Huandao Road Xiamen — Seaside Cycling, Beaches & Views Across to Kinmen 2026

Q: Is Huandao Road free to visit?

Yes. Huandao Road is a public coastal road that you can walk, run or cycle at any time with no entrance fee. The main sandy beaches, Baicheng and Huangcuo, are also free. The only costs are bike rental (shared bikes from Hellobike or Meituan run about ¥1.5 per 30 minutes, roughly ฿8) or entry to the Yefengzhai amusement park beside Huangcuo Beach.

Q: How do I get to Huandao Road, and which metro line?

The easiest option is Metro Line 1 to Zhenhai Road station (镇海路), then a 10 to 15 minute taxi or DiDi to the Baicheng Beach stretch, or pick up a shared bike and ride along the coast. Bus route 29 also runs along Huandao Road, passing Zengcuoan, Baicheng Beach and Hulishan Fortress. If you start at Xiamen University, you can simply walk out of the Baicheng-side gate straight to the sea.

Q: Which beach is best for swimming, and which for sunrise?

Baicheng Beach (白城) is the closest to the city and to Xiamen University, with soft sand and plenty of people — good for a dip and for sunset. Huangcuo Beach (黄厝) is further east, quieter and more open, and is the spot travellers most often recommend for sunrise photos, with light mist drifting over the sea in the early morning.

Q: Can you see Kinmen island from Huandao Road?

Yes. The eastern stretch of Huandao Road around Huangcuo and Guanyinshan beaches faces the Kinmen (Jinmen, 金门) islands across the strait. On a clear day you can make out the islands as a silhouette on the horizon. This area has popular seaside spots where visitors stop to photograph the view across the water.

Q: What is the Music Square, and where is it?

The Music Square (音乐广场) and Calligraphy Square (书法广场) are seaside parks along Huandao Road, between Zengcuoan and Huangcuo Beach. They are dotted with large sculptures of musical notes and Chinese characters set right by the sea, and make a popular rest-and-photo stop while cycling. Both are free to enter.

What it is

Why Huandao Road is Xiamen's seaside heart

Picture this: you are riding a rented bike down the red coastal lane at eight in the morning, the sea on your right, palm trees and bougainvillea on your left, salt air coming in gusts, and ahead a curve of beach that runs all the way to the horizon. This is what people in Xiamen do on weekend mornings — and it is exactly why Huandao Road (环岛路), the island ring road, sits near the top of any list of things to do in the city.

Huandao Road is the coastal road that loops around Xiamen Island, about 31 kilometres in total, running from near Xiamen University past the international convention centre and on toward the airport zone. The stretch travellers love most is the "golden coastline" of roughly 9 kilometres between the university and the Qianpu area — a seafront corridor of sandy beaches, parks, sculptures and wide-open views the whole way.

What makes it special is simple: it is free and open around the clock. No ticket queue, no closing gate — come to walk, run or cycle whenever you like. Locals and visitors turn up for the same reason: to breathe in the sea air and take in a view that big cities rarely offer.

Huandao Road in Xiamen — a wide coastal boulevard lined with palm trees, with a cycling lane and the city skyline behind — Huandao Road — the coastal road lined with palm trees, with a cycling and running lane the whole length

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Entry

Free

Public road, open 24 hours

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Best time

Early morning / evening

Sunrise at dawn, cool air at dusk

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Metro

Line 1 · Zhenhai Road

Then taxi or bike, about 10–15 min

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Length

~31 km (9 km scenic)

Golden stretch ~2 hrs by bike, easy

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Bike rental

~¥1.5 / 30 min

Hellobike / Meituan, scan and go

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Cross-strait view

Kinmen islands

Visible from the east on a clear day

Highlights along the way

5 stops you should not miss while riding the coast

Listed from the Xiamen University end heading east — easy to string together in one ride

1

Baicheng Beach (白城沙滩)

The closest beach to town · beside Xiamen University

The sandy beach directly across from Xiamen University's Baicheng campus — walk out of the university gate and you are there. It is the most accessible and most popular beach in the city: soft sand, safe for a swim, and a favourite spot for sunset. By late afternoon students and families fill the sand to sit and watch the light go down. Free all day.
2

Zengcuoan Village (曾厝垵)

Old fishing village · street-food lanes

An old fishing village turned warren of lanes packed with street food, cafés and guesthouses, sitting right on Huandao Road. It is the natural place to stop for a snack or a rest before riding on, and it gets lively in the evening. Many travellers use it as their seaside base in Xiamen.
3

Music Square & Calligraphy Square (音乐广场 · 书法广场)

Seaside parks · note and character sculptures

Between Zengcuoan and Huangcuo Beach sit two adjoining seafront parks. The Music Square is dotted with oversized sculptures of musical notes and instruments; the Calligraphy Square has giant Chinese characters carved in stone across the lawns. Both make a popular rest-and-photo stop mid-ride, with benches and shared-bike docks. Free to enter.
4

Huangcuo Beach (黄厝沙滩)

Open and quiet · sunrise spot · view toward Kinmen

Further east and noticeably quieter than Baicheng, this open beach is the one travellers most often name as Xiamen's best sunrise spot, with light mist over the sea at dawn. On a clear day you can pick out the Kinmen (Jinmen) islands as a silhouette on the horizon. The Yefengzhai amusement park sits nearby for families.
5

Guanyinshan Beach (观音山)

~3 km long · Sand Sculpture Park · lit at night

The longest beach in the area at about 3 kilometres, on the eastern arm of Huandao Road facing Kinmen across the strait. It has a Sand Sculpture Cultural Park and evening lighting for a stroll after dark, and it works well if you want a wide beach with thinner crowds than the city-side sands. This end of the road is close to the Xiamen International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

What to do here

Cycle, swim, and catch sunrise over the sea

🚲 Cycle the seaside lane

The best thing about Huandao Road is its dedicated cycling lane, set apart from the car road and hugging the water. Ride the "golden coastline" from Baicheng Beach to the convention centre — about 9 kilometres, around two relaxed hours if you stop for photos and a snack. On the way you pass Hulishan Fortress, Zengcuoan, the Music Square and Huangcuo Beach, all on one route.

