From Lab to Global: Xiamen Bio Bay Nurtures Over 10 Hong Kong University Projects, Local Biotech Firm Eyes International Push via Hong Kong

On the morning of August 5, the Hong Kong media delegation visited Xiamen Bio Bay in Haicang District to gain first-hand insight into the park's latest progress in biomedical industry incubation and cultivation.

Xiamen Bio Bay, Photo by Bastille Post

The delegation arrived at Xiamen Bio Bay in Haicang District that morning. Spanning approximately 658 hectares, the park comprises multiple functional zones, including a science and technology innovation centre, a pilot-scale production base, an industrial park, a collaborative innovation and entrepreneurship centre, and a medical device industrial park. Together, these form a relatively comprehensive industrial incubation and cultivation system that follows the "innovation R&D – incubator – accelerator – industrial park" trajectory. 

Xiamen Bio Bay, Photo by Bastille Post

Huang Ju, the manager of Xiamen Biotechnology Co., Ltd., said that after nearly two decades of development, the Xiamen Bio Bay now hosts more than 560 biomedical enterprises and has attracted over 700 high-level innovative and entrepreneurial talents. The park's industrial scale is projected to exceed RMB 32.5 billion in 2025, and it has consistently ranked among the top 15 specialised biomedical parks in China for seven consecutive years. The park operates a "seed-introduction, nursery-building, tree-cultivation and forest-forming" cultivation model, and has established five general-purpose factory zones and more than ten public technology service platforms to lower start-up costs. At present, more than ten enterprises independently incubated within the park are preparing for A-share IPOs.

Huang Ju, the manager of Xiamen Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Photo by Bastille Post

Huang Ju noted that the park maintains close industrial exchanges with Hong Kong, including annual participation in the Hong Kong's Asia Summit on Global Health and collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's Fujian Office to explore international markets. The two sides have jointly facilitated the landing of more than ten research commercialisation projects from the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Pharmaceutical companies listed in Hong Kong, such as Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. and CF Pharmtech, Inc., have set up physical manufacturing facilities in the park, while Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited has acquired a local small nucleic acid drug enterprise based in the park. These moves have achieved deep integration of Hong Kong university technologies, Hong Kong corporate capital and Xiamen's industrial chain.

She added that, as a key hub connecting the Chinese Mainland with Taiwan, the park has introduced more than 20 innovative Taiwanese biotech projects spanning medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics and skincare products, with over ten Taiwanese high-level talents having long-term development and residency here. The existing park area has reached its fifth phase of development, with a sixth phase now being planned.

Biopharmaceutical Industry Service Sub-Centre, Photo by Bastille Post

The biopharmaceutical research and development sector is commonly governed by the "ten years, one billion, ten per cent" rule – long development cycles, high investment costs and significant failure risks. Companies also frequently encounter complex administrative hurdles spanning multiple regulatory bodies, including drug administration, health, and medical insurance authorities. These cross-level and cross-sector issues cannot be resolved through a single standard government service counter – cases that companies call "can't-get-through-the-counter" – effectively, matters that fall through the cracks between departmental jurisdictions. To address this bottleneck, the Haicang District government has established a dedicated Biopharmaceutical Industry Service Sub-Centre to resolve these complex cross-departmental cases.

Biopharmaceutical Industry Service Sub-Centre, Photo by Bastille Post

The centre has put in place a resource integration system that links three administrative levels vertically and multiple departments horizontally, supported by a tiered consultation and case-handling mechanism. Companies no longer need to shuttle between various government departments; instead, they can bring their cases to a single point of contact and receive end-to-end follow-up.

Amoytop Biotech, Photo by Bastille Post

Among the many enterprises in Xiamen Bio Bay, Amoytop Biotech stands out as a highly representative "veteran" player. Founded in 1996, the company started as a small team of just six or seven people and has since grown into a leading Chinese PEGylated protein long-acting drug enterprise with more than 2,000 employees. In 1997, the company launched its first product, Topleucon, the first recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor drug in the Chinese Mainland, filling a gap in the domestic market. Amoytop subsequently introduced products including Topneuter and Topmega, progressively building up its technological barriers.

