Historical Background

When compared to the history of China as a whole, which wanders all the way back to 2,000 BC, Xiamen is relatively young. First records of its existence manifested during the Song dynasty (960-1279) when it was an isolated subsistence farming community of 4,000 residents. Its first entry into national significance occurred in the late 1300s, when the ruling Ming dynasty took advantage of Xiamen’s coastal location and natural harbor to transform the city into a frontline against the advances of invading pirates and restless Japanese expansionists.

During the 1600s, Xiamen began trading with Portugal, followed by Spain, and then the Dutch, who became so enamored with the area’s potential that they attempted to add it to their colonial empire. It was around this same time that Zheng Chenggong, locally known as Koxinga, began to create his legacy as a warrior. After gaining favor with the Ming dynasty for helping to thwart the Qings (Manchurians) from overrunning China and seizing control of the government, he began focusing on the Dutch dilemma. In 1661, Chenggong assembled a massive fleet of 7,000 junks and almost 300,000 men, including an elite group of soldiers called Tiger Guards (supposedly prospective soldiers were required to lift a 600 pound iron tiger to be considered for service) and an odd assortment of renegade pirates. His makeshift army succeeded in evicting the Dutch from Taiwan. According to legend he conducted this campaign from a lofty bluff called Sunlight Rock on Gulangyu Island, where a massive statue of a robed Chenggong towers today. Some, mainly local Chamber of Commerce people, even go so far to compare it to being China’s Statue of Liberty.

The zeal of warfare eventually hijacked Zheng Cheggong's better judgment. Drunk with success, he attempted to extend his power to the Philippines. But when the battles began to end in defeat, he pinned the blame on his uncle and cousin and had them executed. The spot of execution is noted with a stone marker in Wansai Botanical Park. Overcome with guilt, Chenggong took his own life in Taiwan in 1662.

After peace was restored, trading resumed with Europe. Relations remained amicable until the first Opium War (1839-1842) with Great Britain, which ended in a resounding defeat for China. Under the provisions of the Treaty of Nanjing, Xiamen was declared one of "Five Treaty Ports," giving Great Britain the right to residency. France, Germany and the United States signed similar treaties in the following years and their influences can still be seen today, especially on Gulangyu Island with its wall-to-wall colonial architecture. England would reign over Xiamen until 1939, when Japan invaded.

Even after Japan was repelled, peace did not find its way into Xiamen. After the People’s Republic of China formed in 1949, Xiamen’s close proximity (at three miles) to Taiwanese-controlled Jinmen Island made it a battlefront with Taiwan, as both islands continually lobbed shells at each other. The last outburst came more recently than might be imagined, in 1994.

During the 1950s, a causeway was built linking Xiamen with the mainland, but overall the surrounding Fujian province suffered from extreme neglect under Mao Sedong’s reign, making it one of China’s poorest provinces. Its fortunes dramatically changed in 1980 when Xiamen was selected as one of China’s first Special Economic Zones, opening it to foreign investment. By 1990 it had turned into a major economic power buoyed by strong pharmaceutical, electronic, and textile industries.

It also recognized the economic power of tourism. Under the foresight of mayor Hong Yongshi, emphasis was placed on cleaning the city and making it more visitor friendly. Yundang Lake was purified of pollution, car horns were outlawed, and all vehicular traffic on Gulangyu Island was banned, making it one of the top tourist attractions in all of China. Xiamen is now recognized as the cleanest city in China. It has even received praise from the United Nations for its pro-environmental stance, making it a national model for other cities and nations around the globe. The subsequent addition of excellent hotels and restaurants now means that Xiamen is one of China’s leading destinations.

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