Siming District

Day One

Took public bus early in the morning and reached Airport Terminal 3 at about 6.30 a.m.

Kopitiam @ T3 Changi

Decided to have my breakfast in the food court located at the basement of Terminal 3 (left photo below). Got myself a plate of "Fried Bee Hoon" with some side dishes at a total cost of SGD 6 (right photo below).
Taste and portion were acceptable for this early breakfast meal.

Themed Display at Terminal 3

"Miffy's Garden" themed installations were hosted at Terminal 3 (left photo below). The centerpiece was Miffy standing next to a colorful hot air balloon surrounded by a sea of red and yellow tulips. Miffy is a fictional rabbit from Netherlands, and this Dutch bunny has just turned 70 years old in 2025. Pop-up store was setup at basement for visitors to get Miffy's souvenirs (right photo below).

The display was available from 14 Mar till 12 May 2025.

Singapore Airlines

Glad that SQ 868 took off on schedule at 0810 hours (left photo below). Opted the "omelette with chicken sausages" for my inflight breakfast (right photo below).
Confused inside the Airport Terminal

After exited from the custom clearance, I got confused inside Gaoqi Airport terminal building where I tried to look for the signage to BRT station. Despite the search, I ended up at the passengers' pick-up area. Without much hesitation, I then called for a Didi ride to the hotel instead of having another search within the building. The car arrived within 8-mins and to my surprise cost only CNY 20.86 to the hotel.

Advanced Ferry Ticket

After hotel check-in and some quick washup, I then proceeded to take the metro and alighted at Cruise Center station. It took less than 5-mins walk to reach the Dongdu Ferry Terminal from the metro station. The terminal was rather a large complex with many self-service ticketing booths and restaurants (left photo below).

For foreigners like myself, it was difficult to purchase online as it would require a local identification number and phone number. Thus, the sensible approach for me was to get the physical ticket in advanced from the ticket office located on the third floor of the terminal (right photo below).

Xiamen Bus Journey

After the purchase, I then took metro to Zhenhai Road station and walked out from Exit 1. Continued along Zhenhai Road until the traffic junction where I then crossed to the other side of the road.

"Heping Matou" Bus Stop

The "Heping Matou" (和平码头) bus stop was easily identified from far (left photo below). Had a quick check on the information panel to confirm that Bus No. 29 reaches "Zeng Cuo An" (曾厝垵) within 5 stops (right photo below).

Picturesque View

After driving for a short distance, the bus turned into Yanwu Bridge (演武大桥) where picturesque sea view could be seen (left photo below). Besides the beautiful scenery, I also had the chance to admire the sleek design of Chinese cars along the road (right photo below).

Baicheng Beach (白城沙滩)

Next was the spotless Baicheng beach located between Yanwu bridge and Hulishan Fortress (left photo below). It is approximately 1-km in total length and has attracted millions of visitors each year. This sandy beach is also famous for hosting an annual sand sculpture competition. Baicheng beach is easily accessible with many bus routes pass by or stop at Xiamen University Baicheng station or Hulishan station (right photo below).

"Zeng Cuo An" Bus Stop

My destination was "Zeng Cuo An" stop where it was recognizable by the "Zeng Cuo An Pedestrian Bridge" above it (left photo below). This pedestrian bridge, also known as the Fishing Bridge or Fishbone Bridge, is 83.13-meters long and resembled a red koi fish, spanning over Huandao Road and connecting the Zeng Cuo An village with the scenic seaside area (right photo below). It is an essential bridge for tourists to cross over the street to reach nearby attractions.

Zeng Cuo An Village (曾厝垵)

Zeng Cuo An has a history of over 800 years where it used to be a pristine fishing village, and has now become a popular innovative cultural village. It has even earned itself "the most exquisite and artistic village in China" (中国最文艺渔村).

The village's picturesque buildings are adorned with exquisite wooden carvings and tiled roofs, providing a glimpse into the area's rich architectural heritage (left photo below). Visitors can stroll along its narrow lanes and alleys, known as "5 streets and 18 lanes" (right photo below), to explore local shops and indulge in the unique flavors of its local cuisine.

Entrances to Zeng Cuo An Village

There are three entrances to Zeng Cuo An from the main road.



• Leading into "Guoban Street" (国办街). Easily recognized from its high arch which is flanked by a fast-food restaurant and a coffeehouse chain (left photo below). The Guoban street tends to be wider compared to the other two (right photo below). Not far from the entrance is the Yonghu Temple which can be used as a reference point in the village.
  
• Leading into "Zhongshan Street" (中山街). This entrance is in the middle of other two entrances (left photo below).


• Leading into "Wenqing Road" (文青路). This entrance is just opposite the Zeng Cuo An pedestrian bridge (right photo below).
  

Cultural and Creative Street (文创街)

Located on the eastern side of the village, this new area is themed around cultural and tourism (photos below). Disappointedly, I did not find any interesting shops in this area.

Souvenir Hunting

The wind lion god (风狮爷) have transformed from "guarding the land and suppressing evil" to "new trendy icon" just over the last decade. Imaginatively, the "Taishan shigandang" (泰山石敢當) is combined with the wind lion god to create a new form of figure. Almost all souvenir shops are selling these cute wind lion gods and it is hard to miss them (photos below).
Within the last two to there years, it is common to see 3D printworks sold as souvenirs due to the wide-spread of 3D printing (photos below). Personally, did not fancy them as already had a 3D printer at home and I'm even able to insert magnets into the printwork to make it more poseable.


One conventional souvenir which is unlikely to be outdated are the fridge magnets with fanciful designs (left photo below). Perhaps the more fascinating souvenir was the "Shaking Head Acrylic Standees" where I could only identify JJ Lin and Zhou Shen among the artists (right GIF file below).

