Xiamen is the arrival city for our Fujian tea and Tulou Cycle weekender http://bikeaways.com/destinatio…/fujian-tea-tulou-eco-cycle/
If you’re coming from Hong – the 5.40 pm flight syncs perfectly with our transfer out to the Tulou. But if you’re travelling from anywhere else in China, you might want to make a day of it in Xiamen. It’s a fun city with a lot of heritage from the “Concession” or colonial era. It reminds me of what hong Kong looks like in pictures in the 1970s with its old sand stone mansions and go downs.
Gulang Yu is the jewell in the crown – a tiny island packed with colonial mansions from the days of the China tea trade. These days you need stamina getting over there. the once simple ferry is reportedly been complexified to reduce the numbers going over. Still worth it in my opinion.
If you arrive early but don’t have time or energy for Gulang Yu – taxi to the Lujiang Hotel instead. Its one of Xiamen’s older international hotels – on the harbour front and they do an awesome dim sum spread – Minnan style with fantastic views on to Gulang Yu.