Why Fujian Is the Perfect Off-Season Winter Getaway Destination

As November approaches, cold waves sweep across the land, marking the official end of golden autumn. Though the year's end still seems distant, it begins to create an illusion of imminent arrival. People nationwide, at this subtle juncture, consciously retreat into hibernation, restraint, and quietude.

Yet, for seasoned travelers, such off-peak seasons present rare opportunities to visit certain places against the tide: for instance, the warm, mild, bright, and leisurely coastal cities of southern China, with Xiamen being the most representative destination.

The charm of early winter in Xiamen lies in its perfectly balanced sunshine, the adorable bougainvillea blooming across streets, golden beaches and warm waves, the dazzling array of seafood at open-air food stalls, and the clatter of woks over roaring flames...

More importantly, for such a long-standing "internet-famous city," this is a rare "tourist lull"—the city's rhythm slows into a leisurely pace, with people moving more calmly and speaking more gently. On afternoon beaches, the sound of waves drowns out the last traces of noise, leaving an unforgettable tranquility, vastness, comfort, and convenience.

For those who haven’t visited Xiamen, the first fact to know is: Xiamen is actually an island. This isn’t a metaphor or a claim that it "has" an island—the city itself is an island. The main urban districts of Siming and Huli, along with most of the city’s key features, are located on this island, known as "Xiamen Island" or "Egret Island."

For an island naturally constrained by transportation to develop into a metropolis often mistaken for a provincial capital is no ordinary feat. The fundamental reason, in my view, is that Xiamen Island is nearly perfect—its size, topography, and distance from the mainland are all exceptionally well-balanced and uniquely advantaged.

Xiamen Island spans 158 square kilometers, home to over a million residents. This size ensures that even from the island’s center, one can easily reach the coast within half an hour (without traffic), yet it’s not so small as to feel confined, oppressive, or dull.

Most of the island’s land is flat, interspersed with lakes formed by reclaimed bays. These expansive areas accommodate urban growth, while low-lying hills provide geographic separation, ecological preservation, and romantic vistas of mountains and sea.

Under these natural conditions, Xiamen Island’s settlements are compact yet spacious, varied yet orderly: from the meticulously planned urban core in the southwest to coastal neighborhoods evolved from fishing villages; from the "Most Beautiful University in China" nestled between mountains and sea to the nearby Gulangyu Island; from sprawling malls to parks hugging hills, shores, or lakes; from dense industrial zones to one of China’s most conveniently located airports—this island’s completeness is unmatched among global island cities.

Zooming out, Xiamen Island is a gem cradled by the mainland—its west and north tightly embraced, eliminating any sense of isolation and fostering profound security.

This proximity ensures excellent connectivity. Even before modern bridges, a long seawall linked Xiamen to the mainland (hence the central, vintage-style train station). Today, though the seawall is gone for ecological reasons, countless bridges and tunnels bind the island to the mainland, erasing any drawbacks of its island nature.

Yet, islands inherently carry romance. Here, you can watch the sun rise and set over the sea year-round. Though the views aren’t boundless, Wuyuan Bay’s crimson sunrise and the western coast’s glittering sunset reflections on tidal flats are no less breathtaking.

The island’s true advantage lies in its closeness to the sea. Southern Xiamen boasts long, deep beaches—facing southwest near Xiamen University and southeast near Huangcuo, ensuring beautiful light at dawn and dusk. Huangcuo’s southeast-facing stretch offers the island’s only "endless" sea view, with clear waters and vast sands where distant isles vanish in rolling waves, creating a surreal escape.

Strictly speaking, Xiamen isn’t ancient, but this doesn’t imply a lack of depth. Beyond sightseeing, delving into its cultural fabric is far more intriguing.

Geographically, Xiamen sits between Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, the two traditional powerhouses of southern Fujian. Historically part of Quanzhou, its location at the mouth of the Jiulong River (the narrow "Yuegang") also tied it closely to Zhangzhou.

These deep cultural ties, combined with Xiamen’s modern meteoric rise, have made it a pearl spat out by ancient southern Fujian into the sea, crystallizing the region’s millennia-old essence.

Across southern Fujian, ornate temples with soaring eaves are ubiquitous, and Xiamen is no exception. These temples house local deities, celebrated with grand processions—a hallmark of Minnan (southern Fujian) culture.

