard work, study, loyalty, dedication, and empathy. Our ties are relationships that have transcended kilometers, generations, and borders because they are built on shared principles. What we want to do now is to make these relationships even stronger, and to fulfill our duty to make certain that our friendly relations are built on the shared principle that our efforts ultimately improve the lives of our respective peoples.

This is a collective task. Together with me, hundreds of businessmen from the Philippines went to Beijing to meet your country’s political and economic leaders. And at this very moment, those who accompanied me on this trip are meeting with their counterparts from Fujian to discuss opportunities to further expand the economic exchange between our countries.

In my country we have a saying: that if one is to move forward, one must know how to look back. So I would like to thank the people of Hongjian—all my distant cousins, aunts, and uncles—for their warm welcome, and for being among the many who give me the strength to carry on and succeed.

Hong jian de běn jiārén, zhong xīnyǎn di xiè xiè nǐmen.

Allow me to give you a parting gift—memorabilia from my mother as a reminder to all of us, as well as future generations, of the ties of history that bind us together; of the strong and centuries-old relationship between the Philippines, Hongjian village, and Fujian province.

I leave to your care this tree that I have planted. May its roots also be deep, and may our kinsmen one day, enjoy rest under the shade of what we have planted, as you and I have enjoyed the shade of what my mother planted in her time. Thank you and good day.

Things to do in Xiamen

Xiamen is fast becoming an exciting cosmopolitan city.
Locals, expatriates and tourists are enjoying the glamour the city brings and the exciting nightlife plays a big, if not major role in this.
An evening outing at Zhongshan Lu or Zhongshan Road walking street is a must.
It's a very nice street with many pseudo colonial architecture there that were well lit and glittering during night time with multi coloured LED lights.

This is a boutique Chinatown and every night draws a big crowd as businesses on both sides of the road were still opened offering a variety of choices.

It's really amazing how the local council gave a complete facelifts to most of the older buildings and made the road strictly for pedestian.

Zhongshan Lu is the main commercial street in Xiamen. A large section of the street lies between the ferry landing pier via Siming South Street junction till Xin Hua Lu.

 Between Zhongshan Lu and Shengping Lu, across Shuixian Lu, is the old quarter Zhenbang Lu (镇邦路), where popular Chinese movie Crazy Racer (疯狂的赛车) was filmed.

Shopping malls are at Hualien Commercial Plaza,No 1 Department Store,Paris Spring Department Store and Dafeng Shopping Mall.

Zhongshan Lu also has many restaurants to satisfy the tastebuds. It's a great place to sample some of the local food of Xiamen especially the peanut soup (huasheng tang)at Huangzehe Restaurant which is one of the oldest restaurant serving such delicacies.

 Some of the famous Fujian cuisines include Xiamen Glass Noodles (面线糊: mianxian hu),Oyster omelet (海蛎煎 haili jian),Xiamen Wonton soup (扁食汤: bianshitang,Crab porridge (蟹米粥: xiemi zhou),Xiamen Glutinous Rice Wrap (厦门烧肉粽: xiamen shaorou zong)and shrimp noodle soup (虾面: xiamian)

Travellers will surely enjoy walking Zhongshan Lu street a number of times during the night to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a very active food night market.

Besides,there were also street stalls selling souvenir items.

Closest hotels in the vicinity:
1) Xiamen Kellywood Hotel(Zhongshan Branch): Honghui Mansion, No. 318 of Zhongshan Road, Si Ming District, Xiamen .
Rates from USD30.

2) East Ocean Hotel, (Donghai Mansion Hotel):No.1 Zhongshan Road
Rates from USD58

Just beside Xiamen Railway Terminal along Xianhe Lu is the Walmart SuperCentre World Trade Centre(WTO:ShiMao)Branch,a United States retailing giant founded by Mr. Sam Walton in Arkansas in 1962.

Walmart first entered the Chinese market and opened its first Supercenter and Sam’s Club in Shenzhen in 1996.
 Another 3km nearby is Wal-mart Supercenter Xiamen SM Mall Branch at the Crossroad West Between Fuxia Road And Xianyue Road.

SM Mall is a Philippines retailer giant owned by Mr Henry Sy. Walmart Supercentre outlets in Fujian Province includes three in Fuzhou,one each in Quanzhou,Jinjiang,and Zhangzhou.



Xiahe Road in the heart of Xiamen is one of the most interesting section of Xiamen with bustling activities and nightlife.