The easiest way is a shared bike from Hellobike or Meituan, parked at metro exits and along the beachfront. Scan the QR code in the app (you will need Alipay or WeChat Pay linked), pay about ¥1.5 per 30 minutes, and return it at a marked spot. It is simpler than hiring a tandem or family bike from a roadside shop — though those are there too if you are in a group.

Tip: this is the main course of the Xiamen International Marathon, often called the most beautiful running route in China. If you like to run, an early-morning seaside run along this stretch is an experience you will not find in many cities.

🏖️ Swim and walk the sand

For a swim, head to Baicheng Beach, the closest to town — soft sand, easy to reach, and busy enough to feel safe. It is best in the late afternoon, for a dip followed by sunset. If you want a quieter, wider beach, keep riding east to Huangcuo Beach or Guanyinshan Beach.

One thing to know: the tides here are pronounced. At low tide the sand stretches far out but the swimming line is a long way off, so it is worth checking the tide table before you go — and always swim where other people are, not far out on your own.

Hulishan Fortress in Xiamen — the giant Krupp coastal cannon mounted in the seaside fort, a popular stop along Huandao Road — Hulishan Fortress (胡里山炮台) — a favourite stop along Huandao Road, near Baicheng Beach (nearby attraction shown)

🌅 Sunrise and the view across the strait

Because Xiamen faces east toward the sea, dawn at Huangcuo Beach is one of the best sunrise spots in the city. The sky shifts colour over the water, low mist drifts in, and the crowds have not arrived yet — a calm, scenic moment the midday beach cannot match.

The eastern stretch of Huandao Road, around Huangcuo and Guanyinshan, faces the Kinmen (Jinmen, 金门) islands across the strait. On a clear day the islands show as a silhouette on the horizon, and this part of the coast has popular seaside spots where visitors stop to photograph the view across the water, including a large sign by the beach that has become a well-known photo landmark.

Getting there

How to reach Huandao Road

Xiamen has a metro, and the usual approach is to ride it close, then switch to a taxi or a bike to reach the seafront.

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Metro Line 1

Zhenhai Road station (镇海路)

From the station, take a taxi or DiDi, or a shared bike, about 10–15 minutes to the Baicheng Beach stretch — the easiest start for a coastal ride.

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Bus route 29

Runs along Huandao Road

Passes Zengcuoan, Baicheng Beach and Hulishan Fortress — hop on and off at the sights, and cheap to ride.

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Shared bikes

Hellobike / Meituan

Parked at metro exits and along the beachfront — scan the QR code and ride the coast straight away (needs Alipay or WeChat Pay).

Timing tip: you can easily pair Huandao Road with Xiamen University and Hulishan Fortress in one day. Start at the university in the morning, walk out of the Baicheng-side gate to the sea, then cycle along Huandao Road past Hulishan Fortress and on to Huangcuo Beach by evening. All three sit on the same stretch of coast.

Where to stay

Hotels near Huandao Road and the coast

The southern and eastern seafront of Xiamen Island — step out of the hotel onto the beach and the cycling lane

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Chosen on location, reviews and real prices — both seafront and city-centre picks

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6 luxury hotels in Xiamen

Sea-view resorts and upmarket hotels for an easy coastal trip

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Where to stay, what to see, what to eat and how to get around — all in one place

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Frequently asked

FAQ · Huandao Road before you go

Is Huandao Road free to visit?

Yes. Huandao Road is a public coastal road that you can walk, run or cycle at any time with no entrance fee. The main sandy beaches, Baicheng and Huangcuo, are also free. The only costs are bike rental (shared bikes run about ¥1.5 per 30 minutes, roughly ฿8) or entry to the Yefengzhai amusement park beside Huangcuo Beach.

How do I get to Huandao Road, and which metro line?

The easiest option is Metro Line 1 to Zhenhai Road station (镇海路), then a 10–15 minute taxi or DiDi to the Baicheng Beach stretch, or pick up a shared bike and ride along the coast. Bus route 29 also runs along Huandao Road, passing Zengcuoan, Baicheng Beach and Hulishan Fortress. If you start at Xiamen University, just walk out of the Baicheng-side gate straight to the sea.

Which beach is best for swimming, and which for sunrise?

Baicheng Beach (白城) is closest to the city and to Xiamen University, with soft sand and plenty of people — good for a dip and for sunset. Huangcuo Beach (黄厝) is further east, quieter and more open, and is the spot travellers most often recommend for sunrise photos, with light mist drifting over the sea in the early morning.

Can you see Kinmen island from Huandao Road?

Yes. The eastern stretch around Huangcuo and Guanyinshan beaches faces the Kinmen (Jinmen, 金门) islands across the strait. On a clear day you can make out the islands as a silhouette on the horizon, and this area has popular seaside spots where visitors stop to photograph the view across the water.

What is the Music Square, and where is it?

The Music Square (音乐广场) and Calligraphy Square (书法广场) are seaside parks along Huandao Road, between Zengcuoan and Huangcuo Beach. They are dotted with large sculptures of musical notes and Chinese characters set right by the sea, and make a popular rest-and-photo stop while cycling. Both are free to enter.

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Xiamen University

China's prettiest seaside campus, right next to Baicheng Beach and Nanputuo

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Satay noodles, oyster omelette, seafood and Minnan snacks — start here

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