Breakthrough of Egret Island: How Xiamen Overcame Transport and Energy Bottlenecks via Strategic Investment (1980-1995)
Breakthrough of Egret Island: How Xiamen Overcame Transport and Energy Bottlenecks via Strategic Investment (1980-1995) Background: From a Frontline Fortress to a Window of Reform Before the formal establishment of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 1980, Xiamen had long been a frontline for coastal defense. Due to cross-strait military confrontation, urban development remained stagnant for decades. Although the Gaoji and Jixing Sea Embankments were built in the 1950s, turning Xiamen from an “isolated island” into an “artificial peninsula,” external connections relied solely on a single roadway and the low-capacity Ying-Xia Railway. ...