Established in 712, Xiamen, in southeastern Fujian Province, is one of the special economic zones first being opened up to the world. The city boasts Gulang Island, Xiamen University, Wanshi Botanical Garden, and other tourist attractions. Xiamen has a typical subtropical oceanic climate without cold winter or hot summer.

Since ancient times, Xiamen has always been a strategic place of defense significance on the southeast coast of China. It originally belonged to Tongan County. During the Ming and Yuan dynasties, defense posts were set up to prevent the intrusion of the Japanese bandits. In the 27th year of the reign of Emperor Hong Wu (1394) of the Ming dynasty, Xiamen city was built on the island. The name of the city means "the gateway to the great mansion", indicating the strategic importance of the place. The Qing Dynasty set up the Office of Xiamen and the Xiamen City was established in 1933.

As the legend goes, long time ago, many egrets took Xiamen as a habitat and the island is in the shape of a beautiful egret on the rippling sea in south Fujian. Hence, Xiamen is nicknamed as "Egret Island", "Egret Lantau" and "Egret Gate". In the years of Taipingxingguo Period of the Northern Song Dynasty, a stem of rice with several ears had grown on the island, which was regarded as an auspicious symbol by the local people. The island was thus called Golden Harvest Island. Meanwhile, as on the island "water flows across hills and mountains regardless of height, trees blossom regardless of the seasons. Snow is never seen and flowers are in constant bloom in four seasons", the island is termed by visitors as the "Sea Garden".

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