Amoi In Amoy

In mid-September 2025, I bought flight ticket to Xiamen via Mayflower page. I decided to visit for four nights and was happy when I found I could visit three UNESCO World Heritage Sites near Xiamen. Xiamen means door or entry to the house and indeed Xiamen or Amoy as the Westerners used to call it was one of the gateways into China. Hotel searches showed Xiamen is not a cheap place to stay in and after some hotel bookings and setting price alerts, I finally changed my hotel booking closer to the date of travel from free cancellation to a non-refundable room. So it turned out to be quite reasonable after all. I also made some tour bookings although the one to Tianluokeng Tulou was cancelled due to low demand, which I found out when I reached my hotel.

Tuesday, 6 January 2026

I left early in the morning from my sister’s place as the flight ETD was at 09:25. I managed to reach the airport in time to queue for bag drop and update my Enrich number. I expected the crowd as it was school holidays  It was unusually cold on the plane but no complaints from me. Malaysia Airlines provided blankets but I decided I could stand the cold and besides, I should get used to it as it’d be cold in Xiamen.  We landed around 13:20. China has since implemented online entry declaration since my visit in October so I spent some time filling up the form before joining the queue. One note: it’s funny that the instruction for visitors to place their finger prints at the immigration counter is in Malay.

After being reunited with my bag, I filled up my water bottle (that’s another great thing about China, you can find water dispensers at train stations, airports and some tourist attractions) and headed out. I stopped at the information counter and to my surprise, they spoke some English and gave me some brochures. I then followed signs to the shuttle bus to Terminal 4. The shuttle bus runs every 20 minutes except after 22:00 when it runs every 30 minutes. From Terminal 4, I followed signs to the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit). The BRT buses run on elevated bus-only roads with four lines operating. It is very fast and comfortable and there are signs in English. Fare depends on distance, usually ¥1-4 per person. It cost me only ¥2 to get to Xiamen Railway Station from the airport T4 (<RM1.20). There are also buses which run on normal roads (ground level) but that would be subject to traffic so I didn’t even bother researching.

The trip to Xiamen Railway Station took slightly over 20 minutes. I went through a mall to utilise the escalators and went to find my hotel. It is in an alley behind the mall and I was glad I chose it as the location was perfect. I checked in and the lady at the reception kindly showed me to my room. I was not very happy with the room as it was mouldy and was lucky to catch the lady outside in the corridor. I showed her photos of the room and she kindly allowed to change rooms.

I spent time in between prayers finding trips to the Fujian Tulou and finally signed up for a tour on Trip.com. After prayers, I ventured out up to Paragon/Pan Ji Zhong Xin before turning back. I wandered around and stumbled across some halal eateries, not as easily recognisable as in Yunnan. I had a big bowl of beef lamian for dinner. I stopped by a supermarket very close to the hotel called Hot Max and bought some food.

Wednesday, 7 January 2026

I left the hotel at 06:50 and walked to Rezen Huaxia Hotel, five minutes away. The bus arrived at 07:10 and then spent the next hour picking up other passengers around the city. We finally left around 08:30 and drove to the Fujian Tulou in Yongding. The journey took two hours. I’d joined a Chinese-speaking tour and some of the other passengers kindly helped to translate for me. At Yongding, we had another local guide bring us to the Tulou buildings. We walked  for two hours.

After that, it was time for lunch. Alhamdulillah, there were some dishes that I was able to eat like vegetable, prawn and fish. We were all hungry after the walking around and attacked our food.

After lunch, we continued to Yunshuiyao and our guide took us around. We walked for more than two hours there. Then we boarded the bus for our journey back to Xiamen. I was the last to be dropped off with another couple at Xiamen Railway Station. I went in to buy the next morning’s train ticket to Quanzhou. I could buy it on Trip.com but there’s a fee and although the station also charged me a fee, it all worked out less than what it’d cost me on Trip.com. There was no queue at all and I got to discover the station and familiarise myself with its layout.

I had dinner at another halal eatery. This time, the noodles came in a much smaller bowl and cost a lot more. Harrumph.

