Xiamen, also Amoy, city in southern China, in Fujian Province, on Xiamen Island, a port at the mouth of the Jiulong River. Strategically situated near the Chinmen (Quemoy) Islands and Taiwan, Xiamen is a fishing and manufacturing center. Products include ships, processed food, and chemicals.
Portuguese traders arrived in Xiamen in the 1540s; they were followed by British merchants in the 17th century and by French and Dutch traders in the 18th century. The port was closed to foreigners in the 1750s and was not reopened until 1842, when it became one of the first treaty ports. Xiamen was an important tea-exporting center in the late 19th century, and a large foreign population lived on the island of Gulang, which is located in Xiamen's harbor. Xiamen was also a gateway for commerce with Taiwan. Japanese forces occupied the port from 1938 to 1945. The city was developed as an industrial center, with improved rail and road links with inland China, after trade with Taiwan ended in 1949. Population (1991) 357,290.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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