Xiamen

Xiamen city is located on the southeastern coast of China, facing the straits of Taiwan and just an hour's flight north from Hong Kong. The city shares many similarities with Wellington ¡ª both are surrounded and protected by green hills, are picturesque port cites, they are university towns and both pride themselves on offering a friendly and safe environment for all to enjoy.

The 1.3 million residents of Xiamen enjoy a quiet and elegant living environment with fresh air, clean surroundings and unclogged roads unlike the noisy and congested life found in most Asian cities. Because of its natural beauty Xiamen has earned the international title of 'Garden by the Sea' and has also been awarded the national titles of 'Cleanest City in China' and 'China's Model City for Environmental Protection'. According to ancient legend the city was home to flocks of egrets and, at first glance, the geographical features of the region do in fact resemble the features of an egret with wings spread, ready to fly.

The city comprises seven districts: Kaiyuan, Siming, Gulangyu, Jimei, Xinlin, Huli and Tong'an all of which bring their own special colour and vigour to the city environment. The climate is mild and pleasant, modern buildings blend with the natural beauty in perfect harmony and the sea, beaches, spectacular granite formations, lakes, hills and forests are all within easy reach from the downtown area.

These natural attractions and beauty have made Xiamen one of the world's most popular cruise ship ports of call. A modern international airport and the latest in communication technology serve the city, making national and international communications fast and efficient.

The surrounding sea is dotted with an assortment of islets the most famous of these is Gulang Yu. It possesses one asset almost unheard of elsewhere in China: QUIET! Vehicles and bicycles are forbidden on the tiny island.

The city abounds with parks and gardens and supports a wide variety of entertainment activities such as music halls, museums, an exhibition centre, sports centre, golf courses and bowling courts together with numerous festivals, and cultural events. For the sports minded there are country clubs offering golf and tennis as well as deep sea fishing and hiking and, as it is for Wellington, Xiamen's Sports Centre is an important part of the city's infrastructure playing host to many large-scale sporting and cultural activities.

For foodies almost every kind of Chinese cuisine is available, the local seafood is delicious ¡ª eating out is a culinary delight. When the lights come on downtown the city offers a fascinating and abundant nightlife with something for everyone. There are nightclubs, bars, the opera, stunning restaurants and shows or for the more sedate a leisurely stroll along the many waterfront walkways is always a popular choice.

Attractions in Xiamen

Climate subtropical monsoon climate; the black frost period last 364 days; the average wind power is 3 to 5 level, mainly the northeast wind

Average Temperature: annual average 20.8C, with the absolute highest temperature of 38.4C, lowest of 2C
Rainfall: the annual precipitation is 1100mm; concentrated on May, June and July

Mountains: Gulangyu Island- Wanshi Mountain

Rivers: Yongding River, a branch of the Haihe River