In fact most of the local district buses will definitely pass by this road.
Notable bus stop is SM City Mall (SM chengshi guangchang) to shop for mobile phone,tablets and gadgets.
Other shopping malls:
1) Lijing Commercial Plaza : No.358, Xiahe Road 2) Friendship Shopping Mall : No.915, Xiahe Road

Electronic City is at Huadu Department Store : No.51, South Hubin Road
Fushan Chengda Shopping Mall : No.398, South Hubin Road



Carrefour(pinyin:Jialefu)Supermarket is nearby this B&Q home furnishing mall at Mingfa Business Square at the intersection of West Lianqian Road and Jiahe Road, Siming District.

Over here there are lots of restaurants for your evening dinner.Example is Smart Hero Club-Hot n spicy Restaurant (香辣诱惑精品川菜馆) that offers Sichuan dishes like Shuizhu Huoyu (Fish Filets in Hot Chili Oil),Mapu Tofu (Stir-fried tofu in hot sauce),Kungpao chicken cubes (Spicy diced chicken with peanuts),Fuqi Feipian (Pork lungs in Chili Sauce).

Xiamen Mingfa Shopping Mall with a building area about 406,000 square metres is equipped with more than 130 escalators and elevators and nearly 100 thematic pedestrian streets.

 The Mall covers a variety of functions like shopping, entertainment, leisure, catering, tourism, and culture, which is the largest shopping mall in domestic downtown.


Xiamen JINYI Cinemas, Fu Qiao Foot Bath, Huang Jia 1 Hao Bar, SUNING Appliance, Mingfa Art City, Mingfa Food Court & Roast Fish Street, LEKIN Playground, Happyday KTV, Century Beauty, New Century Department Store, B&Q and Carrefour were some of the tenants.

 Accomodation:
Orental Amage Hotel Xiamen (Xiamen Dongfang Haoyue Jiudian 厦门东方豪悦国际酒店)
Add: #8 East Area of Mingfa Commercial Mall, Jiahe Lu 嘉禾路明发商业广场东区8号
Tel: 292 6666 Route Map

Other places with big hypermarkets:
Metro (maidelong:麦德龙):8 Changhao Lu, Huli District, (厦门市湖里区长浩路)near Xinglu Grand Hotel. Open from: 09:00 - 22:00
Members only bulk-goods warehouse shopping. Show your passport for free membership.

Trust-Mart (Chinese:好又多)
Address:5/F Fushan Guomao Building,off Jin Shang Lu 厦门市莲坂富山国贸大厦)
 Hours: 07:00 - 22:00
Getting there: Take bus No.25,26,33,37,42,44,46 to Lianban Guomao  


Places to unwind:
Royal No 1 International Entertainment Club. (Lu Yi One Bar)
 Mingfa Business Square beside Carrefour. Expats hangout many foreign girls.

 KK Recreation Ground (的士高酒吧) No:9,Lianyue Lu, Xiamen (厦门市思明区莲岳路9号)
Tel:-0592- 512 9487 Hours: 20:00 - 02:00
Take bus No.8, 13, 31, 33, 51, 73, 86, 88 to Songbai.

 KK Recreation Ground plays mainly dance music and is popular with ex-pats, college students and tourists.

Elite Yueming Building, 14 Jianye Road, Xiamen
This dance club, featuring both a live band, the Filipino Residence Band.

La Bomba (辣蹦吧) Yueming Building, 14 Jianye Road, Xiamen
Very busy disco, with non-stop hot music, non-stop dancing London Bar (伦敦吧) Guanren Lu (behind Marco Polo Hotel)

True Love(真爱酒吧会所) Donghui Garden, 2-4, Yuandang Road, Xiamen
Tel:0592-5315666
Meet strangers and make them your friends in this venue.

Soul Bar 188 Hubindong Road
Tel: 0592-5075078

Tianlai Bar (天籁酒吧)Address:128 Houdaixi Lu,厦门市后埭溪路
Tel:0592-5151458 From: 20:00 - 03:00
Getting there: Take bus No. 17 to Yinlong Square
Tianlai Bar is reputed to be the oldest bar in Xiamen, and has been open for well over a decade. Listenable live music on weekends and some weekdays.

 The House Restaurant :老别墅西餐厅
Address:10-1 Baihe Lu, Siming District, Xiamen(opposite Zhongshan Park)
The restaurant is turned into a bar from 18:00p.m. to 2:00 a.m. It serves nice seafood Pizza and cheesecake, Italian noodles.

