ChinaRoam
ChinaRoam
Metro routes that work, tickets you can actually book, food you can order, and the payment hacks no guidebook prints — city by city.
A subtropical seaside city of old colonial streets, temples and cafes, with the car-free island of Gulangyu at its heart.
Gaoqi Airport (XMN) near the city. High-speed rail from Fuzhou (1.5h) and Shenzhen (3h).
Metro Line 1 + buses + DiDi; the island is walkable and bike-friendly.
Book the ferry to Gulangyu with passport on the official app/Trip.com — departures sell out in high season.
The car-free island of early-1900s colonial mansions, piano museums and garden villas — a UNESCO site and Xiamen's crown jewel.
Reserve: Passport booking required
A big Buddhist temple at the foot of Wulao Mountain, right by the university.
Reserve: None
One of China's prettiest campuses — gardens and sea views (book entry ahead with passport in season).
Reserve: Booking recommended
A former fishing village turned hipster snack-and-cafe lane beside the beach.
Reserve: None
The quiet east side of the island at dawn — worth the early ferry back.
Reserve: None
Pick live seafood at the market and have it cooked — Xiamen's dinner ritual.
The rich peanut-chilli noodle soup that is the city's signature.
Plump oysters in a crisp egg cake — a street-food staple.
Sweet local desserts from the old-town stalls.
October–April — mild and dry. Summer is hot, humid and typhoon-prone.
Book the ferry a day ahead with passport; go early, and stay till sunset when the day-trippers leave.
Alipay everywhere; market stalls take cash — carry ¥100–200.
July–Sept storms can close the ferries — check the forecast before a Gulangyu day.
ChinaRoam is a crowdsourced guide to traveling China, built for foreign visitors. We started with the city guides that everyone needs but nobody could find in English: how do I actually pay? How do I book a museum with my passport? Which metro line goes where?
Unlike tourist agencies and travel portals, every entry here is written by travelers who have been on the ground — and every guide is open for anyone to correct and improve. It's a living guidebook, not a static one.
Prices, opening hours, and visa rules change. Treat every entry as a strong hint, not gospel — check official sources for things that matter. And if you spot something wrong, correct it: that's the whole point.
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