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Xiamen

It is said that in the ancient time, flocks of egrets (Bailu in Chinese) migrated to dwell on Xiamen Island from time to time and that is why people call Xiamen "Ludao" (Island of Egrets) and Xiagu Strait "Lujiang" (River of Egrets). The first settlement of people on Xiamen Island dates back to the latter part of the New Stone Age. That was three to four thousand years ago. And the recorded history dates back to the middle period of the Tang Dynasty, which was more than 1140 years ago. During the Tianbao Period of the Tang Dynasty, the ethnic Chinese surnamed Xue (薛) and Chen (陈) migrated to Xiamen Island from Fu'an in the east of Fujian Province and Zhangzhou in the south of Fujian Province and settled at the southern and northern foot of the Hongjishan Mountain respectively.

The administrative organization of Xiamen City was first set up in the Song Dynasty. It was then affiliated to Tongan County, Quanzhou Prefecture. In the twentieth year during the Hongwu Period in early Ming Dynasty (1387), the imperial government started to build stockade villages and forward posts on the island and named the island "Xiamen", meaning the "Gate of the Motherland". And the geographical name of "Xiamen" became the official name of the island despite that Xiamen was once renamed "Siming Prefecture" and "Siming County" during the several hundred years from then on. In 1933, Xiamen was officially established as a city. That made it the first city set up in Fujian Province.

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Transportation

Basic Tourist Infrastructure With Modern Functions
Tourist Information Service
Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism has established Tourist Information and Service Centers in places where tourists are concentrated and distributed such as the Airport, Railway Station and passenger quays. All the Centers, which ware put into operation in 1998, are equipped with multimedia computers to provide tourist information about Xiamen. They also provide complimentary advertising materials such as tourist manuals or guides, touring maps of Xiamen, tourist hotels and restaurants in Xiamen in addition to providing information service to touring party and individual travelers.

Public Information Signs and Symbols
In 1997, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism together with Municipal Bureau of Technical Supervision and Municipal Bureau of Civil Administration, conducted an examination in the use of signs and symbols of public information in order to get a clear picture of the problems existed in the use of these signs and symbols before taking measures to strengthen the implementation of regulations.

In early 1998, illustrations and articles presenting the standard signs and symbols concerning public information were printed on Xiamen Daily and Xiamen Commercial Daily in series, posted on the bulletin boards of each district. A joint announcement advocating the standardized use of signs and symbols concerning public information was broadcast by Xiamen TV Station-1 During the prime period of time, creating a suitable atmosphere for the standardized use of these signs and symbols.

On June 10, 1998, a coordination meeting focusing on the standardized use of signs and symbols concerning public information was held under the chair of Mayor assistant and vice director of the project of "Building Top Tourist Cities of China". It defined the duties of various relevant sections and department. The Municipal Bureau of Technical Supervision, the Municipal Tourism Administration and the Municipal Bureau of Civil Administration were put in charge of stopping the manufacture and distribution of fake and shoddy signs and symbols so as to stop up the loophole. The Municipal Bureau of Technical Supervision was also in charge of the check and control of the manufactures and sellers of these signs and symbols with anti-counterfeit marks. The Municipal Detachment Group of Fire Control, the Municipal Bureau of Public Security, the Municipal Bureau of Culture, the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Commerce, the Municipal Bureau of Public Health and the Bureau of Post and Telecommunications got down to replace the non-standardized signs and symbols used in their respective sections and systems.
In 1998, the examination panel organized by the project of "Building Top Tourist Cities of China" conducted three comprehensive examinations in the use of signs and symbols concerning public information in May, July and August. Currently, the main service industries have replaced the fake and shoddy signs and symbols with genuine ones. Gaoqi International Airport, Railway Station, Xiamen Passenger Quay and Ferry Quay, Main trunks to the Airport, Railway Station and Quays, roads leading to major tourist attractions and main tourist areas in the city proper are all marked with eye-catching accurate and standardized signs and symbols.

• International Language Environment
  Posts of road signs written in Chinese and English are planted on the main roads in Xiamen City. Xiamen City started to set up Chinese-English road signs in 1996 when the work of changing and replacing road names and house plates was under way. The first batch of road signs with Chinese-English names were put into use in April, 1997. A total amount of 1.5 million yuan has been invested in the setting up of 932 road signs and house plates with Chinese-English names on the 403 streets and lanes of the City. From 1996 to the first half of 1998, the Municipal Bureau of Tourism put up 139 constructive Chinese-English road signs along the main trunks across the City to include the whole Island.