Olivia European Restaurant and Bar(奥里瓦欧餐会所)
Address:Fuman Jiayuan, 42 Bailuzhou Lu, Xiamen(厦门市白鹭洲路42号福满家园)
Tel:0592-3227523 email:oliva.foodgroup@gmail.com
Getting there: Take bus No.26, 86, 87, 201, 518, 616 to Puli Building
Olivia European Restaurant and Bar is one of Xiamen's classiest eateries serving the finest French cuisine in a setting reminiscent of France's idyllic chateaux.

MASSAGE:
Chinese Traditional Massage(中医推拿按摩)
Address:3 Huachang Lu, Huli District,near Xianyue Park. 厦门市湖里区华昌路3号
Tel:0592-8275363 Getting there: Take bus No.9, 11, 16, 34, 40, 504, 508 to Bailiyuan

Chinese Therapeutic Massage(华医馆中医康复门诊部)
Address:59 Hubin Nanlu, Near Hubin Bus Station, Xiamen 厦门市湖滨南路59号 Contact:0592-2210888 Getting there: Take bus No.10, 15, 23, 43, 45, 99, 501 to Binnandou Xilukou

Blind Body Massage(中医盲人保健推拿中心)
Address:2 Xiangjiang Garden, Xiamen(厦门市嘉禾路香江花园2号楼)
Contact:0592-5133477
Getting there: Take bus No.3, 23, 40, 45, 73, 85, 505 to Lianhua Nanlu The profession of massage has traditionally gone to China's blind. The customers believe that the blind are better able to feel tension, as loss of sight has heightened their other senses, and the self-conscious needn't fear judgmental eyes.
At RMB30/hour, you can afford to spend days getting kneaded for the same price of an hour at one of the pricier hotel spas.

RECREATION

 Huayi Bowling Entertainment Center(华益保龄球娱乐有限公司)
 Address:Near Sports Center,Hubin Beilu, Xiamen(厦门市湖滨北路体育中心旁)
Tel:0592-5121999  Hours: 09:00 - 22:00
Take bus No.31, 36, 51, 530, 805 to Sports Center

Luhui Bowling( 辉保龄球公司)
Address:Haitian Lu, Huli District, Xiamen
Hours: 09:00 - 22:00
Getting there: Take bus No.9, 11, 16, 34, 40, 504, 508 to Xianlu

The People's Pool (人民游泳池)
Address:97 Wenyuan Lu, (Opposite to Xiamen Hotel),
Hours: 06:00 - 07:45 and 16:00 - 21:00 Price: 15Yuan per person.

Ancient Sun Moon Valley Hot Springs (Riyuegu Wenquan Dujiacun 日月谷温泉渡假村)
One of Asia's top ten hot springs resorts,is in Xinglin District (杏林区), just 20 minutes outside of Xiamen!
They have 72 open-air pools and thirty-five specialty hot springs (milk bath, beer bath, rose bath? You name it, they'll soak you in it!).
Address: Haicang District, Dongfuzhen Tang'an 海沧区东孚镇汤岸
Tel: 631 222 2/631 234 5 Bus: 804

Changtai White Water Rafting Club( 福建长泰马洋漂流有限公司)
China's national kayak training center, is 45 km west of Xiamen and 20km north of Zhangzhou City. Called "Xiamen's backyard", it has beautiful scenery - mountains, waterfalls, valleys, trails.
Rafting costs 168 for the 8 km. 3 hour trip.
They also have parasailing, horseback riding, hiking, a firing range (rifles, pistols), archery, etc.
Add: #1 Changtai Yili 福建长泰十里1号 Tel: 0596-8321001 Fax: 0596-8325001
Xiamen Office: #123 Yuehua Rd. Yuehua Bldg. G2 悦华路123号悦华公寓G2
Tel: 565 517 8 Fax: 565 560 8

Yatelanda Water Recreation Chinese Name:亚特兰大活水馆
Address:89 Hubin Zhonglu, Xiamen(厦门市思明区湖滨中路89号)
Tel:0592-2223930 ext. 816 Hours: 06:00 - 23:00
Price: 45RMB per person (weekday) 50RMB per person(holiday)
Getting there: Take bus No.1, 3, 4, 16, 19a, 19b, 21, 507 to Wenzao
Massive indoor water playground with several interconnecting pools and aquatic play-areas for the kids.


