This article is a brief story of my transit stopover in Xiamen, China. It’s a sort of quick review of both Xiamen Airlines and the city itself.
I was flying back from the US to Indonesia with Xiamen Airlines, and I chose a flight with a 12-hour layover in Xiamen.
Side Note: If your flight transits in Xiamen or Fuzhou with Xiamen Airlines, Indonesian passport holders do not need a special visa. We are eligible for the “Transit Without Visa” (TWOV) program, which allows a stay of up to 24 hours in the city, as long as it’s a single-ticket itinerary (for example, Jakarta-Osaka via Fuzhou).
Upon arrival, we filled out a form to receive a short entry permit, passed through immigration, and got the usual stamp. Depending on your layover duration, if it’s less than 4-6 hours, you’ll only have access to a free lounge. However, if your layover is 6-24 hours, you may be eligible for a hotel stay, provided the arrival and departure dates are on different days.
Xiamen Airlines Economy Class
The flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Xiamen (XMN) was on a Boeing 787 with a 3-3-3 seating configuration. The cabin had a blue theme with decent legroom for an economy class flight.
The cabin’s lighting system could change colors, almost like setting the mood for passengers.
For serial Chinese drama fans, the long-haul flight is a treat, as many Chinese dramas have up to 60 episodes per series. The in-flight entertainment had plenty of options, including Hollywood films.
I had no major complaints about my 14-hour flight. The cabin crew wasn’t as proactive or as friendly as other top Asian airlines, but food and beverages were well provided.
Exploring Xiamen
Let’s step out of the Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport for a moment.Since I didn’t buy a SIM card (thinking it was just a short trip), I could only do research before arriving and when I had Wi-Fi.
After clearing immigration without any issues, I received a one-day transit stamp and exited the airport. It felt eerily quiet, almost as if I wasn’t in China. I started my journey from the bus stop in the airport complex, with the first destination being Gulangyu Island. I took the electric BRT bus to Lundu Ferry Terminal (the fare was about 0.5-1 yuan).
Due to insufficient research (since I had no internet), I didn’t realize that tourists couldn’t take the ferry from Lundu Terminal. The staff redirected me to another terminal (about 800 meters away on foot). My limited Mandarin made things difficult, and I couldn’t buy the ticket. I later learned that the ferry to Gulangyu is primarily for locals, and tourists are supposed to take the ferry from Xiamen Cruise Terminal, which I had no information on how to get to. So, I had to cancel my trip to Gulangyu Island, even though I could clearly see the island across the water.
So, what’s so special about Gulangyu? It’s a small pedestrian-only island, a major tourist attraction in Xiamen, and is home to the famous Koxinga statue.Next, I headed to Zhongshan Road, a popular pedestrian street. Since it was still early (around 8 AM), most stores weren’t open yet.
After a quick breakfast at a nearby eatery, the stores started to open. It was summer, so the heat was pretty intense. People preferred walking on the shaded sidewalks rather than in the middle of the street, which gave me the rare chance to take pictures of empty streets — something not often seen in China.
There were familiar clothing stores like Baleno and Bossini, as well as local brands like MetersBonwe, Anta Sport, and Li Ning.I also took a bus to Dianzi Cheng (Electronic City), but it wasn’t anything special, so I headed back to Zhongshan to continue shopping.
Back to Xiamen Airport
Finally, it was time to head back to the airport. After waiting for a long time for the BRT bus that never came, I decided to take a taxi to the airport. The fare wasn’t too expensive, probably around 60-80 yuan.
For Xiamen Airlines passengers with daytime layovers like mine, we can access the airport lounge, which is located in the public area. You just need to show your boarding pass. The lounge was quite basic, with rows of sofas and minimal snacks and soft drinks. Fortunately, I could take a shower or change clothes here, so I was ready for my next flight back to Jakarta.