Zhongshan Road (中山路) is Xiamen's main pedestrian shopping street, a 1.2-kilometre stretch of covered arcades running from the city centre to the Gulangyu ferry terminal. The architecture is the characteristic Hokkien colonial style — two-storey stone buildings with continuous arched arcades at street level, built in the 1920s and largely intact. The covered walkways make it a pleasant street even in Xiamen's humid summers.
The road functions as the commercial heart of the old city and the place to eat: shacha noodle shops, Taiwanese chain snack stalls, and traditional Fujian pastry shops are concentrated along its length and on the lanes running north from it. The Gulangyu ferry terminal at the western end is the departure point for the island. The area is busy from mid-morning onwards and crowded on weekends; arrive before 10am to see the street without the tour groups.