Amoytop Biotech exhibits, Photo by Bastille Post

In 2016, the company's Paigebin, a peginterferon alfa-2b injection and a Class 1 new drug developed over 14 years, received market approval, becoming the first independently developed polyethylene glycol long-acting interferon product in the Chinese Mainland and breaking the long-standing monopoly of imported products in the domestic market. In 2020, Amoytop became the first Fujian Province biopharmaceutical company to list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's Science and Technology Innovation Board. In 2023 and 2025, the company launched two further Class 1 new drugs – Peijin, a telpegfilgrastim injection, and Yipeisheng, an inpegsomatropin injection – further expanding its product portfolio. To date, Amoytop has four marketed products, three of which are Class 1 new drugs.

Amoytop Biotech, Photo by Bastille Post

Chen Fanghe, Assistant to the General Manager of Amoytop Biotech, said that the company has just completed its 30-year development journey, a milestone made possible by Xiamen Bio Bay's extensive technical, service and policy support. "From the factory construction stage onwards, the park has provided us with extensive policy guidance and government service support," he said. He added that the company is keenly looking forward to future opportunities for global expansion, and views Hong Kong as a "highly desirable opportunity" – a vital springboard into international markets and an "important window" for the company.

Chen Fanghe, Assistant to the General Manager of Amoytop Biotech, Photo by Bastille Post

The Hong Kong media delegation continued its Fujian tour on August 4, spending the afternoon on Gulangyu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they explored its century‑old international community through a rich tapestry of architectural styles. In the evening, the delegation strolled along Zhongshan Street and visited the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall, discovering the enduring nostalgia of Minnan culture.

The Gulangyu Piano Pier, Photo by Bastille Post

Arriving by ferry at the Gulangyu Piano Pier, the delegation stepped into a tranquil “garden on the sea," an island where red‑brick villas, consulates, and arched colonnades stand alongside swaying banyan trees, weaving a living tapestry of East and West.

The Gulangyu island, Photo by Bastille Post

Covering just 1.88 square kilometres, Gulangyu has served as a window for Sino‑Western cultural exchange since the 1840s, with over a thousand buildings blending Chinese and Western architectural styles. In 2017, the island was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Gulangyu island, Photo by Bastille Post

The Gulangyu island, Photo by Bastille Post

The delegation’s first stop was the Gulangyu Piano Museum, housed in Shuzhuang Garden. Built in 1913, the garden was originally the private villa of Lin Erjia, a wealthy Taiwanese businessman. Nestled against the hills and overlooking the sea, it blends natural scenery with garden design. The museum displays dozens of antique pianos from around the world, bearing witness to Gulangyu’s rich musical heritage as the “Piano Island.” On‑site staff gave an impromptu performance of Waves of Gulangyu on a century‑old piano, enchanting the delegation members with its melodic charm.

The Gulangyu Piano Museum, Photo by Bastille Post

The impromptu piano performance by museum staff, Photo by Bastille Post

The second stop was the former British Consulate. This 19th‑century colonial‑style building has been repurposed as the Gulangyu Art Space of the National Art Museum of China, the museum's first local branch. Currently featuring 21 contemporary artworks ranging from painting and sculpture to installation art, the century‑old arcades and columns create a striking dialogue between past and present, infusing the historic space with new vitality and adding a fresh cultural layer to Gulangyu.

The former British Consulate, Photo by Bastille Post

Picasso pieces in the collection of the Art Space, Photo by Bastille Post

The delegation concluded its Gulangyu tour at the island's landmark — the Bagua Building. Built in 1907, this red‑domed structure is the largest and tallest villa on the island. Today, it houses the Gulangyu Pipe Organ Art Center, a world‑class museum and the only one of its kind in China, with a collection of over 5,000 organs of every description.

