Xiamen: Zhongshan Road
Coming back from exploring Changting, the city where Cat was born, we stop for the night in Xiamen, before next morning’s flight to Taipei.
I don’t know what I expected, hadn’t really thought much about Xiamen at all. But this harbour city on the Taiwan Strait turned out to be a cool discovery. It is tidy, lush and green, with tree-lined beaches, and consistently voted as one of the most liveable cities in China. It is also home to some of the country’s best universities, and I like that learning vibe in a place. I could stay a while.
We are in the province of Fujian, in south-eastern China, in an island city with a history as a colonial trading port all the way back to the 1500s.
Xiamen’s roomy railway station is our first impression of the city.
What to do with a night in Xiamen? How about a stroll along Zhongshan Road?
I recommend exploring Zhongshan Road, says the concierge at our hotel. This is Xiamen’s commercial and cultural hub: a fab mix of colonial-era and traditional Chinese architecture, where shops and street vendors offer everything from snacks to souvenirs. There are cinemas, coffee shops, restaurants and fun entertainment venues aplenty. Not least, Zhongshan Road has loads of atmosphere, especially at night. This is the logical choice, he says.
Well! We are nothing if not logical, so here is a little photo essay from this lively pedestrian thoroughfare in the heart of downtown Xiamen.
Zhongshan Road is named after Sun Yat-Sen (Sun Zhong Shan in Mandarin Chinese), the man who took on 2,000 years of Chinese monarchy, dethroned the last Qing emperor, founded the Republic of China in 1911, and became its first political leader.
Quirky stuff for sale in Zhongshan Road:
Shall we call it creative spelling?
Xiamen and the Chinese economic miracle – 改革开放
Xiamen is one of the original special economic zones from the early 80s, one of the first steps of then leader Deng Xiaoping’s reform process towards a socialist market economy – or state capitalism, as some call it. As such, Xiamen has been open to foreign investment and trade for 40 years.
Russia… on Zhongshan Road?
To my surprise, Zhongshan Road has Russian supermarkets galore, practically on every corner, selling Russian staples. In the shops – and outside – is classic Russian folk music on loop.
Katyusha is playing. Amusingly appropriate, as Katyusha is a diminutive for the name… you guessed it: Catarina. (Katyusha is also a Soviet multiple rocket launcher from WWII. )
It seems this is the case in several Chinese cities. It is a fairly new phenomenon, and according to the anti-communist Falun Gong-affiliated newspaper China Observer, the ‘Russian’ goods are mostly produced in China, and Russia is none too pleased. China’s super-app for everything, WeChat, agrees.
But the selection is not limited to Russian goods, oh no! Other, more curious wares are on offer as well, like this collection of obscure coffee:
Zhongshan Road has a bit of a touristy vibe. That said, I could count on one hand, the number of Western faces we saw.
That carzy store
Just a couple of blocks away from Zhongshan Road, is Xiamen’s harbour.
Xiamen: what else?
Zhongshan Road has been an interesting discovery. And there are so many other things to do and sights to see in and around Xiamen.
I’d like to take part in a Kung-Fu tea ceremony, which originated here in Xiamen. No wonder, as Fujian tea is China’s finest. Jianggu story telling would be fun, where the storyteller uses facial expressions and body language actively and dramatically. Sounds enjoyable even if you don’t understand Mandarin. Also, I’m curious about the Mid-autumn Moon-cake gambling.
The city of Xiamen consists of Xiamen Island and the UNESCO-listed pedestrian Gulangyu Island. Near Xiamen, is another World Heritage site, as well: the 18th century round, earthen Hakka buildings known as the Fujian Tulou.
Nothing for it; I have to come back.
Moon over Zhongshan Road in Xiamen
You can expect more on Xiamen in a future post.
World at a Glance is a series of short articles here on Sophie’s World, portraying curious, evocative, happy, sad or wondrous, unexpected little encounters. Xiamen was certainly unexpected.
World at a Glance: Zhongshan Road in Xiamen is a post from Sophie’s World