South Putou Temple

Surrounded by spectacular landscapes, beaches, and man-made scenery no wonder you are on one of China’s most affluent, modern, and vibrant locations – Xiamen. Awarded as the most livable City in 2002, this fast growing metropolis has been the center of economics, education and tourism in Fujian Province. Speaking of tourism, there is a lot to find in this magnificent place. One among the most visited sites which dates back to the Tang Dynasty was the Buddhist South Putou Temple (南普陀寺) or Nanputou Temple. It is one of China’s national treasures and was named because it is located south of Mt Putuo in Zhejiang Province.

Entrance gate of South Putou Temple or Nanputou Temple.

The temple is situated in the Wulao mountain range and the sea. A tourist could enjoy a picturesque view of Gulangyu, Haicang, Seming District, and Zhangzhou City from the top of the mountain. It is also adjacent to Xiamen University. Visitors could also experience lush green vegetation and caves along the trail up to the peak.

The 30,000 square meters temple has four major tourist attractions. These are the Devajara Hall (the Hall of Heavenly Kings), Dabei Hall (the Hall of Great Compassion), Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), and the Sutra-Keeping Pavilion which is built on hillsides, rising one step each higher.

Devajara Hall ( Hall of Heavenly Kings), Nanputou Temple

 The Hall of Heavenly Kings (Devajara Hall) is where the fat Buddha, Maitreya stands. The Laughing and the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya is located at the center together with three other Celestial Kings.

The Mahavira Hall , Nanputou Temple

Xiamen University - China's Beautiful and Amenable Higher Learning Institution

“Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection”, the driving force of Xiamen University’s over 90 years of academic prominence.  Well- known for its elegant and striking landscapes, no doubt it was dubbed as the most beautiful and interesting university in China. Comfortably lies in the foot of WulaoFeng Mountain and the sea, this perfect combination provides an amenable place for students to relax and study.

Lotus Lake and Kah Kee Complex at the background, Xiamen University.

Chinese and European architectural designs highlight the campus buildings as well as other structures. The university was founded in 1921 by an overseas Chinese named Tan Kah Kee who donated millions of dollars to endow Xiamen University. Originally named as “University of Amoy”, was handed to the government by 1937 due to lack of finance. Chinese Ministry of Education maintained the schools advocacy to achieve academic excellence and has now become one of the best and selective universities in China.

Hulishan Cannon Fort

Entrance encryption at the Main Gate, Hulishan Fortress

Located 1km southeast of Xiamen University lays an ancient battleground, the Hulishan Cannon Fort. A fortress fortified with a mixture of camphor tree sap, glutinous rice, liquid brown sugar, sand and clay. The toughest military defensive installation during the time of Emperor Guangxu was established in the year 1984. Armed with huge artillery and more than 50 cannons, the fort is a landmark of Xiamen’s desolate history of rise and fall.

Travel to Xiamen China - A Unique Asian Experience

 The city was a major seaport since the ancient times, located on the south-east coast is also well-known as the "Gate to China". One of the best domestic travel destinations in Fujian province, Xiamen is also referred as "Egret Island" due to a large inhabitant of Egrets living in the area. The place is ideal to visit due to its mild temperature (11-15 deg. C) all year long except the typhoon months. As a littoral city, it is abundant on beautiful and man-made tourist attractions that surely will take your breath away. Even traversing the streets from the coastal roads up to the shopping districts surely will amaze you because of its beautiful, artistic, safe and clean environment. 

View of Siming District| Xiamen Travel Blogs 2012/2013.

Gulangyu Island - Xiamen's Main Tourist Destination Part 2/2

If you haven't able to read Part 1 Click HERE.

Sunlight Rock

The summit of Gulang known as the Sunlight Rock is the highest point on the island was also a favorite spot among domestic and foreign visitors.  

Getting on top is not difficult and you are rest assured that you will be climbing up and enjoying the beautiful scenery. A few unique sculptures you'll gonna meet along the way. You can take a rest or take some photos with a few of the bronze cast sculptures or take some sip. Added to the thrill are some narrow rock passages which give you a feel of like walking an ancient passage.

Gulangyu Island - Xiamen's Main Tourist Destination Part 1/2

A 2 square kilometer's island situated at the coast of Xiamen, in Fujian, China lays Gulanyu. A chief tourist destination in the province is a car-free location which is a home to at-least 20,000 people. The Island is major tourist destination and is popular to both local and foreign visitors.  One of the best travel destinations in China,  it offers five great tourist attractions namely, The Zheng Chenggong Statue, Shuzhuang Garden, Xiamens Piano Museum, and the Sunlight Rock.

Statue of Zheng Chenggong, Xiamen Tourist Spot.

Getting Your Chinese Visa in The Philippines For Your Travel to Xiamen

I don't know if you are aware of this place, me too, until i was able to booked a ticket bound for Xiamen. Together with my sister and her boyfriend, we have explored this majestic city and tasted there local delicacies. Now that's what we called food exploration!


Wikipedia:

Xiamen (Mandarin pronunciation: [ɕjâmə̌n]), also known as Amoy /əˈmɔɪ/, is a major city on the southeast (Taiwan Strait) coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of 1699.39 km² and population of 3.61 million. Its built up area is now bigger than the old urban island area and covers all six districts of Xiamen (Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, Haicang and recentlyXiang'an). It borders Quanzhou to the north and Zhangzhou making this a unique built up area of more than five million people. The Jinmen(Kinmen) Islands administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan) are less than 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away.

Taken at Gulangyu Island, Xiamen, China

How to Get There - Visa Application for China

First of all, China requires Visa to travel, so we head up to the nearest Chinese embassy in Cebu City. The requirements are easy to find and it will only take 4 days to process. Head on to http://cebu.china-consulate.org and download visa application for China  V.2011A. You need to fill in the highlighted area up to section 6.1. if you don't know what to put or write just type NA for that item.  Don't forget to secure a passport size photo and paste it on your V.2011A form.

The other thing you need to show for your Chinese visa application is your bank certificate. They need to see some cash in your bank account. It is easy to get one, just go to your nearest bank and ask the teller or the customer representative to secure you a bank certificate for your purpose of travelling to China. It will only cost you Php. 150.00 not a big deal. 

My First Post - Awake and Determined, Kumbate!

12:44 Am here in the Philippines. I was still up and alert fixing my new travel diary. I don't know what to put here but im eager and determined to share my travels here in the Philippines and the world. I do have lots of time to spend and contemplate on taking new challenges rather than sleeping all day long or keeping an eye on facebook and instagram updates. But anyways im gonna share some pics on my recent travel to China, particularly in Xiamen.