About Xiamen

Xiamen is a major city on the southeast (Taiwan Strait) coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province, with the population of approximately 36 million. As one of the forerunners of the special economic zones of China, the city mainly consisting of Xiamen Island, Gulangyu Island, the north bank area of the Jiulong River and Tong'an County, is connected with the mainland by the Gaoji Seawall, Xiamen Bridge, etc.

In high economic and trade relations with 162 countries and regions in the world, Xiamen is recognized as one of the most attractive locations for foreign investors. Xiamen flourishes with a lot of Chinese but also foreign institutions (Citibank (USA), Bank of Orient (USA), Standard Chartered Bank (UK), Credit Lyonnais Bank (France), ING Bank (Netherlands), the Daiichi Kangyo Bank Ltd (Japan) and HSBC), a particularity barely seen in other Chinese cities and where every traveler will find himself home.

Being ranked as China's second most livable city, this is without any surprises that Xiamen has been also accredited as a National Sanitary City, a National Garden City, a National Model City for Environmental Protection and a National Excellent Tourist City.

Traveling to Xiamen

Visas
In most cases, a visa should be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before arriving anywhere in mainland China. Many travel agencies will assist you with the application and some can submit it on your behalf. Plan on applying for a visa a month before your trip; if needed, there are services available to expedite the process and shorten the wait time.

By Air
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN) has domestic and limited international flights. For convenience, travelers may wish to fly internationally to a major Chinese city (such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, etc.) and then take a domestic flight (Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, etc.) onwards to Xiamen. (keeping in mind the need for a visa for mainland China).

Traveling within Xiamen

By Taxi
It is recommended that you only take taxis from official taxi queues or from your hotel. Taxi meters start at ¥10.00 for the first 3 kilometers, then ¥2.00 for each kilometer. Late night costs slightly higher. Taxis are well regulated and managed in Xiamen. But it is rare to find any drivers who speak English, so be sure to have the names and addresses of your destinations written in Chinese to show your taxi driver. The downtown area is not big. CNY20-30 is enough within the downtown area.

References and Recommended Reading
Travel & Tourist Information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiamen

Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiamen_Gaoqi_International_Airport