 DINING OUT

Thai Cuisine Restaurant
Add: No.9, Zeng Cuo An (Beside the Zeng Cuo An bus stop) Tel: 0592-2090338

Golden Elephant Bay Thai Restaurant
Add: 1F, Manila Building, Huaqiao Haijing Cheng Phase 1, Hexiangxi Er Lu Tel: 0592-2387999
Add: A4-A5, Wuyuan Bay Commercial Street
Tel: 0592- 2067777

Pattaya Thai Restaurant
Add: No.73 Lianyue Road
Tel: 0592-5112993

Lai Thai :金泰苑泰国餐厅
Address:85-87 Hexiang Xi'erlu, Xiamen (off Lujiang Road) 厦门市思明区禾祥西二路华侨海景城85 - 87号 Tel:0592-5596666
Take bus No.10, 11, 45, 48, 54, 102, 504 to Sibei Lukou

Lao Shanghai Restaurant (老上海中餐厅)
Address:2F, Hongdu Hotel, 201 Bailuzhou Lu, Xiamen
Hours: 08:00 - 21:00
Take bus No.35, 48, 97, 509, 528, 808 to Taihu Xincheng

Fengyuan Grandmother's House(凤缘外婆家: Fengyuan Waipo Jia)
Address: 33 Lujiang Avenue, Siming District (思明区鹭江道33号)
Tel: 0592-2032688
The restaurant mainly serves pure Thailand-style dishes, such as curry crab (咖喱蟹), roast chicken with lemon leaves (柠檬叶烤鸡), queen tofu (皇后豆腐), dongyin gong soup (冬阴功汤, vinegar-pepper shrimp soup, the “national soup” of Thailand) and tofu cooked with crab meat (蟹粉豆腐).

The decoration and the services there are quite good. Outside seats are quite near the ocean, and guests can enjoy the whole view of Gulangyu Island.

Little Sheep Hot Pot (小肥羊: Xiao Fei Yang)
Address: Floor 1-2, 80-82 Hexiang West Road, Siming District (思明区禾祥西路80-82号1-2楼)
Tel: 0592-2226498
It is a nice place to eat hot pot in winter for its delicious food and affordable price.
Recommended dishes for hot pot are beef, mutton, frozen tofu, potato, taro root and sweet potato. Roast mutton cubes on skewers (烤羊肉串) and roast mutton chops (烤羊排) are worthy to relish.

Little Glass Food Stall(小眼镜大排档: Xiao Yanjing Da Paidang)
Address: 7 Hubin Middle Road, Siming District (思明区湖滨中路7号)
Tel: 0592-2054568, 8988835
Opening hours: 11am-2pm and 4:30pm–10pm (from Monday to Friday); 10:30am-2:30pm and 4:30pm11:30pm (during weekends)
 A very popular restaurant in Xiamen for the delicious food and the affordable price.
Sleeve-fish cooked with soy sauce (酱油水鱿鱼) is the most famous dish.
Solen (竹蛭), clam (花蛤), sea cucumber (海瓜子), steamed crab (清蒸蟹), fried rice-flour noodles (炒米粉), shrimps (沙虾) and steamed sleeve-fish (清蒸鱿鱼) are highly recommended by customers having been there.

Shuyou Seafood Grand Restaurant(舒友海鲜大酒楼: Shuyou Haixian Da Jiulou)
Address: 97 Hubin North Road, Siming District (思明区湖滨北路97)
Tel: 0592-5338899, 5033888
Dishes made with lobsters, scallops or abalones are really delicious and fresh. The most popular snack should be sandworm jerry (土笋冻, a kind of jerry made with sandworms in sand beach).
Octopus and goose liver are also worthy to have a try.

 Lujiang Hotel Ocean View Restaurant(鹭江宾馆观海厅: Lujiang Binguan Guanhai Ting)
 Address: Floor 7, Lujiang Hotel, 54 Lujiang Avenue, Siming District (思明区鹭江道54号鹭江宾馆7楼)
Tel: 0592-2022 922, 2662668
Ocean view restaurant.Serves mainly Hong Kong style tea and pastries and some Xiamen style snacks. Shrimp dumplings (虾饺), sea sedge cake (海苔饼), Xuemeiniang wrapped with durian (榴莲雪梅娘, Xuemeiniang is a kind of desert which is made with sticky rice and wrapped with cream or something else inside), shrimp cake (虾饼), fried oyster (海蛎煎), chicken claws (凤爪) and Mianxian paste (面线糊, a kind of Xiamen-style snack and the main ingredient is sweet potato powder and vermicelli) are the most popular kinds of food.

