Taffy,

Xiamen is a wonderful city. The air is clean. The city central is developed but not too large. Transportation by hi-speed train is convenient. Hong Kong and Guangzhou are two or three hours by train. As the portal to Taiwan, there is a mix of tourists and businessmen. Xiamen University is considered China's most beautiful campus.

It is not an inexpensive city, but it is cheaper than Shanghai or Shenzhen or Beijing. Winter is wet but not too cold.

Foreigners do not illicit stares or random "hello"s. Fujian people have traveled the world for over a century.