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Hi, everyone!*
The HowToTrip team is currently in Xiamen
enjoying life
~("g%舰f)/~
But no!*
The truth is—
I've got a cold, a cough, and a runny nose going on...
(┬＿┬)
Anyway, the travel live updates I promised everyone
are here!!!
I booked flight KN5925 from Nanyuan Airport at 7:00 AM on October 10th. Considering the journey to the airport in the morning, ticket collection, check-in, security screening, and boarding, I had to get up at 4:30 AM to get ready. Due to the timing, we also needed to book a taxi in advance.
Here, I’d like to recommend Yidao Yongche (Yongche) to you all!* After the driver, Mr. Sr, accepted the order, he proactively called to confirm the pickup time and location. We’d arranged for him to pick us up at 5:20 AM at the designated spot, but he arrived 10 minutes early, helped open the trunk, loaded and unloaded our luggage, reminded us of airport precautions, and even advised using a coupon for payment—super thoughtful.
Here, I’d also like to introduce a few other ride-hailing apps for your reference.
First up, Didi Chuxing:
Neither Hitch rides nor Express rides got any response.
For regular taxis, we had to raise the dispatch fee to 10 RMB before anyone responded—but after accepting the order, they quickly canceled due to a traffic accident. That happened with two orders, and not one driver called to explain.
As for premium cars, quite a few drivers responded—Mr. Fu, Mr. Li, Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhang... But out of the dozen or so who accepted, only two called to explain why they canceled. The others canceled within a minute of accepting the order, citing an ‘accident.’
Next, Uber:
Unfortunately, no next-day bookings are available—only immediate rides.
Finally, Shenzhou Special Car:
No response.
So, if you need a car in the early hours of the morning
go with ‘Yidao Yongche’
For that user experience alone, this is an unpaid plug from me!*
5:20 AM, Beijing—we set off into the biting morning wind.
6:50 AM—the flight took off early. A heads-up for everyone: Nanyuan Airport charges for checked luggage!* Nanyuan Airport charges for checked luggage!* Nanyuan Airport charges for checked luggage!*
9:15, Flight KN5925 landed at Xiamen Gaoqi Airport.
10:00, we arrived at our accommodation on Datong Road. The climate here is slightly humid, but the temperature is pleasant.
This trip was made by the homepage editor and his wife (yes, the homepage editor is married → →), who had visited Xiamen once three years ago, so she noticed some clear changes—there are more cars.
We took a taxi from the airport via Chenggong Avenue all the way to the hotel. The road was bustling with traffic; out of 10 cars, 3 were BMWs, 5 were CRVs, and 2 were Nissan pickups. There are more and more wealthy people here, and more and more cars too.
10:45, we dropped off our luggage and prepared to head to Nanputuo Temple for vegetarian food. The homepage editor quite enjoys this, and well-made vegetarian food is really tastier than meat dishes.
We left the hotel, walked to Siming North Road, headed toward Siming South Road, and then moved southeast toward Datong Road—that’s the direction of Nanputuo Temple and Xiamen University.
The stretch from Siming North Road to Siming South Road is very bustling. The north road is lined mostly with small clothing shops, while the south road features large supermarkets like Walmart and Carrefour, as well as major shopping malls such as Hong Kong Times Square, Continental Commercial Building, and China City. After passing the Siming Road-Zhenhai Road intersection, you’ll also pass by Railway Park, Hongshan Park, and the Overseas Chinese Museum.
Direction to Datong Road
On Zhongshan Road along Siming South Road, there’s no through traffic, and both sides are lined with shops. The ground even has hand-painted manhole covers.
On the left side of Zhongshan Road heading east, there’s a famous shop called ‘Chen Guan Western-Style Tea Goods Store.’
This is the pedestrian walkway of Siming South Road–China City.
When the homepage editor went there, the intersection of Siming South Road and Zhenhai Road was under construction. Travelers passing by can take a detour via the sidewalk on the east side of China City; the west side requires a much longer walk.
Going further southeast from there, you’ll pass by the famous Railway Park. Nearby, there’s a magical, fun, yet deeply poignant coffee shop. We’ll keep it a little mystery here because the homepage editor really wants to share in detail about this little shop that relocated here from the island.
Not far past the Railway Park, an interesting alley suddenly appears on the right side of the road, and we stumbled upon the famous ‘Ding’aozi Cat Street.’
Based on online descriptions, you’d think the shops here are both interesting and diverse, right? The answer is: ‘not really.’ Just take a look at the panorama photo taken by the homepage editor, and you’ll understand everything.