Marlon Islam Restaurant(马尔龙新疆伊斯兰饭庄 :Ma’erlong Xinjiang Yisilan Fanzhuang)
Address: Youjianli Mansion, 180 Changqing Road, Siming District (思明区长青路180号优佳丽大厦)
Tel: 0592-5046 879, 8669 192
Serves typical halal food. lamb shashlik (羊肉串), braised chicken with potatoes and green peppers (大盘鸡), roast whole lamb (烤全羊)
Average price per person: 57 yuan
Bus routes: 3, 6, 10, 27, 42, 44, 46, 507, 511, 513, 518, 524, 526, 532, 534, 617 or 808

A Da Xi Restaurant(新疆阿达西饭庄: Xinjiang A’daxi Fanzhuang)
Address: 21 to 22 Fuxing Mansion, 1126 Xiahe Road, Siming District (思明区厦禾路1126号富兴大厦21-22) Tel: 0592-3858 558
Run by a Uygur person,
Bus routes: 3，6，19a, 19b, 37, 42, 44, 46, 507, 508, 511, 515, 519, 522, 524, 526, 529, 804, 806, or 808

Xinjiang Avanti Restaurant(新疆阿凡提饭馆: Xinjiang A’fanti Fanguan)
Address: 13 Yuanchang Square, East 170 Hexiang Road, Siming District (思明区禾祥东路170号源昌广场13) Tel: 0592-5819 220
 Bus routes: 511，522，513，515，519，or 524

LASAGNA Italian Restaurant(拉桑雅意大利餐厅)
Address:2F, Chunguang Hotel, Xiamen Lundu, Xiamen 厦门市思明区海后路36号春光酒店2楼 Tel:0592-2101327, 2101337
Take bus No.3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 19a, 19b, 27 to Lundu

Bologna Italian Western Restaurant(波若尼亚意大利西餐厅)
Address:10-115 Tongheng Building, Luling Lu (Besides the Alishang Building)near Songbai Park(厦门市吕岭路同享大厦10 - 115号)
Contact:0592-5593777
Getting there: Take bus No.6, 10, 36, 42, 46, 88, 108 to Lvcuo

Changbai Mountain Korean Restaurant(长白山韩国料理)
Address:69 - 7,C University City,Yanwu Lu,Xiamen(厦门市思明区演武路大学城C栋69号之7) Contact:0592-8560219
Take bus No.1, 15, 18, 21, 29, 35, 45, 47 to Xiamen University

Indiano Johns--Indian Cuisine off Xianyue Lu Chinese Name:印度风
Address:69 Jiangtou Beilu, Xiamen off Xianyue Lu 厦门市湖里区江头北路69号
Contact:0592-5557699
Take bus No.6, 7, 10, 34, 39, 42, 81, 89 to Tiandi Garden

Taotai Lang Japanese Food Square(桃太郎日本美食广场)
 Address:109 Houlixi Lu,Siming District, Xiamen off Xianhe Lu 厦门市思明区后埭溪路109号
Tel:0592 5165919
Take bus No.1, 3, 4, 16, 19a, 19b, 21, 507 to Wenzao

Momotaro Japanese Restaurant(松鹤日本料理)
Address:1F, Fanrong Plaza, 267-24 Hexiang Xilu off Bailuzhou Lu, Siming District, (厦门市思明区禾祥西路267之24繁荣广场1层)
Take bus No.8, 26, 86, 87, 201, 518, 526 to Yuancuo
Offers complimentary sake.

Sakura Restaurant
1/F Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen,
12 - 8 Zhenhai Lu, Xiamen
Tel:0592-2023333 ext. 6616,6862

Miyabi Japanese Restaurant(雅日本料理)
Address:3F, Jinyan Hotel, 99 Hubin Nanlu, Siming District, Xiamen
Tel:0592-223 8101

Located along busy Xianhe Lu is also the Xiamen Railway Station beside Walmart Supercentre.
 It is the also dead-end of the terminal line as it was an extension of the Yingtan–Xiamen Railway or Yingxia Railway.

Yingtan in Jiangxi Province being the Eastern Route of the existing Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway, to Zixi and then entering northern Fujian and passing through Nanping and Sanming in central Fujian before reaching Zhangzhou and Xiamen in southern Fujian.
Kecun Long Distance Bus Station across the road from Xiamen Railway Station.

If you plan to head for Fuzhou,the capital city of Fujian buses available here.

Otherwise try the following bullet trains available at Xiamen Railway Station:
Fuzhou-Xiamen：Several bullet trains run between Fuzhou and Xiamen every day, with a train ride less than two hours.