Thursday, 8 January 2026

I left my room at 06:50 for the railway station. My train was at 07:21 and we reached Quanzhou at 08:10. I followed the signs for the bus and took bus number 2 to the city. I couldn’t pay off my fare despite trying several times and the driver waved me on. It took 30 minutes to reach the city centre where I alighted near the Feitian Yingbin Urban Sculpture and walked to Guan Yue Temple. Guan Yu and Yue Fei were generals so this is a warrior temple. There were many worshippers there. After walking around, I left and walked to nearby Qingjing Mosque. This is the only mosque left in Quanzhou and is over 1,000 years old. The entrance fee is ¥3. There are some pillars left standing of the ruins. I saw the imam and greeted him with Assalamualaikum and told him I was from Malaysia. He then brought me into the prayer hall which was not open to the public. Alhamdulillah for the rezeki.

After that, I walked to Kaiyuan Temple, passing Confucius Temple on the way. I stopped for a short while then continued on. Google Maps brought me to a pedestrian street which led to Xijie Street (West Street). I walked up and down the street and stopped by an eatery to have an oyster omelette pancake (something like the ones I had in Penang). Then I continued on to the nearby Kaiyuan Temple with its Eastern and Western  Pagodas.

Then I walked and walked to find the bus stop for bus number 2. The bus fare was ¥1 (I paid by cash) and at the station, I quickly went to find the ticket office. The train back to Xiamen was quite full.

Back in Xiamen, I browsed the underground mall before moving on to MIXC Mall before returning to my room. I still had some bread so that was my dinner tonight.

Friday, 9 January 2026

Another early start. I left at 06:50 and walked to the metro station and took the train to Cruise Centre for the ferry to Gulangyu. I’d bought ticket on Klook (just before this trip, I checked again and the ticket cost less on Trip.com so always, always check and compare before buying). The terminal is white near the metro station. I went up to the second floor and showed my passport and received my ticket. There were a lot of local tourists with their tour guides - indeed Gulangyu is a very popular destination for the local tourists.

I wandered around Gulangyu happily. The island, although predominantly populated by Chinese, has foreign influence on its buildings and you’ll be forgiven if you think you’re somewhere in Europe when you wander its streets. Vehicles are banned here, except for golf-cart like vehicles and the locals use handcarts to transport goods. The terrain is hilly and some areas are steep. I had a great time exploring the island.

I returned to Xiamen at 14:00 and took the metro to Zhongshan Park. From there, I walked to the mosque to perform prayers. This is the only mosque in Xiamen. After prayers, I had beef soup at a halal eatery before continuing on. The road then led to Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street. I bought some local delicacies to bring home. I also bought fried oyster pancake.

I then walked to the ferry office at Heping Wharf to get my ticket for the Lujiang River Night Cruise. The locals were sticky about me performing prayers there. Sheesh. Sure, I could perform prayers when I was back in my room but I had time before boarding the ferry and I didn’t want to wait until I reached my room to perform prayers.

The cruise lasted an hour and I took the metro back to Xiamen Railway Station. Back in the room, I started packing a bit.

Saturday, 10 January 2026

Well, it was time to bid farewell to Xiamen. I left the hotel at 11:50 and took the BRT to the airport. Reversing the process I underwent when I arrived. I had checked in online but the system couldn’t issue my boarding pass so I went to the bag drop counter to get my boarding pass and asked if I could sit at the front row. I was told that the flight was full but the lady managed to get me a window seat at row 15. It turned out to be the emergency exit row but nothing untoward happened, alhamdulillah.

We landed at KLIA at 19:50 and I rushed out to the baggage area. I performed prayers first and my bag was out shortly after that. I took the 20:52 train back.

I was very satisfied with the trip. Five days were just enough for a fulfilled trip. Alhamdulillah.

2025: The Year That Was

And just like that, 2025 left us.

Genocide continued on and flotilla attempts to carry aid were illegally intercepted in international waters by the most immoral army in the world with the flotilla members detained before being released. Genocide also continued in Sudan by the Emiratis. I continued boycotting products made by companies who are pro-ishell and will widen the boycott further. The so-called ceasefire is not respected by the immoral army with attacks continuing in Gaza and West Bank.

