Impression of Xiamen

Remember how I waxed lyrical about my recent trips to China? about the charm of X'ian? the cultural depth of Chengdu? Well, my rosy view of Chinese cities was abruptly and rudely changed with my visit to Xiamen.

The city has the feel of a rough border town. It has embraced the worst of two sets of value systems where communist efficiency is used to feed capitalist avarice.

Highrise and highways dominate the city. Buildings are architecturally void of aesthetics - a fact further emphasised by garish neon-lit signs when night falls.

Entertainment takes the form of hard boozing and hard whoring in custom built KTVs that boast hundreds of private rooms and thousands of hostesses.

For the tourist looking for nostalgia and natural scenic beauty in Xiamen, the time has past. For the tourist looking for modern gentility that accompanies economic success, the time has not yet come.