On June 2, 2019, the “Gateway to the Metropolis · Wellness Jimei” — 2019 Jimei Wellness Tourism Promotion Event was successfully held in Beijing. Nearly 200 guests, including veteran cadres from the National People’s Congress, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Railways, and other departments, as well as well-known domestic travel agencies, gathered together to experience the charm of Xiamen’s Jimei as a pleasant and livable destination.
The 2019 Jimei Wellness Tourism Promotion Event was hosted by the Xiamen Jimei District Culture and Tourism Bureau, aiming to precisely expand the tourism market, further boost the popularity of Jimei tourism, promote the new wellness tourism sector, consolidate the wellness tourism customer base—especially veteran cadres, particularly from the Beijing area—and help them learn more about Jimei. The focus includes enhancing tourism accommodations to drive high-quality development of Jimei tourism.
Strategic Planning: From Study-Tour Jimei to Wellness Jimei
In recent years, Xiamen’s Jimei District has been guided by the “One Spirit, Three Cultures,” and through in-depth exploration and precise positioning of the supply side of cultural tourism products, it has set its sights on the development directions of cultural performances, family travel, and study tours. It is fully committed to creating the golden tourism brand of “Hometown of Tan Kah Kee, Century-Old Academic Village, Family Travel Destination, and Study-Tour Capital.”
With its strong academic atmosphere and geographical advantage for cross-strait exchanges, Jimei has become an educational city and a city of potential ideal for study tours. Currently, Jimei District has established a “1+N” study-tour system, comprising one study-tour headquarters, 30 study-tour units, and 122 types of study-tour courses suitable for families and young students. Today, Jimei has become a renowned destination for study tours among students from both China and abroad. The rapid development of study tours has driven the comprehensive growth of Jimei’s tourism industry.
Reaching new heights, Jimei has keenly identified the vast wellness tourism market among the country’s 250 million elderly population. The district has strategically planned and vigorously developed its wellness tourism industry, seizing the first-mover advantage in the Xiamen and even Fujian markets. The Jimei District CPPCC also held symposiums with universities to define the goals and tasks for Jimei’s wellness tourism. The development of wellness tourism products not only enriches the product structure of Jimei’s tourism industry but also drives its sustained and sound development, enhances tourism popularity and quality, and positions wellness tourism as a new growth pole for Jimei’s tourism.
Naturally Gifted: Jimei Is Born for Wellness
As an important district of Xiamen, the “Garden on the Sea,” Jimei is located at the geometric center of the city. It boasts a pleasant climate, as well as beautifully arranged mountains, sea, and lakes. With a 21-kilometer bay leisure scenic line, 92 square kilometers of mountainous ecological tourism resources, and the Xinglin Bay area—which is even larger than West Lake—its natural scenery is stunning. Visiting the Water Scenic Park to enjoy flowers, take walks, watch birds, and view fish, or heading to Shuanglongtan for sports, outdoor activities, and rural leisure experiences, has become a highlight of Jimei’s wellness tourism.
As is well known, Jimei is also a famous hometown of overseas Chinese. It was here that the patriotic overseas Chinese leader Mr. Tan Kah Kee invested in education, giving birth to the spirit of Tan Kah Kee. Today, Jimei has formed a unique “One Spirit, Three Cultures,” which has become the core and cultural identity of the district.
As an essential part of tourism, Jimei’s distinctive Minnan flavors are also unforgettable. In addition to authentic Minnan dishes such as duck meat noodles and satay noodles, the district also leverages the advantages of the Tasman Herb Garden to develop a series of health-focused meals using ingredients like dendrobium—a medicinal “panda” and considered the “king of the nine immortal herbs of China”—and Anoectochilus roxburghii, offering delicious and healthy options.
Jimei not only has profound historical roots but also many beautiful legends, leading to a variety of vibrant performing arts. For example, the “Minnan Legend Show” at the 4A-level attraction, the Old Villas of Xiamen, brings the unique Minnan culture and the special history of Minnan people venturing to Nanyang to the stage. The Lionglin Circus, leveraging its animal strengths, offers spectacular animal circuses that provide visitors with breathtaking spiritual experiences, attracting millions of tourists every year. Notably, the egg-shaped Lionglin International Circus, the Divine Tour of Huaxia Grand Theater at the Old Villas of Xiamen, and the Star Nest Music Center are affectionately called the “Two Eggs and One Star,” becoming cultural performance “landmarks” of Jimei and even Xiamen.
