Xiamen is a city of sub-provincial status in Fujian Province (China),
the largest port in the province on the Taiwan Strait coast. It is located on
islands and the adjacent mainland coast between Quanzhou (to the north) and Zhangzhou
(to the south). In the sea, about ten kilometers from the city, there is a group
of Jinmen islands, which belong to Taiwan and remain a subject of dispute.
This ancient city was first mentioned in 282. During the Yuan dynasty,
the beautiful harbor of Xiamen served as a refuge for local pirates. In the era of the
Ming dynasty, in 1387, General Zhou built fortifications here
to protect against local and Japanese pirates. Up until the 15th century,
active trade was carried out from here with India, Arabia and Western Asia; the port was
one of the greatest trading centers in the world. The policy of reforms and openness led to
Xiamen becoming a free economic zone. Today, it is considered one of the most
well-equipped and well-maintained cities in China.
Xiamen is one of the most pleasant places along the entire coast of China. The city
is interesting for both its ancient and modern architecture. The charm of
colonial times still lends the city a special allure, despite its
“ultra-modernity”
of the skyscrapers that every future-oriented port
megacity should have.
ClimateXiamen lies in the monsoon humid subtropical climate zone,
so rain is very frequent here, and when it isn’t raining, the sky is
hazy. The most “dry” time is winter. Summer is hot and humid, with temperatures sometimes
rising to +40, and typhoons occur in late summer. Winter is warm, short, with an
average temperature of +15-18*, the coldest month is February. Spring is rainy,
and autumn is dry and sunny.
