Blend of scenery, creativity and design

Xiamen is usually considered a peaceful, refreshing getaway from the bustling urban life in big cities.

But it wants to be more than that. Billed as the Antwerp of China, Xiamen has shown increasing influence in the design industry in recent years.

Antwerp used to be an industrial city in Belgium but changed to a fashion center for Europe after six designers who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts became famous in the 1980s.