Xiamen is one of the ports that China opened when it started the open market policy 30 years ago. Most of the investments come from foreign or Chinese Diasporas especially Taiwanese businesses who have heavily invested a lot in this city and it shows in the modernity and beauty of this city. It also has a lot of history, this is the city where in the 16 century were fighting between china and the Dutch to get back Taiwan from the Dutch. It’s also in this area were the heavy fighting took place between the communists in China and the KMT nationalists in Taiwan. It was very visible to see when I went to a small island or islet across the strait called Gulangyu. I saw the canons that were used during these wars and there’s a statue of the commander who led the Chinese in their fight against the Dutch and eventually taking back control of Taiwan.
Gulangyu islet itself is a very attractive little island, it’s a very popular Chinese tourist attractions. Gulangyu island was designated an international foreign settlement in 1903 and became a place for Europeans, Japanese and wealthy overseas Chinese who built lavish mansions, consulates and churches there and many of these old buildings are still standing today and have been transformed into museums, hotels, stores and restaurants.
There’s a big connection between Taiwan and Xiamen. Most people in Taiwan are descendents of Xiamen. Once getting off on the shore of Gulangyu island, there’s a big statue of Zheng Chenggong, or Koxinga, a Chinese hero very well respected both in Taiwan and on the mainland, because he drove the Dutch out of Taiwan in the 1660s.
After spending 2 days in Xiamen, I had to leave to Kinmen which is an island under the control of Taiwan; I headed to the port and the girl who works there was very helpful, she also told 2 other passengers to assist me all the way till I got to Taipei. This concluded my trip to China, China has so many things to see and I can say to see everything I would need several months, it’s a country with so much history that spans over thousands of years. I would like to come back once I improve my Chinese, I noticed more than anywhere I visited so far, that language is very important. Very few locals speak English and those who speak English are usually in big cities. But for now, I will stay in Taiwan, and in Taiwan I don’t need a visa and I get to stay 3 months, but who knows what the future will have in store for me.