The Bagua Building, Photo by Bastille Post

The entrance of the Gulangyu Pipe Organ Art Center, Photo by Bastille Post

The centre’s most striking feature is a magnificent Norman‑Beard pipe organ, several storeys high. The guide explained that this giant instrument was purchased from abroad in 2004, disassembled, shipped to Xiamen, and reassembled over three months. The Art Center officially opened to the public in 2005, and this pipe organ has been played there for 21 years.

The Norman‑Beard pipe organ, Photo by Bastille Post

The core difference between a pipe organ and a piano lies in their sound production: a piano is a struck string instrument, relying on hammers to strike the strings; a pipe organ, on the other hand, is an aerophone, requiring continuous airflow and valve opening to produce sound. The instrument is divided into two main parts: the lower section is the performance console, and the upper section contains the sound pipes. The console features a three‑tiered manual keyboard and a single‑tiered foot keyboard, with a structure vastly different from a standard piano. White circular draw‑knobs are located on both sides; by adjusting the push‑pull combinations, the timbres of various instruments can be simulated. The director also performed different styles of music on the spot, from ethereal and melodious to majestic and powerful, fully demonstrating the pipe organ’s rich expressiveness.

The director performed different styles of music on the spot, from ethereal and melodious to majestic and powerful, fully demonstrating the pipe organ’s rich expressiveness. Photo by Bastille Post

After nightfall, the delegation strolled through Zhongshan Street. This century‑old Nanyang‑style arcade street is a benchmark for the integration of urban renewal and cultural tourism in Xiamen, carrying the memories of a century of trade between Fujian and Hong Kong overseas Chinese merchants.

The Zhongshan Street, Photo by Bastille Post

The delegation focused on visiting the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall on Zhongshan Street. Following the recent popularity of the film Dear You, the exhibition hall has seen a significant increase in daily visitors, with many parents bringing their children to experience the interactive installations for handwritten Qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters), bringing the warmth of traditional letter‑writing back into the public eye.

The Qiaopi Exhibition Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

Su Xiaodong, chief curator of the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall and founder of Xiamen Xinge Cultural and Creative Industry Co., Ltd., explained that Zhongshan Road once housed 286 Qiaopi agencies, accounting for 95% of the total in Fujian Province. It was the core distribution hub for Qiaopi in southern Fujian, radiating to Quanzhou and Zhangzhou and connecting Kinmen and Taiwan. The hall building is a renovated ancient structure, preserving the original architectural features. Interactive exhibits include an ancient sailboat and a Ming‑dynasty lighthouse. The exhibition hall houses over 300 Qiaopi letters from Xiamen, including precious artefacts such as letters written during the War of Resistance against Japan and family letters documenting the abolition of foot‑binding in modern times.

The Qiaopi collection at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The Qiaopi collection at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The Qiaopi collection at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The display item at the exhibition hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The sailing ship model in the exhibition, Photo by Bastille Post

On the cultural connotations of Qiaopi, Su Xiaodong said many visitors ask whether these letters contain words like “I love you.” In reality, he noted, such sentimental expressions are rarely found in the letters written by Minnan and Chaoshan ancestors. Instead, Qiaopi carry the most authentic narratives of survival: “When I send this letter back, it’s thousands of miles away. I can’t return, so I send a Qiaopi. When it arrives, it tells my family I’m safe. Money and news arriving together means I’m safe, all kinds of safe.”

He continued: “As the saying goes, a letter from home is worth its weight in gold. And Qiaopi are truly worth that much, not because of the money, but because of the warmth and affection they carry across the distance.”

Su Xiaodong, chief curator of the Qiaopi Exhibition Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

According to Su Xiaodong, the exhibition hall is now planning to take the Qiaopi exhibition overseas, with Singapore as the first stop. OCBC Bank will open its century‑old Qiaopi archives there, allowing them to be cross‑referenced and integrated with the historical materials held by the Xiamen museum. The exhibition is also set to travel to Malaysia at a later stage.