• Public Service Infrastructure
  Public telephone booths are installed on the main downtown streets. To speed up the construction of "Information Port" in Xiamen, the Municipal Bureau of Post and Telecommunications worked out the Overall Development Plan of the Construction of Xiamen Information Port Infrastructure, the Development Plan of Xiamen City Telecommunication Networks and Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Post and Telecommunications N-ISDN Plan together to define the development direction of the city's telecommunication industry. Xiamen City has begun to install IC card Public telephone booths along the main trunks, as well as the streets which are frequently visited by tourists, and in the main tourist areas and spots, big hotels and restaurants since 1996. These booths save a lot of trouble for local citizens and tourists from home and abroad when in need of making telephone contacts. By the end of 1998, the total number of public phones had exceeded 11,000, including some 10,000 toll ones scattered in the streets and Lanes; some 600 slot ones along the main lines of communications, in hotels and restaurants, airports, stations and bus stops, quays, tourist areas and spots, markets and shops; some 1000 IC card telephones are installed in major tourist areas and scenic spots, Airport and Railway Station, quays, hotels and the streets where tourists are relatively concentrated. More than eighty per cent of tourist hotels, travel agencies in Xiamen City have booking networks providing accommodation reservations and tourist services to both touring parties and individual travelers by means of telephone or fax. Seventy tourist hotels in Xiamen have computerized-fax and telephone reservation networks to serve individual tourists and forty-five travel agencies have computer, fax and telephone reservation networks to provide tourist services to individual tourists. Xiamen Chunhui Travel Agency and Xiamen Foreign Trade Travel Agency are capable of accepting reservations from individual travelers via Internet.

• Night Sightseeing
  Since 1993, Xiamen City has been putting great stress on the ornamental projects on main streets and night sightseeing areas. So far, the municipal government has put aside tens of million yuan to develop and construct night tourist attractions scattered on Gulangyu Island, Zhongshan Road, South-north Siming Road, Xiamen University Street, Egret Islet Park Yundang Lake, Entrance to Lotus Road and other places where tourists like to do shopping, find fun and eat snacks at night. For instance, along South-north Siming Road there are 132 markets and shops, 7 restaurants and 5 places of recreation. On entrance to Lotus Road, there are 7 markets and shops, 18 restaurants and 7 places of recreation. There are 60 markets and shops, 35 restaurants and 4 places of recreation on Xiamen University Street; 169 markets and shops, 13 restaurants and 5 places of recreation on Zhongshan Road; 31 markets and shops, 3 restaurants and 6 places of recreation on Yundanghu Lake Egret Islet. Besides, three pleasure-boasts named Ruixin, Hovering Egret and White Egret are available for tourists to visit Gulangyu Island and admire the City at night. Other night tourist items include Water sightseeing from Ferrying Quay to Huli Mountain Fortress, Huangcuo Seaside Relaxation, Gulangyu Island Seaside Grill, Bright Moon Garden Large Screen Electronic Water fall, etc.

Safety and Insurance
Tourist Safety
The departments of tourism, public security, fire control, industry and commerce, public health and other relevant units are in charge of supervising the implementation of the relevant laws and regulations in the units and places in relation to foreign affairs to protect the legal rights and interests of tourists. The law enforcement personnel of Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism (XMBT) strictly observe the XMBT Procedures for Examining Tourist Market Order and Administrative Law Implementation. They are required to enforce laws in a civilized and standardized way.

The Public Order Division of Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Public Security strictly observes the stipulated relevant procedures while enforcing laws in the units and places in relation to foreign tourism. They take every measure possible to avoid affecting the normal life and rest of the tourists. The Fire Control Detachment of Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Public Security strictly observes the stipulated procedures in the course of propagating supervising and examining the implementation of Fire Control Regulation and handling cases violating the relevant regulations and rules. Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Industry and Commerce has set up "96315" action network joined in by more than 30 units. It is a network set up to facilitate the protection of the legal rights and interests of consumers (including travelers). They have clear job responsibilities and assessment standards, which have contributed a lot to regulating the behavior of law enforcement personnel. Xiamen Municipal Pricing Bureau provides a special telephone (5140729) service to facilitate the receiving and settlement of complaints. Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Public Health undertakes the task of regulating the behavior of sanitation supervising personnel who are in charge of monitoring the sanitary conditions of the units and places in relation to overseas tropism to protect the legal rights and interests of tourists.

