Xiamen ferry terminal.

Tong'an Road straight from Zhongshan Park in Gonyuan Dong Lu was the early settlement of Xiamen Island.

Old colonial building features can be seen around Tong'an Road which is quite near to the ferry wharf terminal.

The city was a treaty port in the 19th century and one of the four original Special Economic Zones (the other three are Shenzen,Zhuhai,Shantou in Guangdong province)opened to foreign investment and trade when China began economic reforms in the early 1980s.

 In fact long before China's open door policy,the mainland Chinese were already drawn to the rich entrepots of Malacca,Singapore, Manila, and Batavia(Jakarta).

As trade developed between Europe and Asia in the following centuries,they were also attracted in considerable numbers to work in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

In 1842, Great Britain and China signed the Treaty of Nanking, which ceded the island of Hong Kong to Britain and opened five treaty ports to British trade and residence, including Xiamen (Amoy) and Fuzhou (Foochow) in Fujian Province.




British colonial architectural influence adds glamour to Xiamen.

The first British ship called at Xiamen (Amoy) in 1685.

Other nations, such as Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden, were quick to follow.

The first American traders arrived in 1784 after their war of independence.

 The British, however, dominated this renewed trade with China from the start, and around 1800 British trading vessels to China amounted to twice as many as all other nations combined.




Millennium Harbourview Hotel,five star luxury international hotel along Zhenhai Lu.

The change to the new millennium and China joining the World Trade Organisation has undoubtedly given Xiamen the new impetus.

 It is very popular as an international as well as domestic tourist destination.

Having been given the status as “Free Trade Zone”,years of frantic construction has given Xiamen a brand new look with improved streets, world class buildings, advanced telecommunication and state of the art landscaping.






Bangkok Bank China's head office is in Shanghai while the Xiamen Branch is at Xiamen Top Plaza, No.2 Zhenhai Road,beside the Tegoo Hotel in the East tower block.

 Many multi-national companies have established their presence in nearby office tower blocks as Xiamen is playing an important role in driving the economic growth of Southeastern China.

 



Statue beside Xiamen Swiss International Hotel on Lujiang Dao(Avenue),a stretch of coastal road where the three ferry pier is also located.

Along Lujiang Dao were many high rise magnificient modern skyscrapers facing the Xiamen Channel.

During the night,the whole area is like a fairyland with colourful neon lights providing the ambience.

The city is lively and bustling, and the downtown area is a great place to walk around, especially in the evening.

It seems to have more nightlife than the rest of China put together. People stroll around the streets, eat at stalls by the side of the road, go to the cinema or to one of the many restaurants and wine shops. Xiamen's second tallest building(43 floors) the Fortune Center is also in the vicinity.

To have a good panoramic view of the harbour and the distant Gulangyu Island,visit the rooftop restaurant of Lujiang Hotel.







Statues depicting fun and happiness at the People's Park near the ferry jetties.










Most of the senior citizens of Xiamen tend to spend their fruitful time here engaged in all kinds of recreational activities.



If Laos,Thailand and Cambodia have their Morlum singing group,the Teochew(Chaozhou) people also have the same match.

 One typical traditional instrument called 'Erhu '(二胡) which is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument quite similar to Western violin being used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras.






  Chinese traditional skill game and strategic challenge the 'Pai Gow' poker game.

 A very popular game during the early 60's also in the British colony of Malacca and Singapore where there were so many of these gambling dens to cater for the coolies working at the riverside quay.

 Pai Gow – the tile game – arrived in the America’s in the 19th century when Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. in search of work on the railroads. Pai Gow was a big hit among Americans who appreciated its subtle techniques and strategies.

However, many poker players found Pai Gow tiles cumbersome and difficult to keep on hand. The game gradually morphed into a form of poker, wherein traditional playing cards and standardized hand ranking replaced the heavy Pai Gow tiles.







 Gulangyu Island a short distance across Xiamen Channel from the jetty pier(pinyin:matou) and the statue standing on the cliff is General Zheng Chenggong.

The island became a foreign enclave following the Treaty of Nanking in 1842.

As a place of residence for Westerners during Xiamen's colonial past, Gulangyu is famous for its architecture and for hosting China's only piano museum, giving it the nickname of "Piano Island" or "The Town of Pianos" (鋼琴之鄉) or "The Island of Music" (音樂之島).

There are over 200 pianos on this island. The Chinese name also has musical roots, as 'gu lang' means drum waves because of the sound generated by the ocean waves hitting the reefs. Yu means "islet".

Gulangyu is a tourists island and the crowds at the ferry pier is very large even till the night.

The ferries were operated by Xiamen Ferry Company and tickets (plastic token) can be bought on the spot at the far end compound of Heping Matou (pier)

The fares per person to and fro is 8 Yuan.

There were two piers on the Gulangyu Island side,the main Lundu pier and Sanqiutian pier which is slightly further north.

The night ferry to Sanqiutian is 10 Yuan to and fro.

Travel time is 15 minutes operating from 06:00 -21:00 hrs which is the tourists hours and subsequently 21:10,21:20,21;40,22:00,22:20,22:40,23:00,23:20,23:40 and last 0:30.

After 22:00 onwards happy hours free.Coming back mainland last trip:24:00 hrs.

Ferry round Gulangyu Island tour:15 Yuan.

Cruising the waters between Xiamen and Kinmen Island fares per person is 126Yuan.

Kinmen or Jinmen or Quemoy is a small archipelago of several islands administered by Republic of China (Taiwan):-Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets.

Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC.

The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) as part of its own Fujian Province's Quanzhou Prefecture.

It is geographically very near Xiamen, no more than 2 kilometers. Kinmen tours have always been very popular among mainland tourists who travel to Xiamen.

There are hourly ferry from Xiamen to Kinmen between 8:30 to 17:30, the one way ferry ticket is RMB 180 {150 (ferry) + 30 (admin fee)}.Travel time about an hour between Taiwan Jinshui port to Xiamen Heping port.

Hong Kong-registered Cosco Star Chinese passenger cargo ship sail from Xiamen port to Kaohsiung,Taichung and Keelung harbour.Sleeping berth starts from USD126.









Travellers from other parts of the city wishing to go to the harbour pier can head for BRT 第一码头站 (Di yi matou BRT Station).

 Once you come out from here turn right and walk for about 10 minutes to reach the Heping Matou where the ferries to Gulangyu Island is located.

 Along the way to Heping Matou,you'll first see a ticketing office which is specially for those going to Zhangzhou.
Not very crowded but mainly the locals.

Zhangzhou (漳州) is a prefecture level city bordering the cities of Xiamen (廈門) and Quanzhou (泉州) to the northeast, Longyan City to the northwest and the province of Guangdong to the southwest.

Ferry timetable:06:35 - 17:30 and 17:45 -21:30,every 15 minutes. Fares:14 Yuan.

 


Feeling excited to head for  Zhangzhou, got hold of a ticket and joined the other passengers to this ferry boat which can accomodate about 40 people.

The journey took about 45 minutes heading straight pass the small island in the vicinity.

On my arrival at the other side of the jetty,there seemed to be no highrise buildings around except for a small bus terminal with many industrial factories cum bonded warehouses.

The people here speak the Teochew dialect and to venture into nearby towns requires couple of hours so decided returning to Xiamen.

For land transport,Xiamen to Zhangzhou Bus leave from Hubin South Bus Station via Haicang Bridge ,Xinglin ,Guankou and Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort.

 These 'tongkang' or cargo boats were popular scene at the Singapore and Malacca River during the early 19h century afterall both cities were early settlements of the Fujian people.

Over here in Xiamen,the tongkangs were still used to carry goods and ferrying some of the Gulangyu residents who wished to avoid the huge crowds at the ferry terminal.

 Travellers need to pay 5 Yuan per trip and sit on a small plastic stool.








Another boat pier ticketing booth to non touristy spot:
-Xiamen via Fu Gong(20Yuan) to Bai Sui (25 Yuan)
Ferry time: 7:30 8:30 9:30 10:30 11:30 13:00 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30
Can't figure out where are these two locations.




 



Mobile train ticket booking booth near the Lundu Matou beside the ferry to Gulangyu Pier.

 Bullet Trains:

1). Fuzhou-Xiamen (about 1.5 hours) - 103 yuan for first-class seat - 85 yuan for second-class seat

 2). Fuzhou-Putian (about 50 minutes) - 39 yuan for first-class seat - 32 yuan for second-class seat

3). Fuzhou-Quanzhou (about 70 minutes) - 64 yuan for first-class seat - 53 yuan for second-class seat Normal trains: K308/K305

Xiamen Beijing West= 22:10- 1day 8hr 55m- 2287km= 428 Yuan (26 stops) K946/K947

Xiamen Guiyang= 20:17 and 05:56- 1day 9hr 39m -2166km= 401 Yuan(25 stops) D3214

Xiamen Hangzhou= 10:00- 8hr 14m- 1194km=294 Yuan (20 stops) K2314/K231

Xiamen Kunming= 15:40 and 07:30 1day 16hr 13m- 2516km=449 Yuan(24 stops) K162

Xiamen Nanning=15:36, 09:43, 15:41- 1day 3hr 54m- 1396km= 324 Yuan (18 stops) D3120

Xiamen / Xiamen North Shanghai Hongqiao= 08:12- 8h 47m- 1123km= 331 Yuan (17 stops) K244/K241

Xiamen Xian= 16:36, 05:50, 1day 13hr 51m- 2240km= 416 Yuan (27 stops)

Ocean liner passing by Xiamen Straits leaving from Haicang Port.
It was cruising towards Dongdu Port(Xiamen International Cruise terminal) which is the longest serving port located in northwest Xiamen.

Royal Caribbean Cruises' "Voyager of the Seas", dubbed as a 'Floating hotel' due to the vast range of facilities that it offers, is one of the largest passenger ships in the world and has made Xiamen its homeport since 2011.





Luxury cruise ferry berthing near the Heping Terminal, an International Tourist Ferry Terminal.

 As a Chinese coastal city, Xiamen has a long history of sea transportation.

Xiamen-Hong Kong Sailing Schedule Route Ship Departure Time:-

 Xiamen Jimei-Hong Kong :17:00hrs every Wednesday

Hong Kong-Xiamen Jimei :14:00hrs every Tuesday

Public buses No. 3, 4, 8, 12, 27, 32, 51, 71, 97 and 533 pass by the ferry terminal.

Ferryboat Schedule of Xiamen-Gulangyu Island Evening Cruise Schedule

21:10, 21:20, 21:40, 22:00, 22:20, 22:40, 23:00, 23:20, 23:50, 00:30 21:10, 21:30, 21:50, 22:10, 22:30, 22:50, 23:10, 23:40, 00:20

Xiamen MAP