Xiamen + Fujian Tulou + Gulangyu + Quanzhou + Wuyi Mountain · 7 days

Here are some recommended attractions and activities for your reference:

Recommended 1: The Tidal Eye Ferris Wheel is an optional waterfront attraction. Check whether it is operating and its current ticket and boarding rules; the original precise rotation time is not a planning guarantee.

Recommended 2: Xiamen Zhongshan Road + Xiamen’s Eighth Seafood Market – When you visit a city, it’s essential to taste the local specialties and stroll through the streets filled with the atmosphere of life.

Recommended 3: Lujiang Night Cruise – Admire the dazzling night view of Xiamen. The reference route includes: Peace Dock → Gulangyu Night View → Zheng Chenggong Statue Night View → The Yanwu Bridge that looks like a silver dragon emerging from the sea → The night view project along the Lujiang coast → International Cruise Center → The unique Fire-burning Island → The Haicang Bridge that dances like a green dragon in the Milky Way → The brilliantly lit Dongdu Container Terminal → Xiamen 10,000-ton shipyard → Return to Peace Dock. This is the original illustrative sailing route, not a current departure schedule. Confirm the actual pier, vessel, route and weather before buying a cruise.

Quanzhou is a prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, People’s Republic of China. It is Fujian’s largest most populous metropolitan region, with an area of 11,245 square kilometers (4,342 sq mi) and a population of 8,782,285 as of the 2020 census. Its built-up area is home to 6,669,711 inhabitants, encompassing the Licheng, Fengze, and Luojiang urban districts; Jinjiang, Nan’an, and Shishi cities; Hui’an County; and the Quanzhou District for Taiwanese Investment. Quanzhou was China’s 12th-largest extended metropolitan area in 2010. Planning note: Quanzhou’s museum, temples, West Street and Xunpu village are not one compact walk. Prioritise the old centre plus one additional area; confirm museum/temple access before the trip.

Quanzhou was China’s major port for foreign traders, who knew it as Zaiton, during the 11th through 14th centuries. It was visited by both Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta; both travelers praised it as one of the most prosperous and glorious cities in the world. a cosmopolitan center with Buddhist and Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, and Christian churches, including a Catholic cathedral and Franciscan friaries.

Because of its importance for medieval maritime commerce, unique mix of religious buildings, and extensive archeological remains, “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China [zh]” was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.

The Fujian tulou (simplified Chinese: 福建土楼; traditional Chinese: 福建土樓; pinyin: Fújiàn tǔlóu; lit. ‘Fujian earthen buildings’) are Chinese rural dwellings[1] often associated with Hakka communities in the mountainous areas in southeastern Fujian, China. They were mostly built between the 12th and the 20th centuries. Planning note: Yongding and Nanjing tulou clusters have different entrances and tickets. This day focuses on Yunshuiyao/Hegui Lou/Huaiyuan Lou; do not assume one pass covers every cluster, or that upper floors are open to climb.^[16]

A tulou is usually a large, enclosed and fortified earth building, most commonly rectangular or circular in configuration, with very thick load-bearing rammed earth walls between three and five stories high and housing up to 800 people. Smaller interior buildings are often enclosed by these huge peripheral walls which can contain halls, storehouses, wells and living areas, the whole structure resembling a small fortified city.

Many tulou clusters lie around Yongding, Nanjing and nearby parts of Fujian, with related buildings also found in Guangdong. The Yongding clusters include Gaobei, Hongkeng and Chuxi; Nanjing-area interests include Tianluokeng, Hekeng, Hegui Lou and Huaiyuan Lou. They are not all administered as one admission site: choose a cluster, confirm its entrance and respect residents’ private areas.

A total of 46 Fujian tulou sites were inscribed in 2008 by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, as “exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization [in a] harmonious relationship with their environment”. The inscribed sites include Chuxi Tulou cluster, Tianluokeng Tulou cluster, Hekeng Tulou cluster, Gaobei Tulou cluster, Dadi Tulou cluster, Hongkeng Tulou cluster, Yangxian Lou, Huiyuan Lou, Zhengfu Lou, and Hegui Lou.

The Wuyi Mountains or Wuyishan (Chinese: 武夷山; pinyin: Wǔyí Shān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bú-î-soaⁿ; formerly known as Bohea Hills in early Western documents) are a mountain range located in the prefecture of Nanping, in northern Fujian province near the border with Jiangxi province, China. The highest peak in the area is Mount Huanggang at 2,158 metres (7,080 ft) on the border of Fujian and Jiangxi, making it the highest point of both provinces; the lowest altitudes are around 200 metres (660 ft). Many oolong and black teas are produced in the Wuyi Mountains, including Da Hong Pao (‘big red robe’) and lapsang souchong, and are sold as Wuyi tea. The mountain range is known worldwide for its status as a refugium for several rare and endemic plant species, its dramatic river valleys, and the abundance of important temples and archeological sites in the region, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Planning note: The journey from the southern Fujian tulou/Xiamen area to Wuyishan consumes substantial time. Make this a transfer day if necessary and move the Tianyou walk rather than rushing to a closing trail.

The Wuyi Mountains are located between Wuyishan City of the Nanping prefecture in northwest Fujian province, and the town of Wuyishan within Shangrao city in northeast Jiangxi province.

Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe, 大紅袍) is a Wuyi rock tea grown in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province, China. Da Hong Pao has a unique orchid fragrance and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. Dry Da Hong Pao has a shape like tightly knotted ropes or slightly twisted strips, and is green and brown in color. After brewing, the tea is orange-yellow, bright, and clear. Da Hong Pao can retain its flavor for nine steepings. The tea is often known to be extremely expensive. Planning note: Jiuqu rafting has separate tickets and weather/river constraints. Leave time for the return toward Xiamen or add another night; do not assume a full mountain day followed by a late transfer is comfortable.

Gulangyu, also known as Kulangsu, is a pedestrian island off Xiamen, Fujian, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its lanes, seafront and international architectural heritage reward exploration on foot. Visitor ferries use specified terminals and sailings; do not rely on the old generic eight-minute crossing time. Check the official booking instructions and carry the identity document used for the ticket. Planning note: Book the correct tourist ferry terminal and sailing for your document. Allow walking time on the island; beach access does not imply lifeguarded swimming.^[12]

Gulangyu Island is renowned for its beaches, winding lanes and rich architecture. The island is on China’s list of National Scenic Spots and is classified as a 5A tourist attraction by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). It ranks at the top of the list of the ten most scenic areas in the province.

Xiamen University (XMU; 厦门大学) is a public university in Siming, Xiamen, Fujian, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction. Planning note: Choose one or two Xiamen city stops before departure. University campus entry, observation floors and fortress admission require their own current checks; an exterior view is the fallback if access is unavailable.

Founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee, a Chinese patriotic expatriate businessman in Singapore, the university has been perennially regarded as one of the top academic institutions in Southern China, with strengths in mathematics, chemistry, oceanography, economics, management, law, communication and political science.

Xiamen University is proactive in international exchanges and collaboration. It has international academic partnerships and exchanges. In July 2014, the groundwork for the Xiamen University Malaysia campus was initiated, marking it as the first Chinese university to pioneer an independent campus overseas.