Xiamen sweetheart retreats

Signs of good food: Great seafood is a major attraction for the tourist hordes, as well as the very popular five-spice meat rolls.

What to see

Gulangyu is the place to go, of course, with its many famous landmark and an Underwater World full of deep-sea creatures.

Zengcuo'an is where you can spend a pleasant day wandering through lanes filled with little hostelries and shops with great character. The Taiwanese influence is strong here, and many of the shopkeepers hail from across the Straits. The seafood selections here range from street side stalls inside the village to proper restaurants along the main road. After filling your tummy, indulge in a little romantic stroll on the beachfront boardwalk to work off the calories. Remember to buy some fruits to take back. They range from durians to mangoes and guavas to rose apples.

Jimei University Town. This is overseas Chinese Tan Kah Kee's legacy to his hometown. He also built Xiamen University, and insisted on having a Chinese-style roof on top of the very Western structure because he said Chinese philosophy caps it all. Jimei is also where his body rests, after spending his entire fortune investing in education for his fellow Fujianese. His memorial is surrounded by murals and carvings documenting the highlights of Chinese history through 5,000 years.

What to eat

Seafood. When in Xiamen, you need to enjoy the plentiful seafood. Apart from the very fresh fish, crabs and prawns, be adventurous and try the steamed conch, the "sea asparagus" or tusundong, and the many varieties of clams and cockles. There is also the mother of all oyster omelets, of which the Taiwanese version is a mere imitation. Another must-try is the five-spice meat rolls wrapped in bean curd skin and deep-fried - wuxiang juan.