Aside from the few shops visible in the previous photo taken at the entrance, the content of this ‘street’ is pretty much all there is. (The faint mist in the background is smoke—that’s because the homepage editor was still feeling great back then.)
Continuing toward Nanputuo, we suddenly spotted a coffee shop called ‘Hei Shi Coffee.’ It’s a two-story building with a rather fashionable decor, a great spot for young people to hang out. The owner just opened the shop not long ago, but has big dreams.
This is the signboard at the entrance of Hei Shi Coffee. The dreams are really big, aren’t they?
In the homepage editor’s opinion, many people in Xiamen, and even in Fujian, actually have dreams and are very hardworking. But among those he’s met, he feels they’re simply pursuing the simple life they want—and then succeed almost by accident. So rather than saying they’re striving desperately for life, it’s more like they’ve made the spirit of striving a part of their everyday lives, taking it all in stride.
Inspired by this, the homepage editor decided that after returning, he would definitely open a shop—‘Bai Shi Coffee’—at the right time and place. Why call it Bai Shi? You’ll have to ask people who know the homepage editor. Hahaha...
11:30, we finally arrived at Nanputuo Temple, right at the entrance of the Heavenly King Hall.
The homepage editor isn’t a Buddhist, and came here just to try the ‘vegetarian food’ that many people recommend (his foodie nature is showing). But the incense at Nanputuo Temple is indeed very strong, and the Buddha statues in the halls are vividly crafted. The arhats along the corridors are exquisitely carved, and the glow of the Buddha is radiant—it’s a wonderful place for worshippers to pray.
But then...
11:45, we reached the vegetarian restaurant, located on the east corridor just behind the Heavenly King Hall—you can see it by passing through the archway.
We ordered two dishes, one soup, and one main dish. First, the taste is really worth a try, and the service is genuinely thoughtful. You order at the entrance, then take your receipt to the dining hall. Once seated, a server will come to collect the receipt and start cooking based on it. They’ll also bring over a drink menu for you to choose from—but even if you don’t order anything, the servers will still cheerfully offer you free hand towels and hot tea. And note, the hot tea will be refilled for you without asking. The servers refill it for you. They refill it for you. They refill it for you.
Alright, enough digressing—the point is, the vegetarian food is truly delicious. As for how delicious, it’s just like the exclamations in “Chinese Cuisine Gods.” But tastes vary, and maybe it’s just that the homepage editor hasn’t seen much—but he’d never lie to anyone who hasn’t read much. Here’s a rundown of what we ordered, for reference.
Putuo Vermicelli, 25 RMB
Hair Vegetable Tofu Soup, 30 RMB
Zen Garden Spicy Delight, 42 RMB
Lychee Red Pineapple, 20 RMB
The above are just a few small examples.
At 12:20, after finishing our meal, we admired some famous sights within Nanputuo Temple.
The twin pagodas on both sides
The 'turtle immortals' in the liberation pond
Vast expanses of lotus flowers
Ripples created by fish breaking the water's surface
At 12:58, after enjoying the scenery of Nanputuo, we headed to another well-known nearby academic institution—Xiamen University.
From Monday to Friday, Xiamen University is only open to the public from 14:00 to 16:00. At other times, visitor numbers are limited to 700 people. On weekends and holidays, visitors can enter the campus with their ID cards. That’s right, that’s when your humble editor pulled out his slightly damaged ID card.
Your humble editor and his wife entered the university through the South Gate and quickly arrived at Lotus Lake. On a small island in the distance, five black geese were sunbathing, while four white geese in the lake were swimming toward the island. The first photo was taken when the light was dimmer and the lens was farther away, so for the second photo, I zoomed in a bit and increased the brightness and exposure in post-processing so everyone could see more clearly. The scenery is still absolutely beautiful.
Just as we were about to move on, a few clueless ducks forcefully inserted themselves, blocking the pedestrian path in an orderly fashion. Up close, they look like this!
Any chance they're acting a bit sassy?
As you walk deeper into Xiamen University, you’ll come across a massive old banyan tree. Just seeing it feels very familiar. It reminds me of the World Tree in Darnassus, or one of those magical strokes from Miyazaki’s works, or even the high-quality essays from the old ‘Under the Banyan Tree’ literary site, or the nostalgic youth song lyric: ‘On the banyan tree by the pond, cicadas are chirping about summer.’
Continuing forward, after passing the sports field and climbing up the hill, you’ll see the dormitory buildings in the Lovers’ Valley area. The scenery is undeniably beautiful, but your humble editor is also quite worried—if they don’t stock up on insect repellent, it might really not be enough...
