Xiamen is a major city on the southeast coast of the Peoples Republic of China.It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province .
The local vernacular is Amoy,a dialect of Southern Min,also called Hokkien.Amoy is widely used and understood across the southern region of Fujian province as well as overseas.While it is widely spoken in and around Xiamen,the Amoy dialect has no official status,and the official language of all government business is Mandarin.
Xiamen and its surrounding countryside is known for its scenery and tree-lined beaches.Gulangyu,also known as Piano Island,is a popular weekend getaway with views of the city and features many Victorian-era style European edifices.Xiamens Botanical Garden is a nature lovers paradise.The Buddhist Nanputuo Temple,dating back to the Tang Dynasty,is a national treasure.Xiamen is also famous for its history as a frontline in the Chinese Civil War with Taiwan over Jinmen (also known as Jinmen or Quemoy) 50 years ago.One attraction for tourists is to view Kinmen,a group of islands a few kilometres away and under Taiwanese control,from Xiamen island.