The well-preserved environment and beautiful natural landscape of the sub-tropical island also make it an ideal place for outdoor sports events.
With tourists to the island buying duty and tax-free imported goods from Taiwan, the history of Dadeng illustrates how Xiamen changed from a military frontier to a pioneer city in cross-Straits exchanges. Beginning in the early 1980s, the central government endowed the city with the mission to develop the cross-Straits ties.
With a pleasant sub-tropical climate all year round, the island also hosts millions of tourists every year. Many are thrilled to see egrets frolic on the waterfront at Yuandang Lake in the center of Xiamen, an area surrounded by the city's most vibrant commercial neighborhood.
The well-preserved environment and beautiful natural landscape of the sub-tropical island also make it an ideal place for outdoor sports events. Every year, the Xiamen International Marathon is held on the island's ring road that winds its way along the coastline.