Seeing this picturesque pond near the dormitories made your humble editor’s unease grow. Students living in these Xiamen University dormitories, please take care of yourselves!
Going even deeper, you’ll find Xiamen University’s famous Siyuan Valley. This place is like a paradise on earth, making it hard to tear yourself away. And the view is so incredible, it’s hard to believe this is part of a university campus. Interestingly, my wife sent the photos we took to her mother, who replied, ‘The scenery is so beautiful—what park is this?’
Afterward, due to itinerary arrangements and time constraints, we didn’t explore further (both of us are avid travelers who love walking long distances—we’ve decided to rent a car and explore Xiamen again next opportunity, highly recommended).
Then, rather abruptly, let’s hear a story now, because that’s actually the highlight of today!
Any Other World Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion
This is the magical, interesting, yet deeply poignant café that your humble editor mentioned earlier. It’s located on the west side of the Railway Park, it’s Courtyard No. 29, it’s perched atop several rooftops, and it’s a café that has just relocated from Gulangyu Island.
This is the café’s directional sign—subtly exuding the confidence of a place where “good wine needs no bush.” I also realized that choosing to open a café in such a location must be the act of an owner with a strong individuality and unique perspective. Observing the café’s decor and interacting with the owner confirmed my initial impression.
Here, the window has been turned into a door—you bend down to enter, and inside is a simply arranged bar counter and sofas. Sitting on the sofa is the owner, covered in tattoos, looking much like a regular patron, sipping cola, smoking, and watching a Hollywood movie.
There was no one else in the courtyard or the room besides us and the owner. Perhaps our arrival surprised him a bit, so he hurriedly got up and walked toward the counter, even forgetting to give us a menu—just shyly telling us, “You can sit anywhere, just pick a spot.” After we sat down, he then sat himself on a bar stool. It felt just like a good friend arriving and inviting you to sit wherever you feel most comfortable.
It wasn’t until I asked, “Boss, do you have a drink menu?” that he sheepishly smiled and said, “Oh, yeah, it’s right here—take a look and see what you’d like to drink.” His tone and expression seemed like he was apologizing for the oversight, but his voice was absolutely lovely.
Since the weather was quite humid, we chose to sit in the courtyard outside the house after ordering. See, the backpack you see in the photo above is where we were sitting. So, while the owner was brewing our coffee and making mango slushies, I took some photos of the courtyard, which felt meticulously designed in every corner.
This guy says he wants to be friends with the fish...
Before long, my iced Americano and my wife’s mango slushie were served. The Americano had a very pure taste—not overly bold in flavor, with normal bitterness—but the coffee’s own aroma and sweetness were more pronounced than at Starbucks. The only slight downside was that, due to it being iced, the lingering richness on the palate wasn’t as long-lasting or intense. But it was still very good—whether you’re a coffee enthusiast or someone who enjoys a cozy, fresh atmosphere, this is a great spot to relax and enjoy a drink.
After finishing the Americano, I suddenly felt the urge to chat with the owner. So I ducked back into the café again… Don’t worry, we’re not making any plans…
The owner’s surname is Zeng, given name Junsheng (I hope I spelled that right), 28 years old, a native of Changpowei, with a very pleasant Minnan accent. When we met, he was wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, revealing tattooed arms—but you could tell each tattoo had a story behind it.
According to him, he started working right after graduating high school. At 21, he opened his first café on Gulangyu Island. Back then, the shop was much smaller than it is now—just a tiny place of about ten square meters—but the rent was extremely cheap, only 2,000 yuan a month.
His original motivation for opening the shop was that he had many friends and just wanted to create a place for everyone to gather, as well as to host some Xiamen University students from the island. He himself is someone who enjoys quiet and values freedom, so even with fewer customers nowadays, he can still enjoy himself—watching movies, playing guitar, painting, growing plants. All the wall murals we saw, the plants in the courtyard, the table and chair setups—everything was done by him alone. Yep, he even grew those plants himself. His proudest is a little pepper plant by the entrance—he loves spicy food, so he got some seeds from a friend and grew two pots of them.
As time passed, Gulangyu’s identity as a tourist destination gradually developed, and his income began to rise rapidly. But along with the increase in income came rising shop rents. In just four years, the rent for that tiny ten-square-meter shop had multiplied twentyfold—to 40,000 yuan per month. And astonishingly, despite the sky-high rent, business was still profitable thanks to the endless stream of tourists.
