Xiamen History

Geographic Connection Specific locations mentioned: Xiamen (Amoy/Egret Island), Quanzhou (Zayton), Zhangzhou (Moon Harbor/Yuegang), Gulangyu, Tong’an, Dongdu, Haicang, Xinglin, Jimei, Kinmen, Wutong, Songyu. Introduction: From ‘Garnering Grain Isle’ to the ‘Oriental Switzerland’ In the vast sea of Chinese local chronicles, Xiamen’s history is a representative prequel to globalization. According to the Xiamen City Gazetteer, human activity on the island dates back over 5,000 years. However, its status as a trade hub began with the migration of large clans in the mid-Tang Dynasty. In 857 AD, Xiamen was established as ‘Jiahe Li’ (Garnering Grain Village), then a remote agricultural and fishing island under the jurisdiction of Tong’an County. ...

Introduction: “Two Wings of a Bird” Across the Strait In the geographic context of Southern Fujian, the relationship between Xiamen and Taiwan is often described as the “two wings of a bird”—as the saying goes, “Xiamen is Taiwan, and Taiwan is Xiamen”. This close connection is not a modern invention but is deeply rooted in centuries of maritime administrative evolution, military confrontation, and population migration. From Zheng Chenggong using Xiamen as a base to recover Taiwan, to the Qing Dynasty’s legal designation of Xiamen as the sole port for crossing to Taiwan, to modern Xiamen being the most concentrated area for Taiwanese investment, this sea has witnessed a transformation from a “military outpost” to a “grain lifeline,” and finally to an “economic co-prosperity circle”. ...

Introduction: The Leap from a Fishing Village to a Modern Metropolis Xiamen, once an isolated island known as Jiahe Islet, saw its major turning point with the opening of the treaty port in 1843. However, looking through the lens of digital local chronicles, Xiamen’s rapid metamorphosis from a consumption-based traditional port to a modern city was primarily driven by the massive capital reflux of “remittances” from overseas Chinese, rather than just the influx of foreign firms. ...