Xiamen
Haicang, Xiamen: neighborhood guide
Stay in Haicang only if you want hot springs, forest parks or a cheaper mainland base with easy Line 2 metro access to Xiamen Island; skip it if your trip is about the island's old town, beaches and Gulangyu. Line 2 runs roughly 05:40–22:00, fares ¥2–7.Stay in Haicang only if you want hot springs, forest parks or a cheaper mainland base with easy Line 2 metro access to Xiamen Island; skip it if your trip is about the island's old town, beaches and Gulangyu. Line 2 runs roughly 5:40 AM–10:00 PM, fares ¥2–7.
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GuideXiamen
Key facts
- Best for
- Hot springs, Tianzhushan forest park, family farm visits, quieter mainland hotels
- Skip if
- You want Gulangyu, Zhongshan Road or island beaches on foot from your bed
- Metrocheck
- Line 2 links Wuyuanwan (island) to Tianzhushan; roughly 05:40–22:00, ¥2–7
- Bridge
- Haicang Bridge is the usual road link to Xiamen Island
- Ferrycheck
- Songyu Wharf ferries connect to Xiamen Wharf No. 1 on the island's west coast
- Airport transfercheck
- About 30 min by car or taxi from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport to the hot springs area
- Rainy-day option
- SM City Xiamen Haicang mall, opened Oct 2025, with cinema and supermarket
What Haicang is like
Haicang is a district of Xiamen City on the mainland, west of the island and joined to it by the Haicang Bridge. It is not on the BRT network, so the metro and taxis do the work. The district has grown fast: new high-rise blocks, wide roads and a lot of construction, with Maluan Bay New Town as the newest edge.
The feel is suburban and residential rather than sightseeing-first. Locals come here for hot springs, forest walks and family days out, not for a historic quarter. That makes it a calm, cheaper base with big rooms — and a poor base if you plan to walk to Xiamen's headline sights each morning.
Two anchors sit at opposite ends: Tianzhushan in the north (Line 2's final stop) and the Maluan Bay mall and new town in the south. Qingjiao Ciji Palace, a Southern Song temple from 1151, is the main heritage stop.
Should you stay in Haicang
Stay if your plan is hot springs, Tianzhushan and a slower pace, or if island hotel prices push you out. Line 2 puts you on Xiamen Island in a few stops, and taxis are cheap by US or UK standards.
Skip it if this is a first Xiamen trip built around Gulangyu, the old town and the island waterfront. You would spend 30–60 minutes each way on metro or road, and evenings on the island get awkward once Line 2 winds down around 22:00.
A middle option works well: two nights in Haicang for the hot springs and park, then move to the island for the rest.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Hot springs and Tianzhushan forest park on the doorstep | No island beaches, old town or Gulangyu within walking distance |
| Newer, larger rooms, often cheaper than island equivalents | Suburban streets with little evening atmosphere |
| Line 2 metro to the island, ¥2–7 | Not on the BRT network; last trains around 22:00 |
| Big mall for food, cinema and supermarket | Sights are spread out; you need taxis or buses |
| Easy road link via Haicang Bridge and to Xiamen North Railway Station | Bridge and tunnel traffic can slow airport or island runs |
Eating and drinking
Haicang's food is everyday Xiamen cooking rather than a destination scene: noodle shops, seafood restaurants and Fujian staples in the residential blocks and inside the malls. SM City Xiamen Haicang concentrates the reliable options — a supermarket, chains and a full dining floor — which is useful on a wet day or a late arrival.
For anything more specific, eat on Xiamen Island and come back by metro or taxi. The hot springs resort runs its own dining for guests, and the farm park has basic food on site. Prices are ordinary mainland city prices; a bowl of noodles is a few yuan, a seafood dinner for two a few hundred.
Getting there and around
Line 2 of the Xiamen Metro is the backbone: it runs from Wuyuanwan on the island to Tianzhushan in Haicang, with fares of ¥2–7 and service from roughly 05:40 to 22:00 (check current times). Tianzhushan station is the gateway to the forest park and the farm park; Dongfu station serves the hot springs, with a free resort shuttle every 30 minutes.
By road, the Haicang Bridge is the standard crossing from the island. Long-distance buses from Guangdong or Zhangzhou often stop in Haicang before Xiamen. Ferries run between Songyu Wharf in Haicang and Xiamen Wharf No. 1 on the island's west coast (check schedules).
Once here, use taxis, ride-hailing apps and local buses. The hot springs area is about 30 minutes by car from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport and 20 minutes from Xiamen North Railway Station.
What to see and do
Qingjiao Ciji Palace (Ciji East Palace) on Maqing Road is the district's historic highlight: a Southern Song temple founded in 1151, dedicated to the physician Wu Ben, later worshipped as Baosheng Dadi. It is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and free to enter, open 08:00–17:30 (check).
Tianzhushan National Forest Park is free, open 08:30–17:30 (check), and reached from Tianzhushan station or bus 805 from Songyu Wharf. Riyuegu Hotsprings Park is the big paid draw: over 40 pools across about 65,000 m², daily 10:00–22:00, adults from ¥248 on weekdays and children from ¥158, with under-1.2 m free (2026 estimate).
Families add Wow Farm near Tianzhushan station, an animal park open Wednesday to Sunday 09:00–17:30 with adult tickets from ¥108 (2026 estimate). For rain, SM City Xiamen Haicang has an IMAX cinema and a supermarket.
Where to stay
The obvious splurge is Riyuegu Hotsprings Hotel on Fulian Road, attached to the pools: rooms from around ¥798, check-in 15:00, check-out 12:00, with a free shuttle from Dongfu station (2026 estimate, check rates).
Otherwise, Haicang's stock is new-build business and residential hotels around Maluan Bay and along the metro line, generally cheaper per night than comparable island rooms. Pick within a short walk of a Line 2 station so the island stays reachable, and confirm the last-train time for your dates before booking.
Questions people ask
Is Haicang a good area to stay in?
Yes if you want hot springs, Tianzhushan forest park or cheaper, newer rooms with Line 2 metro access to Xiamen Island. No if your trip centres on Gulangyu, the old town and island beaches, where you would commute 30–60 minutes each way.
What is there to do in Haicang?
Riyuegu Hotsprings Park (from ¥248 weekdays, 10:00–22:00), free Tianzhushan National Forest Park, the Southern Song Qingjiao Ciji Palace, family-friendly Wow Farm, and SM City Xiamen Haicang mall for cinema and food.
How do I get to Haicang?
Take Xiamen Metro Line 2 from Wuyuanwan on the island to Tianzhushan, roughly 05:40–22:00, ¥2–7. By road, cross the Haicang Bridge; ferries link Songyu Wharf with Xiamen Wharf No. 1. Long-distance buses from Guangdong and Zhangzhou often stop here.
Is Haicang far from Xiamen Island?
It is directly west across the water, joined by the Haicang Bridge. Metro rides to island stops take a few minutes to around half an hour depending on destination; taxis are quick outside peak traffic.
Where should I eat in Haicang?
Everyday Fujian noodle and seafood shops in the residential blocks, plus the dining floor and supermarket at SM City Xiamen Haicang. For a wider choice, eat on Xiamen Island and return by metro or taxi before the last train.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialRiyuegu Hotsprings Park
- officialTianzhushan National Forest Park
- officialXiamen Metro
- secondaryWikivoyage: Xiamen/Haicang, revision 5312141 (CC BY-SA 4.0)