Journalists from China's major media outlets pose for a group photo during a media?tour of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone on Dec 14. [Photo/WeChat account: xmnn-cn]

A group of journalists from the country's major media outlets took part in the latest media?tour of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone on Dec 14, and they discovered that the coastal city in East China's Fujian province has made remarkable achievements since the establishment in 1980.

In the past 40 years, the zone has significantly boosted trade and business with the outside world, and has built itself into an eco-friendly garden city.

Xiamen, a main export base of China's sportswear and shoes, has cultivated many local sports brands, and Xtep is one of the shining examples that has been taking the spotlight for its healthy growth in recent years.

Xiamen local sports brand?Xtep enjoys steady growth this year. [Photo/WeChat account: xmnn-cn]

Xiamen Software Park relies on its suitable business environment for the development of the software industry and has made great achievements in software and intelligent manufacturing industries. It has gathered a number of software and information companies such as the Huawei?Xiamen DevCloud?and?Huawei?Cloud Xiamen Innovation Center as well as a batch of leading enterprises and "little giant" firms, which refers to leading SMEs that specialize in niche sectors, command a high market share, and boast a strong innovative capacity and core technologies.

Xiamen Software Park boasts a suitable business environment for the development of the software industry. [Photo/WeChat account: xmnn-cn]

The establishment of the special economic zone has also created historical?opportunities for Xiamen Airlines, which has built an "air bridge" to connect Xiamen with the rest of the world.

Over the past three decades, Xiamen Airlines has opened more than 400 domestic and international airlines, and received the honorable title of "Airline of the Year" by passengers for eight consecutive?years.

Xiamen Airlines builds an "air bridge" to connect Xiamen with the rest of the world. [Photo/WeChat account: xmnn-cn]

Journalists also paid a visit to the Xiamen Area of the Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone, which was set up by the State Council in 2015.

In recent years, the Xiamen area has stepped up its pace in innovation and digitalization. The big data service center in the zone offers a range of services related to customs clearance, smart ports, the Belt and Road Initiative, exchanges and cooperation between Fujian and Taiwan, and cross-border e-commerce.

The Xiamen Area of the Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone serves as a test area for reform and opening-up. [Photo/WeChat account: xmnn-cn]

Authorities of the area said that it has?rolled out 498 innovative measures, and 30 of which were promoted and implemented across the country and the province to serve as a test site for reform and opening-up.

Journalists visit the Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park during the media tour. [Photo/WeChat account: xmnn-cn]

The group also toured the Xiamen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park which was dubbed as an incubator for scientific and technological enterprises. Built in 1996, the park is now home to more than 2,000 firms and has fostered over 800 incubator clusters for technological companies.