(2) Emergency Aid Stations in Tourist Areas
(3) Emergency Aid Stations are set up in all of the major tourist areas.
In July, 1998, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism ran a training class for medical emergency rescuers in Emergency Aid Stations of major tourist areas and spots jointly with Xiamen Municipal School of Health to teach emergency rescue knowledge and skills with respect to common acute internal and surgical diseases. All the trainees came up to the requirements and were granted qualifications at the end of the course.
With a view to set up and strengthen the medical emergency stations in major tourist areas and scenic spots, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism purchased a uniform set of medical rescue equipment for each rescue stations, including wheelchairs, stretchers, oxygen bags, first-aid kit and medicines in common use. Currently each major tourist area and scenic spot has a medical emergency rescue room with eye-catching symbol set up in a convenient place to provide first aid to the tourists in need of emergency help.
Each of the major scenic areas and spots has established emergency telephone contacts with the closest local hospitals to ensure timely treatment for the patients in need of emergent treatment.

Emergency Aid Stations in Major Tourist Areas and Scenic Spots

• Tourist Insurance
  From 1990, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism recommended travel services/ agencies to take out insurance against accidental injury for package travelers home and abroad. From 1993, the Bureau made it compulsory for travel services / agencies to take out insurance against accidental injury for package travelers home and abroad. Every travel agency is required to conclude insurance contracts with Xiamen Property Insurance Company, PICC and stipulated that the relevant agency pays 30 yuan as premium for an insured amount of 30,000 yuan on behalf of each overseas tourist and 10 yuan as premium for an insured amount of 10,000 yuan on behalf of each domestic tourist. Now the insurance coverage has reached 100%. In September 1, 1997, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism recommended Xiamen Life Insurance Company, PICC as the only eligible insurer to sign insurance contracts with respect to accidental injury of tourists with the travel services/ agencies of Xiamen City in Xiamen with a view to carrying out the State Administration of Tourism Ordinance (No.9) and the Temporary Provisions on Travel Agencies Taking Out Insurance Against Accidental Injury on behalf of tourists. The premium and insured amount remained the same for both overseas and domestic touring parties/ teams. The premium and insured amount for each outbound tourist, which was a newly-introduced coverage at that time, was set at 30 yuan and 300,000 yuan respectively. The premium and insured amount for one-day excursion tourists was increased to 3 yuan and 30,000 yuan per capita respectively.

• Safety and Insurance
  The Quality Supervision of Tourism
  Quality Supervision Bureau of Tourism of Xiamen Municipality.
  Tel for Complaints (Free of Charge) : 8008582-365.
  Address : The Six Floor in Xingye Building, Number 78, Northern Hubin Road, Xiamen City.
  Telephone Number : 0592-5318985 , Fax : 0592-5318983 , Postcode : 361012

Travel Services/ Agencies
List of Travel Services/ Agencies in Xiamen City

• Xiamen Constructing and Developing International Travel Agency
  Xiamen Construction and Development Group manages the only five-star-rated hotel in Xiamen-Xiamen Mandarin Hotel with whole investment, and it holds 20% equities of Xiamen Airline Co., Ltd. Xiamen Constructing and Developing International Travel Agency relies on the ample actual strength of Xiamen Construction and Development Group and possesses excellent service facilities and managing personnel. It has a well-trained guiding group, using Mandarin, English, French, Japanese, Russian, Korean, Indian, etc. and dialects of Min and Yue, etc. fluently. The travel agency persistently uses "Service with Sincerity and Friendship, Serve Customer as the Supreme, Service Reputation as the Most Important, Service for Mutual Benefit" as its principle. It fully excavates tour resources to provide excellent services for travelers inside and outside the border.

• Xiamen China International Travel Service
  Xiamen China International Travel Service is the director unit of the biggest tourist group in China-National Tourism Group and the member of China Tourism Association. Its main management range includes receiving foreigners, overseas Chinese, our compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao, and our compatriots from Taiwan when they come to Mainland China for tour, for business investigating, for visiting relatives and friends or for learning and exchanging. It also handles the affairs of Chinese citizens' tours in China. It can provide various entrusting and deputizing services concerning tourism. Xiamen China International Travel Service has the most optimum traveling motorcade in its scale in Xiamen City. And it has nearly 200 professional personnel having been strictly trained and obtained the National Qualification Certificates. It has guides who can speak English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Indonesian and Southern Fujian Dialect. It is the first travel agency which has received the visiting group of our compatriots from Taiwan. It is also the first travel agency in putting together a tour group and being pointed as a designated reception travel agency as it originally promoted and organized the Taipei/Manila/Xiamen direct traveling charter flight. It is the number one port travel agency successively for three years in China for receiving International Ocean Liner. In line with the faith of "Providing Excellent Service, Creating Famous Enterprise Trademark", all the staff in Xiamen China International Travel Service insist on developing and progressing, and successively acquired the title of "One of the One Hundred China First Grade Great Travel Service Enterprises" by the National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic of China for three years.
  Telephone : 5051825, Fax : 5051819

