Xiamen (厦门) is the island city that most visitors put at the centre of a Fujian trip — and with good reason. Population around 5.3 million, subtropical climate, and a remarkably compact sightseeing core: UNESCO-listed Gulangyu Island, Nanputuo Temple at the foot of Wulao Peak, Xiamen University's seafront campus, the creative quarters of Shapowei and Zengcuoan, and the arcades of Zhongshan Road — all within Siming District on the island's south side.
Getting around is easier than anywhere else in Fujian. The metro network is fully built out: Line 1 runs Xiamen North Station to Zhongshan Road in 29 minutes; Line 2 crosses the bay to Haicang in 25; Lines 3, 4 and 6 fan east, north and to the mainland. The BRT (bus rapid transit) runs on dedicated elevated lanes at 1–4 yuan a trip — a Xiamen signature that gets you above the traffic. The Gaoqi-Xiang'an airport shift continues in 2026: Xiang'an New International Airport is scheduled to open in 2027, so most flights still land at Gaoqi (20 min to the old city).
Two or three days covers the core; four gives you one day out to the Hakka tulou country. Xiamen also hosts two of Fujian's biggest annual events — the Xiamen International Marathon (every January) and the Jimei Cross-Strait Dragon Boat Race (June).