Food Hunting

Food hunting in Zeng Cuo An begins by walking through narrow and sometimes winding lanes that are packed with eateries or stores on both sides (photos below).
There are many barbecued meats on skewers or chargrilled oysters that can be served as snacks (photos below).



Surely a dilemma when choosing either pan fried seafood (left photo below) or deep-fried black stinky tofu (right photo below).
Alternatively, just walk into the eateries to enjoy some local delicacies (photos below).



Food souvenirs are surely the most practical gifts to share with families or friends back home (photos below).

Must Try Food

Was famished since I had not taken any meal after the flight landed on Xiamen. Decided to have some snacks when strolling in Zeng Cuo An. My attention was caught by this stall with signage of striking colors selling oyster omelette (left photo below). The locals tend to call it "海蛎煎" but most Minnan-speaking area would call it as "蚵仔煎" (right photo below) or "蚝煎" in Malaysia and Singapore.
It consists of an omelette with a filling primarily composed of small oysters. Starch, or typically sweet potato starch, is mixed into the egg batter, giving the resulting egg wrap a thicker consistency (left photo below). Requested for black-pepper sauce to be added to my oyster omelette which gave a unique taste to it (right photo below). It cost CNY 15 for the omelette.

Must-Try Xiamen Dishes As the culinary hub of Fujian Province, Xiamen's signature cuisines range from iconic noodle soups to fascinating street snacks. The top two dishes below are unique in Xiamen region while the rest of the four can be found in most Minnan-speaking areas, such as Southern Fujian, Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia. Disclaimer: the food photos below were taken from the internet for illustration purposes.
Shacha / Satay Noodles (沙茶面) Xiamen's ultimate comfort food. The dish features yellow wheat noodles in a rich, nutty broth made from Southeast Asian-inspired "shacha" paste with a blend of peanuts, dried seafood, and spices.	Sipunculid Worm Jelly (土笋冻) A unique, savory local delicacy made from indigenous Sipunculid marine worms that are boiled to release natural gelatin. It is served cold with soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic.
Five-Spice Rolls (五香卷) Mix of minced pork, water chestnuts and five-spice powder for seasoning which is wrapped in thin beancurd skin and deep-fried till crispy.	Oyster Omelette (蚵仔煎) Plump local oysters mixed with sweet potato starch and eggs, pan-fried until crispy on the outside and custardy in the center.
Ginger Duck (姜母鸭) Tender duck slowly braised in a clay pot with heavy amounts of ginger and local rice wine which offers a warming and robust flavor.	Peanut Soup (花生汤) A sweet, creamy dessert made with peanuts boiled until melted in mouth, and it is often enjoyed with fried dough sticks.

Cultural Elements

Besides enjoying the food and souvenir hunting, visitors can also explore Zeng Cuo An's rich cultural heritage where Minnan architecture blends seamlessly with the village's modern artsy atmosphere.



• Fuhai Temple (福海宮)
  
  
  
  Built in 1392, this temple has a history of over 800 years. The main deities worshipped are Baosheng Dadi (保生大帝) and Mazu (妈祖). It holds a revered position in the local community, ranking first among all temples, and is a must-visit place for fishermen before setting sail (left photo below).


• Yonghu Temple (擁湖宮)
  
  
  
  The temple can be traced back to Yuan Dynasty but its structure was destroyed during the war. Reconstructed from donation funds and completed in 2001, the temple now boasts a magnificent presence and is a popular place for worship and tourism (right photo below).
  

Took the same bus route back to Zhenhai Road and then metro to Lianban station.

Xiamen Book City (外图厦门书城)

Located just next to the metro station exit, the Xiamen Book City is one of Xiamen's largest bookstores (left photo below). Spanning over four levels, each floor has its own functions and purposes (right photo below).


The ground-floor lobby seemed to be an art piece by itself. In nearly 10-meters high vertical space, 21 bookshelves correspond to layers of ocean waves echoing the mirrored decorations, and attract readers to immerse themselves in a sea of knowledge (photos below).

Special section on Chinese comics and manga was allocated to cater for young readers (left photo below). A commemorative display of all the classic publications by the Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao (琼瑶) could be found next to the literature section (right photo below).
Xiamen Book City can be reached by Lianban station (莲坂站) of Line 1 Exit 3. Opening hours of the book city from 0930 to 2130 hours.

Hao Ke Jia (好客佳)

Saw this restaurant "Hao Ke Jia" that was located opposite the book city in Guomao building (left photo below). It served the meal through buffet style where customers could select what to eat (right photo below).
Then weigh the selected food and pay accordingly at the cashier. After payment, customers could proceed to the self-service counter for cutlery, free-flow of rice or porridge, soft drinks and even dessert soups (left photo below). Total cost for this dinner was CNY 31.33 which was slightly higher than average due to the herbal soup (right photo below).
It was a new restaurant concept to me where customer got to "pay based on the weight of selected food". Overall, the restaurant ambiance was good and the food tasted satisfactory.

🍔 Hao Ke Jia • Guo Mao Building brunch (好客佳 • 厦门国贸大厦店)
Address:	No. 398-101 Hubin South Road (湖滨南路398-101号)
Access:	Lianban station (莲坂站) of Line 1, Exit 4
Operating Hours:	☑ Lunch: 1100 hours to 1400 hours ☑ Dinner: 1700 hours to 2030 hours

Supper

Prior taking the escalator to the hotel, saw this small convenient store "Sunmile" located inside the metro station (left photo below). Decided to have a mango crepes cake that cost CNY 15 as supper (right photo below). Sweetness was just right and the mango tasted refreshing.


Had a good rest for the day tour on the following day.