In Haicang, Xiamen, the "Wangchuan" (Sending Off the King’s Ship) procession stands out as the most spectacular and awe-inspiring of Minnan’s rituals.

Popular in Haicang’s fishing villages, Wangchuan is typically held every four years. Villagers divine the date using moon blocks, then build an enormous wooden or paper "king’s ship." On the day, the deity is placed aboard with supplies like firewood and rice, and the ship is paraded to the shore and burned. The ritual, featuring steps like raising flags, installing masts, and processions, is so meticulously preserved that it’s listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

While many Minnan villages practice Wangchuan, Haicang’s version is unparalleled for its massive ships, elaborate rites, and vibrant scenes. The sight of a giant king’s ship paraded through modern streets amid skyscrapers—a seamless blend of ancient custom and urbanity—is a fantastical spectacle found nowhere else.

Near Xiamen Railway Station, there's a fascinating place called Chou Di Song Show. This is a unique Minnan-style nightclub where guests sit at tables facing the stage and are called up one by one by the host to perform songs. The audience members are both spectators and performers—those applauding for you might include your friends and family, or complete strangers. Many older patrons and resident singers perform classic Minnan songs on stage. While Minnan people are reserved, Minnan music has carved out its own distinctive style in Chinese pop. These songs can be carefree, melancholic, deeply emotional, or bold and unrestrained. Through Minnan music, you catch a glimpse of the hidden sentiments in contemporary Minnan hearts.

Of course, beyond these shared local cultures of Fujian and Taiwan, Xiamen's most distinctive feature is undoubtedly the UNESCO World Heritage site, Gulangyu Island. In fact, as the earliest carefully developed area in Xiamen, Gulangyu offers far more than Sunlight Rock and trendy coffee shops. Just in terms of architecture, the island boasts both grand red-brick mansions left by wealthy Minnan merchants and various European-style buildings... Over a century of refined history and the romantic visions of past residents linger on this steep little island, forming a "Museum of International Architecture" for visitors to admire and linger in.

When it comes to Xiamen's cuisine, the usual mentions are oyster omelets, satay noodles, and ginger duck. Not that these dishes aren’t delicious, but Xiamen has far too many culinary delights—these are just some representatives, not your only options. For instance, satay noodles are just one variation of the many "sheng tang" (blanched) snack shops lining the streets. In every well-established neighborhood across the island, you’ll find long-running sheng tang eateries. Whether it’s poached chicken or duck, cold duck gizzards and intestines, or pork kidney, intestines, liver, fish slices, squid, oysters, or razor clams—blanched in broth, the portions are up to you, served with noodles, rice porridge, or rice vermicelli. It’s an everyday delicacy you’ll never tire of.

In truth, true Xiamen food connoisseurs make a special trip to Tong’an District—the oldest settlement in the Xiamen area (historically part of Quanzhou’s Tong’an County, which governed Xiamen Island). There, many deeply rooted delicacies are preserved. For grand dishes, there’s Tong’an Braised Pork, an elaborate method of cooking large cuts of fatty pork, a heavyweight in Fujian cuisine. But my personal favorite in Tong’an is their fried chicken legs. Fresh chicken legs coated in a thin batter, fried to perfection—crispy on the outside, juicy inside, with a strong ginger-infused seasoning that feels entirely artisanal. Paired with a bowl of sour bamboo shoot soup or mung bean soup, it’s unforgettable. While many shops in the city claim to serve "Tong’an Fried Chicken Legs," only in Tong’an can you taste the truly unforgettable version.

Top photo by @WhereDidPuddingGo / Bottom photo by @RoundIslandTrip

Finally, Xiamen’s open-air seafood stalls are uniquely charming, especially in autumn and winter after the fishing ban lifts. Order a pot of stone olive duck soup, stir-fry some seafood, blanch a plate of shrimp—the seafood is sweet, the wok hei (breath of the wok) is strong, and with a few shots of liquor, the sea breeze gently drifts down the street. A intoxicating Xiamen evening unfolds softly before you.

Top left, bottom left photos by @WhereDidPuddingGo

Top right, bottom right photos by @RoundIslandTrip