一篇介绍有关厦门的英语文章.

Xiamen, which is actually an island linked to the mainland by a long causeway of road and railway, is, like Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone. Xiamen is flush with Taiwanese investment. The local dialect, known as minnanyu, is nearly identical to the dialect spoken in Taiwan, and the nearest Taiwanese-controlled islands - Matsu and Quemoy (Kinmen) - are just a couple of kilometers (a mile, or so) off shore from Xiamen. Historically, Xiamen was established as a major seaport in the Ming Dynasty, in the seventeenth century to stem the southward influence of the Manchu Qing dynasty and restore the Ming rule. Xiamen was also an unofficial trading depot, doing a thriving under-the-counter business in silks with the Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch, until a British naval force stormed ashore after their victory in the first Opium War in 1841 and opened it up as a full Treaty Port. There is evidence today of its role as an international settlement in the surviving colonial architecture of parts of its skyline. Xiamen has a subtropical oceanic climate. From July to September the summer is warm with temperatures reaching 37'C. Winter is cool with average temperature around 11'C. The best season for visiting Xiamen is from May to July. The 1.78-square-kilometre Gulangyu Islet in the southwestern corner of Xiamen is a major scenic spot in Fujian, with serene beauty, a tranquil atmosphere and buildings in various architectural styles tucked away in the shadows of green trees. The air is fresh, the din of traffic is a sound practically unknown to local islanders, and there is plenty to see and do on this small island. The four-kilometre-long ring road is flanked on one side by the beach and on the other by a string of bungalows built in English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese styles. Strolling along the road one can see islets, bays, flowers, trees, pavilions and terraces. This is on the highest point of Gulangyu and is accessible only by a "sky ladder" - a steep trail which also takes one to Riguang Temple, the Ancient Summer Cave and the platform where General Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) reviewed his naval force. Sunlit Rock provides a panoramic view of the booming metropolis of Xiamen. Right below Sunlit Rock stands the Zheng Chenggong Memorial Hall, where the life of the general is relived through more than 300 cultural relics, historical documents, photos, sculptures and scale models, on display in seven showrooms. Shuzhuang (Bean Plantation) Garden was built by a Taiwan business tycoon who moved his family here during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894- 1895. The terrain and the sea were perfectly incorporated into the layout of the entire garden. The Nine-Bend Forty-Four Bridge is delicately poised above the seal and consists of Guandiao (Angling Watching) Terrace, Duyue Pavilion and interesting rockwork. The Subtropical Botanical Garden, whose full name is the "Overseas Chinese Garden for the Introduction of Subtropical Plants", sprawls at the foot of Sunlit Rock. It is not only designed for developing fine breeds of subtropical plants, but is also a beautiful place for sightseeing. Boasting more than 1,000 species of plants, the garden is divided into one nursery for the introduction of new strains, one nursery for experimental purposes, a flower garden, a greenhouse for cultivation purposes and a refrigerated room. Located inside Bagua (Eight Trigrams) Tower on the northern slope of Bijia (Pen- holder) Hill in the centre of Gulangyu, Xiamen Museum has 1,000-odd exhibits on display in five halls showing the history of Xiamen and its development as a special economic zone. One hall contains the museum's collection of porcelain and jade carvings. With its wealth of historical records and relics, the museum serves as a window through which one can get a glimpse into both the past and present of Xiamen.。

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