Destinations

Xiamen, China. The beautiful harbour city of Xiamen off China's southeast coast boast of a long and colourful history dates back to some 3,000 years ago. The city offers extensive and varied sightseeing experiences - from thousand year-old Buddhist temples to fortresses. Here, one can enjoy its subtropical climate and picturesque. It is also the cultural and academic centre of Fujian Province. Xiamen is today one of China's most vibrant cities with many thriving industries.

SuperStar Aquarius Shore Excursions: Relocation Cruises QXMN-A – Quanzhou City Tour Start your journey by having a sumptuous lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Quanzhou City to visit the Confucius Temple. Explore the Kaiyuan Temple next and be enthralled by its architectural awe. Quanzhou's largest Buddhist temple dates back to 686 AD and is a top tourist attraction. The East and West Pagodas prominently flank the temple's courtyard and feature a convention of sculpted Buddhist figures. Visit the Museum of Maritime Communications next where many relics from Maritime Silk Road are on exhibit including a large ancient boat, which was retrieved from Quanzhou Bay. It had been sitting on the bottom of the sea for 700 years, although damaged, the boat measures 24 metres long and 9 metres wide, consisted of 13 cabins and had a capacity of 200 tons. Had 200 tons of goods been transported via the original Silk Road, 700 camels would have been needed to carry it all. The boat is typical of its time and is a good example of the vessels built in Quanzhou's many shipyards at that time. QXMN-B – Gulangyu Shuzhang Garden Visit Gulangyu Island to see the Ancient City Exhibition Hall and enjoy a traditional puppet show. Walk by the colonial buildings, pleasant winding streets including an old Catholic Church. Enjoy a sumptuous lunch next at a local restaurant before heading to the Shuzhuang Gardens, which was built in the 1930s as a private villa but was turned into a public park in 1955. The garden is divided into two sections - the Garden of Hiding the Sea (Canghaiyuan) and the Garden of Making-Up Hills (Bushanyuan). The garden is an embodiment of three important principles of garden design - hiding elements, profiting from the natural surroundings and combining movements. The garden's pavilions and a maze of connected caves let visitors experience different atmospheres and make endless new discoveries. Head next to the Gulangyu's Piano Museum, comprised of two exhibition halls, the collection includes 30 pianos by renowned piano makers from Britain, France, United States, Austria and Australia. The instruments are over 100 years old and a large selection of miniature and custom pianos are also on display. During the colonial times, Gulangyu was inhabited by a large community of Westerners. Around 1910, foreign settlers established music schools that taught piano playing and the local Chinese got swept away by this instrument. Many accomplished musicians, such as Yin Chengzong and Xu Feiping are natives of Gulangyu Island. China 's first female conductor, Zhou Shuan is also from Gulangyu. No wonder the isle is also known as the "Cradle of Musicians" and " Island of Music." Stop by Gulangyu Shopping Street to shop for a wide variety of dry seafood products and local handicrafts before returning to Xiamen by local ferry. QXMN-C – Gulangyu Underwater World Enjoy a sumptuous lunch spread at a local restaurant before joining a public ferry to Gulangyu Island. Visit the Underwater World and view its wide varieties of freshwater and seawater fish. Under the 80-meter tunnel, visitors can get thrillingly close to the sharks, stingrays, giant groupers and schools of coral reef fish. The world’s largest specimen of a sperm whale and its skeleton are also on display. Don’t miss the wonderful show of dolphins and sea lions. Ride on a sightseeing cart and enjoy the local scenery. Stop at the Gulangyu Shopping Street – a wide variety of dry seafood products and local handicrafts are available here. Return to Xiamen by local ferry.

QXMN-D – Xiamen City Tour Enjoy the scenery along the East Coast before heading for a sumptuous vegetarian lunch at a local restaurant. Head to the South Putuo Temple next which was built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Upon entering the front gate, you will enter the Heavenly King Hall, which houses a huge laughing Buddha accompanied by the four heavenly kings on either side. Behind the Buddha stands Wei Tuo, another deity, who is safeguarding the Buddhist doctrine. Stepping out of the hall, you enter a courtyard, in front of the Great Heroic Treasure Hall, a two-storey building with three Buddha representing the past, present and future. The Great Compassion Hall, behind this, houses four statues of Guanyin. Hulisan Fortress, originally built as a coastal defence in 1823, the fortress has a number of impressive cannons, a secret tunnel, and a collection of swords. Highlights include The German-made Krupp Cannon that is the largest existing coast cannon in the world and various types of cannons manufactured in Ming and Qing Dynasties of China. Finally stop at Zhongshan Road for some shopping.