Zengcuo'an 曾厝按
Cute, quaint, and full of little shops and bars to discover, Zengcuo'an district is a colorful maze of alleys that wind their way together. The district is a 15+ minute bus ride to the city center, but despite it's lack of central positioning there are always people around. On bus 29, which I always took to 中山路 Zhongshan Lu and the city center, Zengcuo'an is always the stop that empties the bus. Starting at the first stop near Zhongshan Lu, the bus gets more and more crowded, to an untenable point at which the bus driver either refuses new customers or packs people in by the steering wheel, until Zengcuo'an, when the bus empties and all the people disperse into the maze, being absorbed into the various alleys.
It is in this district that I stayed during my trip to Xiamen. With limited options due to New Years, my friend and I chose the Antelope Hostel, which is a small guesthouse with a very hospitable owner. The cheery atmosphere, reasonable price, and clean accommodation make this place a good find, particularly during a time when hostels were scarce. The only drawback is the bad wifi connection and the lack of heat in the winter. Xiamen doesn't usually get colder than the mid 40s, but not having heat makes it difficult to ever fully warm up.
Zengcuo'an also has a good western restaurant called the Red Armadillo (#16 Zengcuo'an), which features Tex-Mex inspired Western fusion. The burger I had was surprisingly good. The buns were toasted, rather than thrown in the microwave or served cold as is the trend in China, and the burger was served with tomato, lettuce, and onion served on the side for my own assembly. Often I have found that burgers in China are served with a slathering of mayonnaise, but I was happy to discover a dry burger. The waitress brought out a bottle of ketchup (and a second bottle of mayo, not mustard, because it's still China) for my own discretionary use. The fries were crispy and flavorful, having been dusted with a few spices.
Zhongshan Street 中山路
This pedestrian street is always packed. The stores selling tea, scarves, watches, shoes, clothes, and other goods are fun to wander in and out, but my main reason for coming here (every day, actually) during my time in Xiamen was the smaller alley that shoots off to the right by the ICBC bank. Walking down that alley is overwhelming, and not just because of the hoards of people pushing and shoving. The 小吃 or snacks are excellent here. If you want a cheap lunch on the go, this is a good place to look for. My favorite was the fresh juice stand, where I got a freshly squeezed juice combo--banana and milk, starfruit, starfruit and passion fruit, strawberry, papaya and milk, and lemon--every day for a week.
Zhongshan lu is also great for people-watching. Families often bring their small children, who hop over the lines painted on the street or blow bubbles out of little toy bubble guns. People sit on the park benches, talking, enjoying the sunny weather, and couples walk down the street hand in hand.
Zhongshan Park 中山公园
This park has it all--beautiful gardens, a bonsai zoo, a mini-museum, a children's amusement park, paddle boats, and even a dragon left over from new years.
Haiwan Park 海湾公园
10,000 Rock Botanical Garden 万石植物园
My friend and I had a fantastic time walking around this vast park, discovering the various gardens within, each with a different atmosphere.
Xiamen University 厦门大学
Nanputao Temple 南普陀寺
Gulangyu Island 鼓浪屿
A quick albeit cramped 10 minute ferry ride will take you from the city of Xiamen to the small island, Gulangyu, which is visible from the boardwalk near Zhongshan Street. As there are no cars or motorcycles allowed on this island, I was ready for a restful, quiet atmosphere only to find the island packed with other tourists and residents who were probably hoping for the same city respite. Nonetheless, as we ventured farther up the hills of the island people started to disperse. Plus, the island's many tourist attractions and cafés make it worth the day trip.
