Xiamen University
厦门大学
The “most beautiful university in China,” founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee. It features the Jiayu-style buildings, Lotus Lake and the graffiti-covered Furong Tunnel, and sits with its back to the mountains and its face to the sea.
The Siming campus of Xiamen University sits beneath Wulao Peak, facing the sea. It was founded by the patriotic overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah Kee. Campus buildings such as the Qunxian Building cluster, the Jiannan Grand Hall and the Shangxian Field display the typical “Jiayu style”: red-brick Minnan houses with swallowtail roof ridges combined with Western-style colonnades. The style has been described as “wearing a Western suit and a bamboo hat.” Must-see spots include Lotus Lake and its black swans; the Jiannan Grand Hall and Shangxian Field, which overlook Baicheng Beach; the Furong Tunnel, a student-painted graffiti corridor about 1 km long; the Lu Xun Memorial; and Lovers' Valley. The campus is free to enter but strictly limited. Book in advance with your real name through the “U Xiamen” WeChat official account. On weekdays, visits are usually limited to fixed slots at midday and in the evening, and holiday quotas are smaller. Tickets are released and snapped up quickly. If you cannot get a reservation, you can view the campus from Baicheng Beach, the outskirts of the Xicun area and the hillside behind Nanputuo Temple. Entrances are the Da Nan Gate (beside Nanputuo Temple) and the Xicun Gate, where you enter with facial recognition and your ID card. The campus is best explored on foot and takes about 2 hours. It can be combined with Nanputuo Temple, Baicheng Beach and Shapowei into a half-day route. While open to visitors, campus canteens are restricted, so eat outside the campus. The campus is a teaching area, so keep quiet and do not enter classroom buildings or dormitory areas.
Opening hours
Reservation required; weekdays usually 12:00–14:00 and after 17:00; weekends and holidays by time slots
Nearby sights
- South Putuo Temple
- Yanwu Bridge Viewing Platform
- Overseas Chinese Museum
- Cloud Top Xiamen Observation Deck
- Shapowei
- Baicheng Beach
- Wulao Peak
- Hulishan Fortress