Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Xiamen and surrounding

Hi again ccg:
We wrote that in the middle of the night for us but here are some further ideas.
On the island of Xiamen itself are some interesting sites including Nanputuo Temple, a lovely and very large temple complex spreading over a large area and up into the hills which many, many Chinese visit. The island has a lovely botanical gardens, you can ride bicycles along the boardwalk at the seaside, GulangYu is a small island adjacent the island of Xiamen and accessible by a 5 minute ferry trip. It's a car free zone which is a refreshing change. It's a pretty place which boasts some nice beaches and interesting sites including a Piano Museum and a statue of a local hero high atop a rock outcropping. It was in past days a place where foreign embassies and attaches lived and the architecture leans towards the European.
You can wander through old narrow "umbrella" streets which are quickly disappearing in this city of constant construction and road building. These are narrow streets where you can browse through junk shops, watch the local people shopping for their daily meal from an incredible array of foods.
Off the island try to visit the "tulou", of Hakka round houses which can be done in a day. Rkkwan's recommendation of Wuyi Shan is a lovely mountain town. In nearby Quanzhou (pronounced something like Chin - zoh) is famous for all kinds of stone products. Nearby is Chongwu which boasts a completely intact medieval wall around the old town.
Another trip which is at least a two day trip as it is a 4hour drive each way is Da Hua. This is one of four main centres of the porcelain trade in China. You can visit a factory and buy some lovely porcelain tea sets for part of the day then float down the river on a bamboo raft and wander about a bamboo forest to visit a beautiful waterfall.
You can be off the island of Xiamen and into the countryside in minutes. Rural life goes on much the same as it has in the past compared to the city of Xiamen itself which is a vibrant and modern city. Outside the city depending on which direction you travel you can see rice paddies, bananas, bamboo, tea etc.
In a nearby city you can visit a tea museum and it's adjacent shop full of wonderful treats all made partly with tea. Visit a famous local paper cutting artist for some fabulous gifts to take home. You can get the things framed too for next to nothing here.
Check out a local tea house in Xiamen to view a southern style tea ceremony.
Shop til you drop on Zhongshan Lu a lovely pedestrian street or Lian Hua village in Xiamen.
If you have any specific things you were thinking of let us know and maybe we can point you in the right direction. Or check out the amoymagic site we included in our last email for lots more specifics.
regards,