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Itinerary
This itinerary is the "best of Fujian on one pass" — if you only have four days, this covers the island city, the Hakka tulou roundhouses, and the Song-dynasty port of Quanzhou in a route that doesn't double-back.
Day 1 — Xiamen island core
- Morning: arrival and check-in in Siming District.
- Afternoon: Nanputuo Temple and Xiamen University boundary walk.
- Evening: Zhongshan Road arcades for dinner.
Day 2 — Gulangyu
- Full day on Gulangyu — Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden, Piano Museum. Return ferry before 18:00.
- Night: Shapowei Art Zone for a drink or a livehouse set.
Day 3 — Tulou country (Yongding / Nanjing)
- Morning: private car or guided tour to Tianluokeng cluster and Zhencheng Lou (2–3 hours each way). Independent travellers can take the Xiamen North → Nanjing high-speed train (1h) and transfer.
- Overnight: a restored tulou homestay inside a roundhouse — the real reason to come.
Day 4 — Quanzhou on the way back
- Morning: return to Xiamen, then high-speed rail to Quanzhou (25 min).
- Afternoon: Kaiyuan Temple, Qingjing Mosque, and the old town lanes. Tea break on Zhongshan Road (Quanzhou's version).
- Evening: high-speed train back to Xiamen for your flight home, or continue north to Fuzhou.
Note: tulou country is where most 4-day Xiamen itineraries break down because of the drive time. Accept that and book the overnight — seeing a tulou at dawn is worth the schedule.