Until the end of last year, the rent became unbearable for him, and there was also a trend of fewer tourists on the island. The shop began to operate at a loss, and after seven consecutive months in the red, he finally realized—this island had become too commercialized, had bound him too tightly, and had obscured the original purpose of opening his shop. That’s when he decided to leave the island. But the moment he made the decision, someone immediately took over the little shop. He gave a wry smile, simply feeling that everyone has their own way of life, and not to force it—so he just left with his blessings.
In just three days, this new shop will have been open for a full month. I’m lucky to have known about such a great place so early—I guess I’m one of the pioneers. But what’s conflicting for me is, as I talked with the owner, sometimes many things are contradictory and paradoxical. On one hand, you want peace and quiet but still need to run a business to sustain it; on the other hand, I love this shop and can’t help but promote it, yet I also hope that next time I come, I can still get your special treatment, and we can meet like old friends again, sharing a cigarette and a chat.
But as the owner said, some things are beyond our control, and everyone has their own way of life. I yearn for freedom, love traveling alone, prefer buying only a one-way ticket without booking the return, and enjoy tranquility. But every city must develop. Just like Changpowei, where I once lived—it was once described by many travelers as “just a fishy-smelling fishing port,” but it used to be so peaceful and comfortable that I felt at ease. Now? It’s starting to attract tourists, foreign residents, and a thriving street culture. It’s gradually no longer mine, just like Beijing is gradually no longer yours, the locals. And Gulangyu is destined not to be mine either. Even in “this place,” only this very moment belongs to me. One day in the future, “this place” won’t be “this place” anymore, and I’ll still have to escape.
So, I feel that “this place” is not just a simple coffee shop—it was once a very important place of emotional belonging.
Although the owner seeks tranquility, I’ll still tell everyone: if you have the chance to go to Xiamen, stop by “this place,” order something you’d like to drink, and chat with the owner—so he doesn’t get too lonely.
We chatted for nearly two hours, each smoked three cigarettes, and then said goodbye.
I thanked him for his coffee.
He wished us a pleasant journey.
I didn’t exchange WeChat with him because I didn’t want him to know—that I shared with my friends that I was someone who had been here on this day.
Finally, let me introduce some delicious food to you all.
This is a shop on Siming South Road - Miaoxiang Road - Miaoxiang Food Street, called Imperial Moon Shrimp Patties. The Moon Shrimp Patties and Bursting Shrimp Patties are their specialties. The Moon Shrimp Patties are coated with a thin crispy layer, deep-fried for about three minutes, and served with sweet and spicy sauce—bursting with umami. The Bursting Shrimp Patties are stuffed with generous amounts of cheese, coated in batter, and fried for three minutes. They’re also served with sweet and spicy sauce. Though not as fragrant as the Moon Shrimp Patties, the long strings of cheese pulled up with a bamboo stick and the satisfying taste upon biting are unforgettable.
Both the Moon Shrimp Patties and Bursting Shrimp are 15 RMB per serving. Across from this shop is a COCO Tea store—if you order a medium-sized double-layer milk tea, you’ll be stuffed to the brim.
But because I couldn’t forget about the Shacha Noodles, after eating the shrimp patties and with my stomach slightly bloated, I headed toward the authentic Shacha Noodles spot.
This Shacha Noodles shop is located across from Datong Road - Tian Tian Xian Seafood Stall. I ordered a bowl of Shacha Noodles, while my wife got a fish ball soup. The portions were generous and the flavors were excellent. However, since I had overeaten the shrimp patties earlier, after finishing the tofu, intestines, and liver in the Shacha Noodles, I really couldn’t manage to eat the noodles.
Around 18:20, I returned to the hotel. Due to getting up early and walking a lot, I couldn’t hold up and ended up sleeping for two hours.
At 20:00, I got up and started writing this rather special travelogue for you all. Because there are a lot of photos, and to make them clear for everyone while also needing to process a lot of material, I only finished editing the images by 21:40. Then, I started feeling a sore throat, kept sneezing, and had a runny nose—I just couldn’t take it, so I went out to a nearby pharmacy to buy some medicine, boiled some hot water, and then resumed editing the text.
Alright, it’s now October 11th, 1:30 AM. That’s all for now from your editor. Though it might be a bit messy, I’ve still tried my best to show you all the fun spots.
Oh, the medicine helped—I’m feeling much better, don’t worry. It’s just that the doctor advised no cold or seafood for now...
Lastly, here’s a photo of a fixed-gear bike the owner rode back when we were leaving ‘this place.’ It’s as flamboyant on the outside and as peaceful within as he is. Wishing you all well.
GapDay—everyone has company on every journey.
The app and subscription account are both “gapday.”