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Fishing boats moored in the Shapowei typhoon shelter in 2015

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Shapowei

沙坡尾 Shapowei · Siming District, Xiamen, Fujian, China

Photo: mojojo.cn · CC BY-SA 2.0

Among the fishing boats and arcade buildings of Bifengwu, see how Xiamen's old fishing harbor became a cultural and creative district.

Know before you go

  • Do not board moored fishing boats or step on fishing nets
  • do not linger taking photos in front of residents' doors and windows
  • do not fool around at the unrailed edges of the typhoon shelter

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Shapowei lies in the south of Xiamen Island, west of Xiamen University. It is Xiamen's old fishing harbour, and fishing boats still moor in its typhoon shelter. As the city grew and larger port areas rose, Shapowei went into decline, with silting and dilapidated houses. From 2015 Xiamen began restoring it, dredging and refreshing the water, repairing old buildings as they were, and bringing in creative industries; former buildings such as the seafood processing plant were turned into creative spaces such as the Art West District. Today the area keeps the feel of a fishing harbour, qilou arcades and an old neighbourhood, alongside bookshops, small theatres and studios, and is seen as a model of urban renewal in Xiamen. Xiamen has listed Shapowei as a historic area.

Local customs

  • Fishermen still work and residents still live around the typhoon shelter
  • early in the morning you may see fishing boats coming and going and nets being mended, and from afternoon into the evening the creative shops and restaurants are at their busiest. It is crowded at weekends and the path along the shelter is narrow, so you can stroll over to the Yanwu Bridge viewing platform and the seaside boardwalk instead.

Religion & beliefs

  • The old district has temples to Mazu and other deities, and the fishing-port community places great importance on sea-deity worship, with processions and offerings at festivals
  • if you meet a procession, please give way, and do not cut through it or pose for photos in front of the offering tables. When passing a temple you may watch from outside the door, but do not casually enter a hall where a ritual is under way.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not board moored fishing boats or step on fishing nets
  • do not linger taking photos in front of residents' doors and windows
  • do not fool around at the unrailed edges of the typhoon shelter
  • do not block the arcades under the qilou buildings to take photos
  • do not hold noisy gatherings or set off fireworks late at night below residential buildings

Locals appreciate DO

  • See the fishing boats and net-mending in the typhoon shelter early in the morning
  • explore the Art West District and spaces converted from old factory buildings
  • take in the sea from the Yanwu Bridge viewing platform
  • eat Xiamen snacks such as shacha noodles in small qilou shops
  • catch a small exhibition or performance in the Art West District, and browse the independent bookshops

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Allow 1.5–2 hours, and pair it with Xiamen University and Nanputuo Temple for half a day. Take a bus from the city to the Shapowei or Xiamen University area and walk, or take a taxi from the Zhongshan Road side
  • it is a little over ten minutes' walk from Xiamen University's West Gate. The district itself is open
  • the shops, exhibitions and small theaters in the Art West Zone have their own hours and booking methods, subject to on-site notices. Combine with Xiamen University, Nanputuo Temple, the Yanwu Bridge viewing platform and Huandao Road, and after dinner at Shapowei in the evening, stroll along the seafront. In typhoons or strong winds the edge of the typhoon shelter is slippery, so take care. The soft evening light is ideal for photographing the fishing boats and arcade buildings.
Sources & verification notes

People's Daily: Xiamen, Fujian Pushes Ahead with the Renewal of Shapowei (February 19, 2024)

People's Tribune Online: report on the renewal of Shapowei (February 2024)

Xiamen University CityXLab: Reprint of People's Daily, “Shapowei: Fishermen's Songs Ring Out Again” (December 2019)

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