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While visiting the Chinese city
for a food show, publisher and
events organizer Joel Pascual
chances upon a little history
and fun to help inspire you
An accidental tourist in…
Xiamen
Stop for the
street-side art
Yes, there’s a
Robinsons mall
in Xiamen!
09LKH Smile
Ser 4
1
Check out the unique
ancient houses
The Dadi Tulou Cluster in Dadi Village, Xiandu
Town, Hua’an County of Fujian Province is
about 147km away from Xiamen. It may be a
two- to three-hour drive from the city proper,
but Pascual highly recommends it. Encircled
by mountains, the Cluster houses round-
shaped earth dwellings: the 200-year-old
Eryi Lou, Nanyang Lou and the large-scale
residences of Dongyang Lou, erected during
the Qing Dynasty.
2
Take to the streets to eat
The way to a city’s culture is through its
street food, so Pascual immediately hit Zhong
Shan Lu for truly authentic Xiamen fare. “I ate
in several fine-dining restaurants, but nothing
beats the experience of wolfing down black
sausage, abalone, grilled seafood, black corn,
rice cooked in bamboo, and even larvae.”
3
Admire street-side art
“The city is proud of its European
architecture,” says Pascual. “Carefully placed
art pieces — from concrete masterpieces to
bronze sculptures — give the visitor many
visual points of interest.”
4
Relax in Gulangyu Island
Hop on a ferry boat and head south-
west to Gulangyu Island. With its lush parks,
European-style architecture, clean air and
relatively small population (about 20,000),
it’s not hard to imagine visitors easily falling
in love with the area. “It offers many different
sights — from the imposing homes and offices
of the different consulates to the nature scenes,
the Xiamen museum and the beachfront.”
5
Try unusual food
Check out Modern Toilet at Xiamen City’s
own Robinsons Galleria mall. The concept
restaurant is part of the Taiwan restaurant chain.
“It took me a while to figure out what it was,”
says Pascual of the eatery that serves standard
Western cuisine in lavatory-themed trappings:
think toilet seats and kitchen-sink tables. “The
food presentation will have you getting your
camera out to snap photos of drinks poured into
blue urinals, soup served in toilet bowls and hot
entrées plated in toilet sinks.” For Pascual, the
experience wasn’t gross; it was quirky.
6
Go shopping
Filipino visitors to Xiamen City will
welcome two familiar attractions: Robinsons
Mall and SM Mall. “These two gave me a
sense of pride to see homegrown brands in
foreign lands,” says Pascual. Xiamen is highly
urbanized, so you can expect to find the big
design brands in the shops here. “The shops
along Beijing Road are the best place to go for
clothes. Souvenirs such as Chinese tea and tea
sets can be sourced in local shops.”
7
People-watch
When you’ve had your fill of shopping,
eating and sightseeing, Pascual suggests
taking photos. “As an amateur photographer,
I love shooting people. The youths are highly
westernized, wearing the latest fashion brands;
the older generation wear traditional garb.”
It’s a mix that struck him as equally interesting
and sad, and one worth savoring now.
Cebu Pacific starts flying from Manila to
Xiamen on March 23.
www.cebupacificair.com
020 Chikka Buzz - Xiamen 7 CORR 2.indd 20
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