Convenient Air Transportation
As one of the six major ports on China’s mainland, Xiamen airport provides a 144-hour visa-free transit program for eligible nationalities, and has been recognized for its exceptional passenger experience with IATA’s Fast Travel Platinum certification and six consecutive CAPSE Best Airport of the Year awards.
Effective January 11, 2024, Xiamen joined leading cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou in implementing five new measures from the National Immigration Administration to streamline entry for foreign nationals. These measures include a 24-hour direct transit exemption from border control procedures at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, further enhancing travel efficiency.
The new airport, currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2026, will transform the region’s aviation landscape. With a planned annual capacity of 85 million passengers, it will become a vital regional hub for the Southeast coast, a key gateway for the Maritime Silk Road, and a major airport facilitating cross-Strait exchanges.
Efficient Land Transportation Hub
Xiamen boasts an integrated land transportation network, providing efficient connectivity throughout the region and beyond. Its rail system features five major trunk lines - Yingtan-Xiamen, Fuzhou-Xiamen, Longyan-Xiamen, Xiamen-Shenzhen, and the high-speed Fuzhou-Xiamen line - and two branch lines serving the Haicang and Dongdu port areas. Passenger service, supported by dedicated maintenance and operations facilities, including EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) depots and passenger car maintenance depots, is equally distributed between Xiamen Station and Xiamen North Station. Freight transport relies on dedicated infrastructure, including the Qianchang Railway Freight Yard and Dongfu Marshalling Yard, further solidifying Xiamen’s role as a key logistics hub in Southeast China. High-speed rail connects Xiamen to Shanghai in five hours, Shenzhen in three hours, and Fuzhou in just one hour. As of the end of 2024, Xiamen’s extensive road network spanned over 2,193 kilometers (excluding village roads). Four national expressways (Shenyang-Haikou, Xiamen-Chengdu, Ningbo-Dongguan, and Xiamen-Shaxian) and four national highways (G319, G324, G228, and G638), along with five provincial highways (S209, S213, S217, S318, S507), provide seamless access to neighboring cities and the road networks of central and western China. The Fuzhou-Xiamen High-Speed Railway, launched in September 28, 2023, has created a “one-hour living circle” between the two cities. Ongoing projects, including the Xiamen-Zhangzhou-Quanzhou intercity railway and the Xiang’an Airport Expressway, will further strengthen the region’s transportation infrastructure.
China-Europe (Xiamen) Freight Railway Services
Xiamen stands as a pivotal land-sea hub, seamlessly connecting the Belt and Road Initiative. The China-Europe (Xiamen) Railway Express significantly enhances this connectivity, operating international freight trains to 34 cities across 13 countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Russia. This multimodal approach facilitates the movement of goods between Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, ASEAN countries, and Europe, creating a robust two-way logistics channel. This network, linking China with Europe, Central Asia, and Russia, forms three primary arteries for international trade, establishing a new national logistics passage and fostering greater global cooperation.
Developed shipping transportation Hub
Xiamen’s strategic location and robust infrastructure have established it as a leading maritime hub, serving as one of China’s four designated international shipping centers, a national hub port for logistics, and the logistics center for the Southeast region. By the end of 2024, the Port of Xiamen had 186 container liner routes, including 145 dedicated to foreign trade. The port’s 191 productive berths (82 for vessels over 10,000 tons) facilitate an annual cargo handling capacity of 119 million tons and a container throughput capacity exceeding 11.339 million TEUs. The Port of Xiamen also plays a crucial role in cross-Strait relations, serving as a comprehensive hub for direct trade and travel between China’s mainland and Taiwan. The Xiamen-Kinmen Cross-Strait Links (Mini Three Links) provide a vital and efficient “golden channel” for passenger travel, handling 1.25 million passengers in 2024. These links facilitate direct exchanges of trade, travel, and postal services between the two regions.
Further demonstrating its commitment to efficiency and sustainability, the Port of Xiamen achieved top honors in the 2024 “China Top 10 Container Port Business Environment Assessment,” improving its star rating from four to four and a half. The port secured first place in three key indicators: cross-border trade port costs, informatization and paperless trading, and business services.
This commitment extends to environmental best practices, with Xiamen Ocean Gate Container Terminal and Xiamen Container Terminal Group earning the prestigious “Asia-Pacific Green Port” title. Additionally, five terminals within the port - Hairun, Haitian, Songyu, New Haida, and International Container Terminals - received four-star “China Green Port” recognition. Xiamen Hairun Terminal also earned the distinction of a four-star “China Smart Port.”