Closer to home, our neighbours are involved in their own crises with the Thai and Cambodians disputing over their border issue, while the worst flooding ever seen devastated large parts of north Sumatra. Sometimes I wonder if people would ever learn how to live peacefully with each other and nature and compromise, and learn not to be so greedy at the expense of others. The years go by and if anything, man is more and more determined to wreck ruins on others and destroy the environment.

After some thinking and going through my finances, I decided to go on early retirement. InsyaAllah, this decision is for the best. I was prepared to work until 60 before but the pandemic changed my mind. Not being able to travel and then having to care for my dad made me decide that I didn’t want to work until I reach 60. I want to travel further and longer and I don’t want to wait until I’m 60 - presuming I’ll still be fit, able and healthy then - to travel. Money is always important - it helps one afford a lot of things and one will definitely need money to travel - but I don’t want to have a lot more money than I do now at 60 but not be able to travel. On a friend’s advice, I’ve kept this news fairly quiet and not broadcast it. After all, it’s up to me to share the news and I don’t think it’s anyone’s business anyway. I’ve already started making adjustments to my life following my fall in 2024 where I’d started selling off my handbags which were just too heavy, no longer suit my lifestyle and did not help with my scoliosis issue.

Arsenal again came up second in the Premier League race behind Liverpool. Injuries didn’t help of course. We are doing all right now and I’m praying hard.

Alhamdulillah, I managed to travel to new places and revisit other places as follows:

January: flew to Lombok. Rainy season but I still had a good time, alhamdulillah

February: flew to Bali, took a boat to Nusa Penida and stayed for two nights. Also rainy season there but I was lucky to have sunny mornings

March: revisited Phnom Penh and brought over some clothes, bags and money for the Muslim Cambodian imam to distribute. I also took a bus to Battambang where I spent a couple of nights

April: flew out to Nairobi at month-end then flew out the very next morning to Kigali in Rwanda. After two nights, I rode a shared car to Kabale where I visited Lake Bunyonyi and stayed for a couple of nights. Then I took a shared van to Kampala but I went down at Kayabwe for some photos before boarding a bus for Kampala

May: I left Kampala after two nights and rode a matatu to Entebbe. Spent a night there before flying out to Bujumbura in Burundi. I was there for a day before flying out back to Nairobi and Lamu the following morning. After a night in Lamu, I continued on by bus to Mombasa. After two nights, I took the train to Nairobi where I spent two nights before flying home

June: I went to Ipoh with my sister and brother-in-law. They left after one night. I left a day later and took the train to Penang where I stayed for two nights

July: celebrated my birthday in Chiang Mai then more than a fortnight later, took the bus to Singapore to watch The Arsenal

August: revisited Danang and went to Bana Hills and My Son Sanctuary this time. Then in mid-August, went on family trip to Lumut and Pangkor Laut

September: visited my aunt in Plentong, near Johor Bahru. About a fortnight later, took a night bus to Kuala Krai and then rode the train to Dabong. Spent two nights in Dabong before heading for Wakaf Bharu. Met an old mate whom I had not seen or heard from since we finished SPM. After one night in Wakaf Bharu, I took the bus to Kuala Terengganu where I stayed for two nights before flying back

October: flew to Kunming in Yunnan and travelled up to Shangri-la before going back down to Lijiang and Dali. Took the train back to Kunming and flew out to Changsha in Hunan. Took the train Zhangjiajie and local bus to Wulingyuan. Back to Zhangjiajie for one night after two nights In Wulingyuan then took the train to Furongzhen and the same train the next day to Fenghuang. Rode the same train the next day to Changsha then flew home the same evening

November: took a bus to Temerloh early in the month for a day trip then visited Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park

December: redeemed some air miles earlier for a trip to Saigon and the return leg from Kuching (bought one way ticket to Kuching)

I managed to read 156 books which was an improvement and I hope to do better this year. I’ve also started reading the Quran with translation. It’s a slow and steady process. I’ve also started fasting on Mondays and Thursdays on those days where I don’t travel.

I pray that Allah will bless us good health, wealth, peace, increased iman, prosperity, success, wisdom, compassion and all that we wish for this year and beyond. Let’s prioritise our mental and physical health, may we be more considerate, generous, less judgmental, more compassionate, humane, thoughtful, mindful and kinder to everyone and all creatures. (Of course the Orange fatso would have to attack another country, damn him to hell and back.)