• Xiamen China Travel Service
  Xiamen China Travel Services is founded in November 1949. it is the first special department providing services to Overseas Chinese both at home and abroad, our compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and foreigners. It is the place of origin of China National Tourism Group. The personnel in Xiamen China Travel Service has consistently been in line with the principle of "Customers Should be the God, Services Should be the Best" since the establishment of the Travel Service half century ago. They did their best to provide excellent services to the guests both from home and abroad. They have accumulated a great deal of experiences. They enjoy excellent popularity and reputation both at home and abroad. The enterprises subordinated to the travel service are Xiamen China Travel Service Tourism Business Center, Xiamen Overseas Chinese Building (Being Decorated with Four Star Standards), Xiamen Overseas Tourism Overseas Remittance Service Company, Xiamen China Travel Service Automobile Company, Xiamen China Holiday Travel Service, Xiamen China Travel Service Real Estate Development Company, Xiamen China Travel Service Holiday Inn, Xiamen China Travel Service Trade Co. Ltd. Xiamen China Travel Service Airline Service Co. Ltd., Xiamen Drum Wave Villa (Hotel) and Xiamen Red Mansion Hotel Etc.
  Xiamen China Travel Service uses "Customers Should be the God, Services Should be the Best" as its Principle. It sincerely welcomes all guests both from home and abroad to arrive or to consult.
  Address: Number 70~74, Xinhua Road, Xiamen City.
  Post Code : 361003 , Telephone : 0592-2025602 (telephone exchange). , Fax : 0592-2032239

• Xiamen China Holiday Travel Service
  Xiamen China Holiday Travel Service is a whole capital of its own division company subordinated to Xiamen China Travel Service. It has the qualification of independent artificial person. The travel service is located in the busy section in downtown of Xiamem City. It has the advantages of sharing the service network with other travel enterprises similarly subordinated to the China Travel Service, such as Overseas Chinese Tower (Hotel), China Overseas Company, Automobile Company, China Travel Service Tickets and Notes Company, Drum Wave Villa, etc. it also has the cooperation with colleagues in the same tourist industry. As a result, it can provide the traveling groups or individual travelers with all bearings and a comprehensive continuous service line of eating, accommodation, traveling, visiting, shopping, amusing and tickets booking for international flight, train or boat and room renting. The company carefully designed Minnan Golden Trianglar Tourism Line and Sight-seeing of Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou stressing on the new, the wonderful and the special. They can provide the visitors with rational schedule, economical costs and more scenery for visiting and excellent services.

• Xiamen Tourist Group Co. Ltd.
  Xiamen Tourism Group Co. Ltd. combines tourism hotel, eating and drinking facilities, trade, real estate and scenic area development into one. It has star rated hotels, international and domestic travel agencies, restaurant, resort, stores, automobile company and luxurious pleasure boat, etc. It has the whole investment or stock participating or stock controlling of these 28 enterprises, which include Star Enterprises for Xiamen such as Xiamen Scenery of the Sea Hotel Co. Ltd., Xiamen Lujiang Hotel and "Jimei" Pleasure Boat to and from Hong Kong etc. It is a large-scale enterprise group with specialty in tourism, diversifying investment and integral development in Xiamen.
  Xiamen Tourism Group Co. Ltd. is pursuing the best economic profit and the best social reputation. It is gradually developed into an enterprise group with trans-regional, trans-industrial, trans-ownership and trans-national nature.
  Address : The 15th Floor in Chinese Construction Building, Number 78, Xinhua Road
  Post Code : 361003 , Telephone : 2015482 , Fax : 2020330

• Xiamen Spring Light Travel Agency
  Xiamen Spring Light Travel Agency is an enterprise directly subordinated to the ld Aged Affairs Committee in Xiamen. The Evaluation Center of Fujian Province and the Evaluation Association of Fujian Province on Enterprises evaluated it as one of the 300 strongest enterprises in the service sector in Fujian Province in 1998. it is the second enterprise in travel service industry that has acquired ISO 9001 international qualification certificate in 1998. The quality principle of the company is "Honest and Reputation are to be the Basic, Services is to be the Best". We deeply wish that we can establish cooperation with friends in different sections all over the world on the principle of mutual benefit and mutual profit, to hold hands to progress in developing the new kind of network tourism and business tourism.

