Beautiful, serene and immensely impressive, the Xiamen Botanical Gardens are the home of ferns, palms, evergreens, grotesque rocks, rare trees, flowers and mountain springs. This vast reserve of nature covers an impressive area of roughly 227 hectares, and is home to more than 4,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants spread out over more than 20 nurseries. Because of the temperature of the park, guests can always catch a botanical specimen that is in bloom regardless of the time of the year.

These gardens are located on a hilly area and offer some of the most beautiful views that are available in the city. Out of the list of eight best views in Xiamen, five of them are located in the Botanic Gardens.

It truly is hard to imagine the sheer scale of this destination without actually being there. When guests climb some of the higher areas of the gardens they will be privy to several views of the coast along the city of Xiamen as well as the vast array of plant life and geological formations.

Visitors can use the map at the entrance which details all the paths and walkways in the gardens to plan out their visit, and this should be done as the park is extremely large. Also near the entrance to the gardens is a beautiful lake that begins guest’s journey in to this reserve of nature with the first of many beautiful sights, which only get better on the journey inward.

There are several lovely tea gardens to stop in as well as a food court area. The food court provides you with the choice of sitting under one of the umbrellas or sitting by the stream as you enjoy your meal. There is also a nearby playground for children as well.

Beyond the botanical life at the gardens there are numerous historical ruins scattered throughout the park including Wanshilian Temple. This temple was originally built during the reign of Emperor Kanxi of the late Ming Dynasty, was destroyed and then rebuilt to stand once again. The temple has also in recent times has undergone renovations. On both sides of the Mountain Gates that lead to the temple, are antithetical couplets written by a Great Master Honyi.

Wanshi Botanical Gardens are a unique combination of Park and Botanical Garden that should not be missed by any visitor to Xiamen. Staying in one of the hotels in Xiamen near the Botanical Gardens such as Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen provides convenient access to this vast reserve of nature.