Targeted Marketing: Bringing Wellness Jimei to Beijing
After the BRICS Summit, Xiamen gained higher visibility and stronger appeal among the elderly population in northern China. Therefore, the first stop of “Wellness Jimei” was the nation’s capital, Beijing. It is understood that at this Jimei wellness tourism promotion event, veteran cadres from the National People’s Congress, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Service Development Center, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Culture, and other national ministries attended. The event also attracted industry associations such as the China Aging Industry Association, the Elderly Livable and Health Committee, the Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, the Elderly Tourism Branch, the China Research Center on Aging, and the Xiamen Beijing Chamber of Commerce, as well as numerous well-known domestic travel agencies and friends from the news media.
“Jimei is a great place for wellness, with its climate, nature, culture, cuisine, joy, service, stories, and heart. Welcome everyone to come and enjoy a wonderful life in Jimei.” At the promotion event, Wu Jitang, Director of the Jimei District Culture and Tourism Bureau, introduced Jimei’s wellness tourism resources. Meanwhile, Tan Shunan, General Manager of the Beijing Xiamen Yuefu Yuanyue Bay Hot Spring Wellness Center, and Lu Shaoji, Chairman of Xiamen Tasman Biotechnology Co., Ltd., also delivered vivid and attractive presentations on wellness tourism.
It is understood that this Jimei wellness promotion event in Beijing is a high-level event organized by a county-level tourism bureau targeting veteran cadres from central state organs in Beijing—an occurrence that is quite rare, akin to a small horse pulling a big cart. The Jimei Wellness Tourism Promotion Event achieved remarkable results, significantly boosting the visibility and reputation of Jimei tourism in the Beijing area, and attracting large numbers of people to visit Jimei for wellness. It is reported that shortly after the event, Jimei’s wellness products and institutions received numerous inquiries from attendees, with three institutions signing contracts on-site alone.
Exquisite Crafting: Jimei Develops Diverse Wellness Products
“To create a great wellness travel destination, you must have great products.” Leveraging its own resource advantages and the geographical benefits of the Xiamen-Zhangzhou-Quanzhou region and Minnan-Taiwan connections, Jimei has developed a series of wellness tourism products. It has launched the “Wellness Travel + Minnan-Taiwan Culture” Jimei Wellness Journey series and routes, including 7-day and 10-day options for short-term wellness, as well as longer options like 16-day and 30-day packages to meet the diverse wellness needs of different groups.
In recent years, Jimei has also introduced several themed hotels, including the Beijing Xiamen Yuefu Yuanyue Bay Wellness Center, Luo Yue Seaside Hot Spring Hotel, All-China Federation of Trade Unions Xiamen Model Workers’ Rest Center, and Lionglin Grand Hotel. In addition, Jimei is home to hot spring resorts and hotels such as Tianmu Hot Spring Resort, offering unique hot spring wellness experiences. Unlike other places, Jimei’s hot springs are natural seawater springs, which offer different benefits from regular hot springs. The water is rich in sodium chloride, along with over 20 essential trace elements for the human body, such as calcium, iron, and metasilicic acid. These springs offer health and wellness benefits, can relax muscles and nerves, improve aging skin, promote blood circulation, regulate the endocrine system, and have certain therapeutic effects on conditions like diabetes and gout.
Notably, the Beijing Xiamen Yuefu Yuanyue Bay Wellness Center, opened last year in Jimei, integrates comprehensive services such as long-term residence, daytime care, short-term elderly care, travel-based hot spring therapy, and leisure entertainment. Built and operated to five-star standards, it is currently Xiamen’s first community-based home-care elderly service center supported by public-private partnership, providing the elderly with a healthy, happy, and fulfilling home.
Moving forward, Jimei District will continue to promote the brand of Tan Kah Kee, sustain efforts in supply-side reform and innovation within the wellness tourism industry, vigorously advance the wellness tourism sector, and continue developing wellness tourism products suitable for the elderly population—especially veteran cadres. The district will offer wellness tourism experiences encompassing “fragrance, flowers, songs, tea, food, joy, medicine, books, exercise, and virtue,” integrating resources to provide services and attract more elderly friends from across the country and around the world to Jimei for wellness, to enjoy a wonderful time in Jimei.