• Xiamen China Youth Travel Service
  Xiamen China Youth Travel Service is established in 1984. It is a member of the Pacific Asia Tourism Association and a member of International Air Transportation Association. In 1995, it entered the list of "One Hundred First and Second Grade Great Travel Service Enterprises in China". Xiamen China Youth Travel Service has developed various business affairs related to tourism. It has tourism office comprehensive building and modern communication facilities. It is a large-scale tourism enterprise in Xiamen City. Xiamen China Youth Travel Services is an enterprise of the young People. Its characters are cordial, fast, flexible and of high quality. Its slogan is to create a glorious future.

• Xiamen City Hua Xia Travel Agency
  Xiamen City Hua Xia Travel Agency is subordinated to Xiamen City Reception Office. It is an enterprise Owned by the whole people. There are now 38 cadres and employees. There are Outside Relationship Department, Comprehensive Department, Individual Guests Department, Group Travel-ling Department, Retail Department, Tickets and Notes Department, and Fujian and Hong Kong Trade Company. There are several traveling buses and management places equipped with modern administrative facilities. It has a professional guiding troop with high quality and rich experiences. It has been awarded Advanced Collective of Spirit Civilization construction in Tourist Industry in Xiamen, Civilization Window Showing Unit, Municipality Level "Name of Youth Civilization" Unit, Advanced Collective in Activities of Establishing "China Top Tourist City" in Xiamen and Advanced Collective in Xiamen Municipal Reception Office. It has ample receiving power and excellent service quality. It is worth your reliance. Xiamen City Hua Xia Travel Agency uses "Honest Being the Highest, Reputation Being the First" as its running principle. It would like to hold hands with the colleagues in tourist industry with honest, faithful, safe and excellent services to donate its best for the progressing and flourishing of the tourist industry.

• Xiamen Ever Bright International Tourism Co. Ltd.
  Xiamen Ever Bright International Tourism Co. Ltd. is subordinated to China Ever Bright Group Corporation. It is an international Travel agency approved by the National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic of China. The company is mainly receiving inside and outside border traveling group (individual travelers). At present, it has established 15 departments such as Market Selling Department, International Department, Overseas Department, Asia and Pacific Department, and Hong Kong and Taiwan Department, etc. it opens several international traveling lines such as Taiwan (through Hong Kong) to Mainland China, Southeast Asian Countries to China, and Hong Kong (Macao) to Mainland China, etc. it has developed several domestic traveling lines such as East China, Huangshan, Wuyishan and Road of Silk, etc. it organizes Worship Group to Meizhou, Putuo Mountain, etc. for traveling and visiting. In recent years, the company links up with the travel agencies responsible for outbound tour and operates several outbound tour routes from Mainland China to Hong Kong and Southeast Asian Countries. The company is now holding a group of professional management personnel and guides who have higher education, richer experiences and acquired the Travel Service Manager Qualification Certificates and Guide Certificates. The company uses the principle of making the service the highest and the reputation the first to receive visitors. The company will welcome the arrival of the new century with excellent posture to donate its effort to write a new chapter for Xiamen tourism.

• Xiamen University International Travel Agency
  Xiamen University International Travel Agency is an enterprise owned by the whole people, established by Xiamen University with independent artificial person qualification. It is subordinated to the University Run Industrial Group-South Construction Group. It has a foreign concerning hotel, automobile team and tickets and notes stations. It is equipped with an excellent and outstanding guide troop capable of speaking various languages. They have stronger comprehensive strength. Xiamen University International Travel Agency persistently receives and develops the university establishing spirit of "Constantly Strive to Become Stronger, Persistently Progress until perfect" from Mr. Cheng Jiagen. They will make efforts for the flourishing and developing of the tourist industry.

• Xiamen Overseas Travel Agency
  Xiamen Overseas Travel Agency is the first one listed as the first grade travel agency in Xiamen City. It mainly works on organizing and receiving foreign tourists and overseas compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan coming to Mainland China for various kinds of visiting activities. It organizes and receives Chinese citizens on various kinds of visit in the country. It also acts as an agent for Chinese citizens leaving the country for tour, visiting family member and investigating on business. It is an agent for the various big airlines on passengers and cargo. It has long term business cooperation with countries all over the world and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions. It has coordinated with local reception services, hotels and transportation departments on a perfect mutual understanding all over the country. It also holds well-trained interpreter and guides. It has a well-balanced traveling automobile team which can provide the visitors with safe, easy and comfortable services. There is an all capital of its own division company subordinated to the company-Xiamen Overseas Global Travel Agency, which is a domestic travel agency especially managing the tour affairs domestically.
  Address : The Eighth Floor in Huguang Building, Hubin East Road, Xiamen.
  Post Code : 361004 , Telephone : 5083861 , Fax : 5083553

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  Information provided by China National Tourism Administration.

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