Xiamen Old Courtyard Scenic Area is located at No. 9 Huaxia Road, Jimei District, Xiamen, Fujian Province. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a comprehensive cultural tourism destination that integrates Minnan (southern Fujian) cultural exhibitions, folk custom performances, and distinctive landscape sightseeing. Covering a total area of approximately 150,000 square meters with a built-up area of about 38,000 square meters, the scenic area is centered around traditional Minnan architectural styles while incorporating Nanyang (Southeast Asian) architectural features, creating a cultural park that recreates the early daily life of the Minnan region. Its core highlights include immersive Minnan folk culture experiences and the large-scale live-action show Legend of Minnan. It also features faithfully reconstructed traditional Minnan courtyard houses, fishing villages, academies, and other traditional architectural clusters, serving as an important window into the history, culture, folk customs, and maritime civilization of Xiamen and the wider Minnan area.
History and Culture
Rooted in the thousand-year history and culture of Minnan, Xiamen Old Courtyard Scenic Area traces the complete trajectory of Xiamen and the Minnan region from fishing village settlements and maritime trade to modern development. Minnan culture is a distinctive regional culture formed by the integration of Central Plains culture, Min-Yue culture, and maritime culture. Through architecture, landscapes, performances, and physical exhibits, the scenic area systematically recreates the historical processes of the Minnan ancestors—opening up new lands, farming and fishing by the sea, valuing education, and venturing to Southeast Asia. It serves as an important platform for the living inheritance of Minnan culture.
The scenic area delves deeply into Xiamen’s local history, focusing on three core themes: Jimei’s overseas Chinese heritage, fishing village culture, and academy culture. As a renowned hometown of overseas Chinese, Jimei has produced many Minnan people who ventured overseas. The scenic area combines overseas Chinese memories, Nanyang influences, and local folk customs. It also recreates the production and living scenes of Xiamen’s traditional fishing villages, showcasing the maritime civilization of the ancestors who lived by and from the sea. In addition, it continues the Minnan tradition of valuing education by replicating ancient academy buildings and preserving the regional spirit of respecting culture and learning.
Leveraging modern cultural tourism technologies, the scenic area integrates traditional folk culture with live performances. Legend of Minnan, as the core cultural product of the scenic area, presents the development of Minnan from ancient times to the present in an epic style, becoming a landmark performance that spreads Minnan culture and Xiamen’s regional culture. Static cultural landscapes and dynamic cultural experiences complement each other, enabling immersive dissemination of history and culture.
Major Attractions
Legend of Minnan Theater
The Legend of Minnan Theater is the core attraction of Xiamen Old Courtyard Scenic Area. It is a dedicated large-scale live-action performance venue that can accommodate about 3,000 spectators simultaneously. It is the world’s first 360?degree rotating moving?stage theater. Utilizing high-tech stage equipment, it combines water curtains, fountains, machinery, live sets, and special effects to stage Legend of Minnan, a six?act show that fully depicts Minnan history, folk customs, maritime culture, and overseas Chinese heritage—making it the most distinctive cultural experience in the scenic area.
Old Courtyard Folk Culture Park
The Old Courtyard Folk Culture Park is the main landscape area of the scenic area, covering about 100,000 square meters. It replicates a complex of traditional Minnan courtyard buildings, including red?brick courtyard houses, swallow?tail ridge roofs, and patio courtyards. The park recreates early Minnan market life scenes and displays traditional handicrafts, folk implements, and fishing household items. There are folk performance areas where visitors can experience distinctive Minnan folk activities up close and feel the authentic flavor of Minnan daily life.
Fishing Village Culture Zone
Covering approximately 20,000 square meters, the Fishing Village Culture Zone is modeled after Xiamen’s traditional fishing villages, recreating the production and living scenes of Minnan fishing families. The zone features old fishing boats, net?making workshops, fishermen’s cottages, fish?drying grounds, and other landscapes, displaying the traditional skills of the ancestors in fishing and maritime activities, while also presenting the integration of maritime culture and Minnan folk customs. It is an important landscape for understanding Xiamen’s maritime civilization.
