Xiamen (厦门; Ē-mn̂g in Minnan, Xiàmén in Mandarin, traditional English name: Amoy ) is a coastal city in Fujian Province in China. It has been an important port for centuries and became one of China's earliest Special Economic Zones in 1980. The name Xiamen means "door to the house", referring to the city's centuries-old role as a gateway to China.