Shanghai South Railway Station-Xiamen: Travelers can take trains D3202, D3203, or D3204. The train ride takes 8 hours.

 Hangzhou-Xiamen: Travelers can take train D3212, which takes 6 and a half hours
Passengers in Xiamen Railway Station can take bus 37 to the airport, and that for passengers in Ferry Terminal is bus 27.


PARKS
 Jinbang Park is less than a kilometre from Xiamen Railway Station and the main entrance is beside the Lianhua Hospital Jinbang Branch.
Entrance is free and this is a beautiful greenlungs of Xiamen covering an area of 910,000 square meters, which is the largest comprehensive cultural park in Xiamen.

The park includes many historical sites, beautiful natural scenery, green trees and oddly shaped rocks, in addition to lots of cultural sites from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty.

 If you were to descend on the other side of this small hill after exiting will be the railway track dead end and turning back into Houdaixi Lu(Road) onto Xianhe Lu again.

 Houdai Xilu is where you can find bars like Sky Word (Tel:+86(0)592-5851458) and Vincent van Gogh Tel:(0)592-388 8808(Ladies night every Wednesday)

Nearby accomodation:
Xiamen Rushi Hotel
No.35 Wen Ping Road., Si Ming District

Teaching:

Xiamen Foreign Service Center (厦门对外服务中心)
Address:15A, Bldg A, Atlantic Center, 9 Hubin Xilu, Xiamen(厦门市湖滨西路9号大西洋中心A座15A) Contact:0592 2386720 (Tel)
Take bus No.10, 11, 45, 48, 54, 102, 504 to Sibei Lukou  

READING
 Xiamen Library(厦门图书馆)
Address:95 Tiyu Lu, Xiamen(厦门市体育路95号)
Contact:0592-2665267 Hours: 08:30 - 20:00(Mon. to Thu.)08:00 - 12:00(Fri.)08:00 - 20:00(Sat. to Sun./Holiday)
Take bus No.13 to Xianyue Garden

Xiamen Children's Library(厦门少儿图书馆)
Address:No:2 Gongyuan DongLu (厦门市公园南路2号)
Tel:0592 5825012 Hours: 12:00 - 18:30(Mon. to Fri. except Thu.) 15:00 - 18:00(Thu.)08:00 - 18:30(Sat;Sun./Holiday)
Take bus No.3, 4, 8, 12, 18, 19a, 19b to Zhongshan Park

PLACES OF WORSHIP

Xiamen Mosque (厦门清真寺)
Address:27 Gongyuan Nanlu, Xiamen
Tel:0592-2034471, 2028617, 2028615
Getting there: Take bus No.3, 4, 8, 12, 18, 19a, 19b, 19 to Xinhua Lukou

Xinjie (New Street Chapel:新街礼拜堂) — 1st Church of China
Address:29 Taiguang Jie,Xiamen(厦门市台光街29号) Tel:0592-2072383
Take bus No.1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19a to Zhongshan Lu

Built in 1848 only 6 years after David Abeel (Xiamen's first missionary) arrived (and left), New Street Chapel is the first Protestant Church ever built on the Chinese mainland.
Its present-day architecture is remarkably similar to that of the original, and boasts a lovely white colonnade that's vaguely reminiscent of the American colonial style

Zhushu Church (Bamboo Church /Zhushutang)(基督教厦门竹树堂)
Address:129 Kaihe Lu off Xianhe Lu, Xiamen
Tel:0592 2987381 2987382
Take bus No.11, 504, 506, 507, 509, 528 to Kaihe Lukou

POSTAL SERVICE:

Xiamen Post Office(厦门邮政局)
458 Xianyue Lu,Xiamen
Take bus No.24, 40, 51, 54, 201, 506, 515 to Xianyue Garden
They are open from 9:00-17:00 seven days a week. (Some only from Monday to Friday)  

ARTS

Xiamen Wushipu Oil Painting Village(厦门乌石埔油画村)
Address:Xingshan Lu, Huli District, Xiamen
Tel:0592-5229359 Hours: 08:30 - 11:30 and 14:00 - 18:00
Take bus No.10, 34, 39, 41, 82, 510 to Wushipu Oil Painting Village
Over 5000 artists are based in the Xiamen Wushipu Oil Painting Village, utilizing diverse techniques to produce a wide range of paintings, which can be bought "off the shelf" or specially ordered. Accompanying products can also be found here, such as frames, brushes and oils.