Xiamen's own sweet time

A snack street in Xiamen offers diners a variety of delicacies from both Fujian province and Taiwan.

The shops sell the region's special filled-up pancakes, peanut brittle, dried meat floss, as well as map/stamp books. The books allow tourists to follow carefully designed routes (of music, of famous cats etc.) and put stamps on each stop.

With so much to do, exploring the area will take up the better half of a day.

And the walks, whichever direction you take, will lead to the city's natural endowment.

To the south, there are cool sandy beaches (with a skyful of kites) that go on to encircle the island. And the nearby inner-circle pavement prove qualified for international marathons.

Running a marathon may not be for everyone, so the Island Ring Road is lined up with bikes for rent.

To Siming's east, there are a botanical garden, reservoirs, lakes, hills and forests that border or sprawl into Xiamen University.

The century-old university is the uncontested "most scenic university of China".

The historical South Putuo Temple stands at its west gate. Libraries and activity centers are connected by paths of flame trees and groves of milflores, Xiamen's city flower. A football field overlooks the sand and the sea.

Walk along a trail scaling the hills enfolding the campus, and one will reach the Wanshi Botanical Garden to while away a whole day. The Lover's Valley near the campus is densely wooded with many trails winding into the hills that one can easily spend a day hiking.