Nanyang Style Street
The Nanyang Style Street is themed around Minnan overseas Chinese culture, with architecture that blends Nanyang arcade styles with Minnan characteristics. The street is about 200 meters long and recreates the architectural and living scenes of Minnan overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. The block displays historical overseas Chinese artifacts and Nanyang decorative items, restoring the cultural connection between the hometown and Nanyang, and reflecting the historical memory of Minnan people’s struggle in Southeast Asia.
Academy Culture Zone
Continuing the Minnan tradition of respecting education, the Academy Culture Zone replicates the architectural style of ancient Minnan academies. Laid out in a traditional academy plan, it includes lecture halls, a scripture collection pavilion, and cultural exhibition spaces, displaying the history of education in Minnan and traditional Chinese classics. It is the core area for inheriting traditional culture and showcasing the Minnan emphasis on learning.
Sky City Glass Observation Deck
The Sky City Glass Observation Deck is a popular photo?spot attraction. It is a high?altitude fully transparent glass viewing facility, with a vertical height of about 30 meters and a platform area of about 120 square meters. It offers a panoramic view of the entire Old Courtyard Scenic Area and the urban landscape of Jimei District, combining sightseeing, photography, and leisure functions. It is a must?visit check?in spot in the scenic area.
Suggested Route：
Scenic Entrance → Old Courtyard Folk Culture Park → Fishing Village Culture Zone → Nanyang Style Street → Academy Culture Zone → Sky City Glass Observation Deck → Legend of Minnan Theater → Scenic Exit
Travel Tips：
Recommended visiting time: 3 to 4 hours, enough to visit all attractions and watch Legend of Minnan.
Priority should be given to watching Legend of Minnan; arrive at the theater 30 minutes in advance for ticket check?in.
It is advisable to tour the Folk Culture Park at a leisurely pace and participate in on?site interactive folk experiences.
The Glass Observation Deck is best visited on a sunny day for optimal viewing and photography.
Family visitors with children may focus on the Fishing Village Culture Zone and the Folk Culture Park for immersive cultural education.
There is a Minnan?style dining area within the scenic area, where you can taste local Minnan snacks during your visit.
Important Notices：
Food, drinks, flammable, explosive, and dangerous items are prohibited inside the theater.
During the 360?degree rotating theater operation, do not stand, walk around, or lean your body outside the seat.
On the Glass Observation Deck, follow the rules: no running, no horseplay, and no wearing high heels on the glass surface.
The traditional courtyard buildings are landscaped attractions; climbing, carving, or damaging them is forbidden.
During holidays, visitor numbers are high; it is recommended to visit during off?peak hours and keep personal belongings secure.
Some areas feature water landscapes; children must be accompanied by adults at all times and must not approach the water’s edge.
Performance times are subject to daily announcements at the scenic area; please do not miss your session.
Transportation：
Bus: Take Xiamen bus routes 690, 691, 692, 949, or 957 to Laoyuanzi Scenic Area Station, then walk about 200 meters to the entrance.
Metro: Take Xiamen Metro Line 1 to Tianshui Road Station, then walk about 800 meters or transfer one bus stop to reach the scenic area.
Driving: Navigate to Xiamen Old Courtyard Scenic Area Parking Lot. The scenic area has a dedicated parking lot with about 500 parking spaces.
Taxi / Ride?hailing: Directly set the destination to Xiamen Old Courtyard Scenic Area (No. 9 Huaxia Road, Jimei District) for direct drop?off at the entrance.
Opening Hours：
Regular opening hours are from 08:30 to 17:30, with last admission at 17:00. Legend of Minnan shows are scheduled as follows: on regular days, one performance at 15:00; on weekends and public holidays, two performances at 10:30 and 15:00. Specific performance times are subject to the daily announcement at the scenic area.
Ticket Price：
Admission: 99 RMB per person.