Fujian Province was still a white spot on our China Map. With the cold and wet season approaching in Shanghai, we decided on a weekend trip to warmer regions; to Xiamen.
We stayed at the Kempinski Hotel in Xiamen, which is luxurious, has a Paulaner Restaurant with decent German sausages and a great breakfast. However, its a bit far away from the main tourist attractions.
We arrived on Friday night (25.11.). As we arrived late, we only had a snack at the Paulaners (not our typical go to place, but the only thing available at that time). And we had entertainment by a Philipino band with two ladies singing very enthusiastically.
On Saturday (26.11.) we set out to explore Gulangyu Island. The plan was to walk through the shopping street and take the ferry from the port. It rained, so we started late. Shopping street was unspectacular. At the port, we learned that only local Chinese are allowed to take the ferry from there. All others have to go e.g. to the main cruise terminal. That’s China. So we take a bus to the ferry terminal, where we meet the next challenge: We need passports to buy a ferry ticket. Fortunately, the nice ticket lady accepts a foto of our passports and also convinces her security colleagues that this is ok. We make it to the island around 16.00. Its a beautiful island with small streets and nice beaches. As the last ferry leaves at ca. 18.30, we have only time to explore the south side of the island. We take the ferry home and dry our clothes.
On Sunday, we first of all enjoy the Kempinski breakfast. Today, the weather is nice and we decide to visit the South Putuo Temple. The temple is build into the mountain. We hike up all the way to the top (takes about 1h) but the top offers a nice view over the bay. We cross the mountain towards the north and walk back to the hotel.
For the flight home, we treated ourselves to business class.
