Chaozhou

Xiamen is one of China's original Special Economic Zones, designated in 1980, and has since developed a reputation as one of the country's most liveable and aesthetically coherent cities. Unlike the verticality and relentless pace of Shanghai or Shenzhen, Xiamen operates at a different register. The urban fabric here rewards slow exploration: the colonial streetscapes of Gulangyu Island, the seafood markets of Zengcuo'an, the camphor-lined boulevards of the university district. For travellers approaching China through the lens of culture and architecture rather than commerce, Xiamen offers a calibrated entry point. The luxury hotel market here has matured considerably over the past decade, with international brands establishing a significant presence alongside locally rooted properties that better reflect the city's Hokkien cultural identity.